Britain closes embassy in Saudi Arabia

Concerned over an “imminent” terrorist threat, the Foreign Office said on Wednesday that Britain would be closing its embassy and all other diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia.

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Britain is closing all diplomatic
missions in Saudi Arabia after the
 bombing attacks in Riyadh

A Foreign Office spokeswoman told reporters that the British ministry was privy to information that caused them to take the step.

“We have received credible information that further terrorist attacks against unspecified targets in Saudi Arabia are being planned and may take place imminently,” she said.

“In light of the threat, British diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia will close to the public on Wednesday 21 May,” she said.

The move came one day after Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Washington, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, said he believed the bombers were planning a much bigger operation.

The Foreign Office said it planned to reopen its embassy, its consulate in Jeddah in western Saudi Arabia, and the trade office in Al Khobar in the east of the kingdom on Saturday, but said the situation will be kept under review.

On 12 May, bombing attacks took place on three residential compounds on the outskirts of Riyadh claiming the lives of 34 people including nine bombers.
 
In the past week UK authorities have suspended all flights between Britain and Kenya after a Kenyan government minister said there was intelligence that terrorists were planning another attack somewhere in east Africa.

This was followed up Friday by a warning to its nationals of a “clear terrorist threat” in six east African countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Earlier on Tuesday, the United States closed its embassy and consular offices warning that more terrorist attacks were “imminent”.

That was followed shortly afterwards by the raising of its terror alert status to “high” from “elevated” citing a renewed risk of terrorist attacks in the United States.