RIYADH / WASHINGTON — The United States has ordered non-emergency US government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed on Wednesday, linking the move to attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, including on airports. Pigott, posting on X, said “the safety and security of Department personnel and their families remain our highest priority” and said the order applied to Saudi Arabia only.

Source: Reuters via WTBX

Reuters had earlier reported, citing three US officials, that the State Department was preparing to issue an ordered departure of some personnel and family members from US embassies across the Gulf region, due to a possible resumption of hostilities, particularly with the Houthis. Two of those officials told Reuters the departures could potentially involve the evacuation of all personnel and their families from the US Mission to Saudi Arabia.

A diplomatic source told AFP that all American staff and their families had been ordered to depart from the US embassy in Saudi Arabia, and that families of embassy staff in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain had also been ordered to leave. That wider scope has not been confirmed by the State Department — Pigott's public confirmation was limited to non-emergency staff and families in Saudi Arabia — so Awaaz Punjab is reporting the four-country families claim as AFP's source said it, not as a confirmed US order.

Source: AFP via Warri Aproko News

Riyadh airport still suspended, embassy alert warns of rapid escalation

The US Embassy in Riyadh, in a security alert dated October 21, said Iranian-supported Houthis had engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions, and that the hostilities had the potential to escalate rapidly. Operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remain suspended, the alert said, while Jeddah and Dammam airports are operational with some delays and cancellations. US government employees in Saudi Arabia require special authorisation from the Chief of Mission to use any airport in the kingdom, it added.

Source: U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Saudi Arabia — Security Alert, October 21, 2026

The order came on the same day Saudi Arabia's energy ministry said falling debris from the interception of a drone targeting the Shaybah oil field killed two workers — a Filipino and a Nepali — and injured two others. The ministry did not say who launched the drone. Saudi Arabia has faced near-daily Houthi attacks this month, according to AFP, including a strike on Riyadh's international airport.

Why this matters for Punjab and India readers

The Gulf is home to large Indian and Punjabi worker communities, and Saudi Arabia is a major employer, oil supplier and flight hub for the region. A suspended Riyadh airport, possible wider flight disruption and an escalating Houthi-Saudi fight directly affect worker safety, remittances and travel plans for families across Punjab and India.

What is solid

  • The US State Department ordered non-emergency US government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia — confirmed publicly by spokesman Tommy Pigott on X on Wednesday.
  • The US Embassy in Riyadh issued an October 21 security alert saying Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport operations remain suspended and warning Houthi hostilities could escalate rapidly.
  • Reuters reported, citing three US officials, that ordered departures were being prepared for some personnel and families from US embassies across the Gulf.

What is only claimed

  • AFP's diplomatic source said families in the UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain were also ordered to leave — the State Department's public confirmation covered Saudi Arabia only, so the wider scope remains unconfirmed.
  • Who launched the drone targeted at the Shaybah oil field on Wednesday was not stated by Saudi Arabia's energy ministry.