DAMMAM, 2 June 2004 — Scores of Western expatriates in the Eastern Province are preparing to go home after the Alkhobar attacks left 22 dead, mostly foreigners.

Travel agencies in Dammam and Alkhobar confirm that in the past 48 hours they have made a number of bookings. Several big joint ventures and multinational groups have made mass bookings for their American and European executives to destinations ranging from the United States to Europe and Asia.

Americans, it appears, have now started taking seriously their embassy’s advice to leave the country.

A warden message from the US Embassy strongly reiterated its previous warning urging American citizens to depart the country.

There is also word of mass resignations from big corporations, including unconfirmed reports of resignations from Saudi Aramco.

Some large multinationals involved in oil operations are now reportedly thinking of sending first their American and European staff and later the Asians home.

Such reports raised the question whether these companies are going to stop their operations in Saudi Arabia altogether.

There are indications that some multinationals are contemplating moving their offices from here to either neighboring Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates. However, the companies declined to confirm or deny such reports.

Travel agency sources say that the recent bookings show that in the coming days there will be a big rush of passengers traveling home. “Most of the destinations we booked today were in the United States and Britain,” said a travel agent in Alkhobar.

However, some leading multinational groups say that most of their staff who plan to leave the country will “soon come back once things settle down here.”

“The killings of expatriates have unnerved many of our employees and they now need a change and hence some may go on an extended vacation. But surely they will be coming back,” said a Saudi partner of a joint venture.

He, however, could not elaborate what he meant by extended leave and when exactly such foreigners will return.

A number of Westerners have said they are taking their summer vacations early and will then decide whether to return to the Kingdom.

Scores of Westerners shuttle between their workplace in Alkhobar and neighboring Bahrain where they live via the King Fahd Causeway.

Some big multinational groups say the option of making the same arrangement for all their foreign staff could not be ruled out.