RIYADH, 25 March 2004 — The US Embassy closed at 9 a.m. yesterday for about an hour following a false alarm of an explosion in Riyadh. Visitors present at the time had to be escorted out with the help of the security personnel working in cooperation with the Saudi authorities.
“The all-clear was given after about an hour when we found no confirmation of the attack,” Robert Keith, press attache at the US Embassy, told Arab News. He said the embassy staff were moved to a safe place within the premises in line with the standard procedure.
The embassy official said security staff have been in a state of alert as part of the precautionary measures at the US diplomatic missions abroad. Drills are also routinely conducted. He paid tribute to the Saudi authorities for the full cooperation extended to the security personnel.
The security alert at the US Embassy premises in Riyadh coincided with similar measures at US diplomatic missions in the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen in response to reports that there would be terrorist attacks in the wake of the assassination of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. US embassies have upped security following Israel’s assassination of Sheikh Yassin.
A spokesman for the British Embassy said their doors remained open and continued to function normally. Both British and US Embassy officials paid tributes to the Kingdom’s authorities in their fight against terrorism.
The security ring around the diplomats’ residences and compounds has been strengthened, while access to the Royal Conference Palace, the venue of press conferences for the visiting VIPs, is virtually impossible without prior registration of journalists’ names with the security personnel.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities have beefed up security measures at the entrance to the Diplomatic Quarter. Long queues of cars, almost a kilometer long, build up near the entrance to the Diplomatic Quarter, especially during rush hour. The delay is further compounded by routine queries and checking of the trunks of vehicles. Motorists visiting the DQ, especially for the evening functions, find it a nightmarish experience. Journalists are grilled and photographers detained until the host of the function or his representative comes to the DQ entrance to help them out.
Checkpoints along the main roads in the capital also create traffic jams, holding up functions and press conferences. As a result, most events take place more than an hour behind schedule. Some offices that were located in the DQ are said to be moving to other places within the capital to avoid inconvenience to their staff or an adverse impact on their business.
