US orders partial evacuation of diplomats from Saudi Arabia after Dammam airport attack

The United States has ordered part of its diplomatic staff and family members to leave Saudi Arabia after a deadly attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, U.S. officials said on October 22, 2026.

What happened in Dammam

Saudi civil aviation authorities reported that the strike on the airport in the eastern city of Dammam killed at least one person and injured eight. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed that operations were suspended and departures were being redirected following the incident.

Earlier the same day, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said security forces intercepted a drone aimed at an oil facility, but debris from the downed aircraft fell to the ground and killed two people and wounded two others. The ministry identified the dead as nationals of the Philippines and Nepal.

A State Department spokesman, Tomi Pigot, said the department had ordered the departure of non‑essential employees and family members from the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh. "The Houthis, backed by Iran, are increasingly carrying out hostile actions against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure, which lead to civilian casualties and serious disruptions to air traffic and travel," Pigot wrote on social media X.

Some foreign reports said similar departure orders had been issued for other Gulf states, naming countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain. Pigot called those reports "inaccurate," saying the order applies only to employees in Saudi Arabia.

The renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement, which is supported by Iran, has intensified in recent weeks with assaults on several major Saudi airports. A four‑year truce effectively collapsed amid wider conflict with Iran, and Saudi facilities have been hit repeatedly this month.

Photo: press material from the event