Prioritise your safety, monitor events and follow local advice, including shelter in place instructions. Sheltering in place remains your safest option at this time. Sheltering in place means stay indoors, as much as possible. Be aware of your environment and avoid government, military or energy infrastructure, including oil production facilities, and US diplomatic locations. Monitor local warning systems and if warned of an imminent attack move to an enclosed hardened shelter, ideally underground or close to ground level if available. If these are not available seek an inner room without windows.
Consider a commercial option to depart if you can secure one and it is safe to do so. You should consider recent attacks in your area and that airports and aircraft are more vulnerable to these strikes. You should verify the status of any border crossing before you travel by air, land or sea. Make sure you have access to food, water and essential medicines. Consider that airlines may cease operating at short notice and you may need to find accommodation. Availability of accommodation may be limited.
US Embassies in the Middle East are issuing local security alerts. We encourage you to monitor US alerts in your location and follow this advice (see ‘Safety’).
Demonstrations and protest activity may also occur, and local security situations could deteriorate with little notice. Avoid all demonstrations and protests. Avoid military installations and the surrounding areas. Avoid critical infrastructure, hotels and high-rise buildings as they could be a target for attacks. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning.
Having trouble getting in touch? See ‘Local contacts’ for phone and email contacts for our Embassy in Saudi Arabia and follow them on social media.
If you need emergency consular assistance, contact the Australian Government’s Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 (if you’re overseas) or 1300 555 135 (in Australia).
We advise:
Do not travel to Bahrain due to the volatile security situation in the region.
