Official: Safety of diplomatic missions a top priority for Saudi Arabia

The First Secretary and Member of Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Delegation to the United Nations, Nidaa Abu Ali, said yesterday that the kingdom considers the safety and security of diplomatic missions and consulates working on its territories a “top priority”, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Abu Ali affirmed her country’s commitment to implementing strict security measures, including a permanent committee within the Ministry of Interior whose mission is to secure diplomatic sites and facilities in the kingdom.

She added that Riyadh is keen to improve and develop effective measures to prevent any acts of violence against diplomatic personnel.

Abu Ali criticised the failure of some countries to provide the necessary protection for diplomatic and consular missions, referring to the storming of the Saudi embassy in Iran in 2016, and called on all countries to take the necessary measures against the perpetrators of such crimes and to clarify the measures taken to prevent the recurrence of these violations.

The Saudi official made the remarks after the US embassy in Riyadh issued a warning to its citizens of possible strikes by missiles and drones following the recent escalation of attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.

Saudi Arabia: Several injured after explosion at non-Muslim cemetery during Remembrance Day ceremony