U.S. orders departure of non-emergency government staff from Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency government employees and their family members from Saudi Arabia due to safety risks, according to a travel advisory issued on Sunday.

The advisory said that the order amends a previous one dated on March 3 allowing non-emergency government personnel and their family members to leave the kingdom voluntarily because of security concerns.

The State Department also urged U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia who require assistance to complete a crisis intake form to inform the U.S. embassy or consulate of their request.