Both the UK and US Embassies in Saudi Arabia have warned of a heightened terrorist threat against foreign oil workers in the region.

The US Government has issued this statement: The U.S. Embassy has information stating that, as of March, individuals associated with a terrorist organisation could be targeting Western oil workers, possibly to include those U.S. citizens working for oil companies in the Eastern Province, for an attack(s) and/or kidnapping(s). There is no further information on the timing, target, location, or method of any planned attacks.

The UK Embassy issued the following less specific advice: There is a heightened threat from terrorism in Saudi Arabia. Attacks could be indiscriminate, affecting western (including British) interests and places visited by foreigners.

Opportunistic attacks on Saudi or western targets are also possible. There is considered to be a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally against UK interests and British nationals from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria.

There are regular posts on jihadist websites encouraging attacks against British and other western interests, including teachers, schools and oil workers; other groups could be targeted.

In recent months there have been attacks on US, Danish and Canadian citizens in Saudi Arabia, in one case with fatal consequences. Saudi Arabia has also seen past attacks against compounds that house foreign oil workers, the most high profile of which came in 2004 when gunmen stormed the Oasis residential compound in Al-Khobar killing 19 Expats.

Kevin Forbes, Managing Director of Oil and Gas People and an ex oil and gas contractor was able to give some insight: “Having spent over a year working in Saudi for SRAK (Joint Venture between Shell and Saudi Aramco) I worked in the desert in what is known as the Empty Quarter.

Security when passing through the Oasis complex was extremely tight. After the 2004 attacks ex special forces were drafted in to provide security and the compound was fortified to the point it felt like you were entering a military base. We had heavily armed guards, machine gun turrets a triple entry system and then fortified houses each with their own safe rooms. In the compound you felt safe but not so much when you were on site in the Saudi Desert. Often the Drilling Rigs were hundreds of miles from the nearest town and security was in the form of a handful of Mujahideen guards who were ill equipped and under armed. There is a real vulnerability while working in these locations and I hope oil companies are revising their security in light of these specific threats.”

The image in this article was taken by Kevin while working on another desert location in Libya in 2007.