U.S., U.K. Close Riyadh Embassies

"In response to information that some strikes may be imminent, the embassy and consulates general in Jeddah and Dhahran will be closed on May 21, 2003," it said.

"Although no decision has yet been made as to when the embassy and consulates may reopen, it will not be prior to Sunday, May 25, as mission offices are normally closed on Thursdays and Fridays and will be closed Saturday for Memorial Day," said the statement.

The American warning was followed by a similar one by Britain’s Foreign Office which announced the closure of its embassy in Riyadh, consulate in Jeddah and trade office in Al-Khobar, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"We have received credible information that further terrorist attacks against unspecified targets in Saudi Arabia are being planned and may take place imminently," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

Germany has also decided to close its embassy in Riyadh as a precautionary measure against possible terror attacks.

The move came in the wake of the May 12 triple bombings on expatriate housing compounds in Riyadh that left 34 dead, including eight U.S. citizens.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal admitted Tuesday that there was still a threat of "terrorist operations" in the kingdom and the Gulf region.

"There are still threats of terrorist operations in Saudi Arabia and in the region," Prince Saud said at a press conference with his Danish counterpart Per Stig Moeller.

"Terrorists are deploying enormous efforts to spread terror in all the region," he said, vowing that Saudi Arabia was "undertaking all steps necessary to fight terrorism and prevent new terrorist operations in the future."

Tight Security

In consequence, Saudi Arabia tightened security to face up to threats of more terror attacks amid renewed vows of determination to root out terrorism, AFP said.

Drivers are quizzed and vehicles examined at countless roadblocks and checkpoints.

The government on Tuesday urged Saudi nationals to carry their civil ID cards at all times, saying they must be shown to officials on demand.

Armoured vehicles with mounted machine-guns are parked outside a number of modern residential complexes housing Westerners and concrete barriers have been erected to ward off any more of the attacks.

Police are also stationed at shopping malls, where all vehicles must now undergo security screening before being allowed to use underground car parks.

The number of shoppers in Riyadh’s main shopping centres has dropped significantly during the past week in fear of new attacks.

Saudi Arabia said Sunday, May 18, it had arrested four members of Al-Qaeda network linked to the triple bombings.

Saudi security agencies have also identified three of the bombers — out of nine the interior ministry had earlier said were killed in the attacks — as part of a 19-member al-Qaeda cell whose discovery was announced May 7 and whose pictures had appeared in the local press.

Authorities said the cell had planned to carry out major attacks in the kingdom and that security forces were hunting 17 Saudis, one Kuwaiti-Canadian of Iraqi origin and a Yemeni.

Searches of their hideout and car netted a huge cache of arms, including 55 hand grenades, 377 kilograms (829 pounds) of explosive, and 2,545 bullets of various calibres, the interior ministry said.

The interior minister has acknowledged questioning some 700 of Saudi Arabia’s "Afghan Arabs," Saudi citizens who fought in the Afghan war against Soviet occupation and have since returned home.

More than 253 people remained in custody, of whom some 90 men have been convicted of being members of al-Qaeda.

‘Major Attack’

The announcement follows a warning on Monday, May 19, from Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Washington, who expressed fears a major attack is imminent in either the U.S. or Saudi Arabia, the BBC news online reported Tuesday.

"My gut feeling tells me something big will happen either in Saudi Arabia or America," Prince Bandar bin Sultan said.

He said the U.S. and Saudi Arabia had picked up electronic "chatter" in the region and in other areas which indicated something else was being planned in addition to the attacks that took place last week.

Prince Bandar said that chatter had indicated the Riyadh attacks were being planned but had not given information regarding a time or place.

He said the chatter had stopped almost completely two or three days before the attacks, the British broadcaster added.

"I’m confident we’ll get them in the end. But the question is, will it be early enough or not?" he said.

Prince Bandar added that a raid by authorities in the country earlier this month had uncovered huge quantities of explosives which could have caused even greater devastation than May 12 attacks.

"I think they were looking to do something more major than this," he told journalists on Monday.

"That would have taken out two blocks in the city if it had gone off accidentally. We’re all wondering if it’s the last [of the explosives] or is it the tip of the iceberg?"