LONDON – Despite successes against Al Qaida, Saudi Arabia has failed
to regain the confidence of Western nationals.
Industry sources said the number of Western nationals who regularly fly
to Saudi Arabia has dropped significantly in 2004 and was not expected to
rebound for at least the first half of this year. The sources said the drop
in traffic reflected the exodus of much of the Western work force in Saudi
Arabia over the last 18 months.
[On Monday, the Interior Ministry said Saudi authorities traced the
source of explosives used in car bombings in Riyad in December 2004. The
ministry also reported that a Saudi national suspected of being linked to an
Al Qaida shootout in Kuwait was detained.]
British Airways announced it would terminate service to Saudi Arabia
starting from the end of March. The airlines, a major carrier of Westerners
to the kingdom, cited a sharp reduction in traffic to Jedda and Riyad. BA
has scheduled seven flights a week to Saudi cities.
"The security situation has obviously reduced commercial demand," an
BA spokeswoman said. "We're not getting so many people wanting to go
out there and foreign companies based in Saudi Arabia are bringing fewer
workers in."
An estimated 30,000 Britons -- most of them employees of Western defense
and energy contractors -- live in Saudi Arabia. The United States does not
have direct air service to Saudi Arabia.
The industry sources said despite efforts by Saudi authorities, most
Westerners who left the kingdom over the past year do not have immediate
plans to return. The sources said the Al Qaida takeover of the U.S.
consulate in Jedda in December 2004 served as a warning that Westerners
could not expect any protection in Saudi Arabia.
Western embassies have reduced their staff in Saudi Arabia over the last
year, the sources said. Many of the embassies have also advised their
nationals to avoid travel to the kingdom.
Over the last week, BA has been flying British Muslims to Saudi Arabia
for Id Al Adha, scheduled to begin on Jan. 19. About 10,000 British
nationals were granted Saudi visas to attend the annual Islamic pilgrimage
to Mecca.
