Macron visits Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks prompt US staff departures
publishers 105articles 197first reported 6 Oct, 13:30 UTCdeveloping since 6 Oct · 26 editions
French President Emmanuel Macron made an unscheduled visit to Riyadh during a Gulf tour, with his office saying the stop was intended to demonstrate France’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia following attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. Macron was due to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The visit came after deadly strikes on Saudi infrastructure. Saudi authorities said two people were killed when air defences intercepted a drone targeting Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah oilfield, though operations were not affected. A separate attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed one person and injured eight, according to the kingdom’s civil aviation authority.
The United States ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia, warning that the hostilities could escalate rapidly. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the order applied only to Saudi Arabia and rejected reports that it covered the wider Gulf, although Reuters and AFP cited officials and diplomatic sources saying departures were also being arranged elsewhere in the region.
Oil prices rose following the attacks, with Brent crude climbing above $110 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate trading near $98.
On Friday, Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency briefly issued “potential danger” alerts for Mecca, Jeddah, Taif and Yanbu. Residents were told to seek the nearest safe place, but the warnings were rescinded within minutes. Authorities did not state what prompted them.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 5 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 426 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 105
- Source articles
- 197
- Given to the writer
- 8, 5 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 426 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
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