South African Embassy Saudi Arabia

TRAVEL ADVISORY - REGIONAL SECURITY UPDATE

South African Embassy, Riyadh | Consulate General, Jeddah

The South African Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah are closely monitoring regional developments. South African citizens in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the Sultanate of Oman are advised to exercise heightened caution.

Regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption across the Gulf and wider Middle East.

As a precautionary measure, citizens are encouraged to:

* Avoid the vicinity of security or military installations, as well as entities with international affiliations that may be subject to increased risk.
* Monitor local and international media for the latest developments
* Remain vigilant and strictly adhere to all guidance and instructions issued by local authorities.

South African citizens in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Yemen, please note the urgent advisory in light of regional developments.

SANDF Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General F.M. Ramantswana represented the SANDF at the World Defence Show that was held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 8 to 12 February 2026. The show drew participants from 191 countries, including companies from the South African Defence Industry.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains a strategic partner to South Africa and this is demonstrated by the active participation of South African Defence Industry in the Kingdom. Noticeable South African companies included Milkor, Reunert, and CSIR amongst others that have joint ventures with local Saudi companies.

Milkor and Reunert demonstrated that the South African Defence Industry remains a significant player not only in the African Continent but also globally, displaying bespoke capabilities with niche solutions that stimulated great interest at the World Defence Show. Representatives from ARMSCOR and DENEL were also in attendance.

This visit once again confirmed that South Africa remains a key player in the Defence Sector and will continue to aspire to grow from strength to strength, thereby cementing our market share in this space.

The SANDF Chief of Staff also paid a courtesy call on the South African Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, H.E Mogobo David Magabe, where discussions took place on the progress being made to advance bilateral relations between the two countries.

Ambassador Magabe received a courtesy call from H.E. Mr. Ulukbek Maripov, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Saudi Arabia, who is also accredited to South Africa. The meeting centered on cooperation between the two countries in multilateral fora.

The 5th Saudi Media Forum took place in Riyadh from February 2-4, 2026. Ambassador Magabe joined a panel discussion on "Diplomacy of Influence, Media and Image-Making," exploring media's impact on perception and state power. The panel featured Ambassadors of Spain, India, and Djibouti.

To all South African Citizens residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Yemen, please take note of the requirements for civic services.

Please note the closure of the South African Embassy in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Kindly disregard the previous Facebook post. The Embassy is experiencing technical difficulties in accessing the Embassy Facebook social media account.

The South African Embassy in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be closed from Wednesday 24th December until 2nd January 2026. Normal operations resume from 3 January 2026.

Let us honour the vibrant culture, traditions, and stories that make South Africa so unique. Happy Heritage Day, South Africa. 🇿🇦