Non-emergency staff told to leave multiple Gulf countries.
Fresh concerns have emerged over Formula 1’s Middle East season finale after the United States ordered non-emergency embassy personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia. According to AFP, diplomatic families were also ordered to depart Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Jordan. The development comes just one day after FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem insisted that the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix would go ahead as planned.
No changes to either race have been announced. The Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail is scheduled for November 29, followed by the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina on December 6.
What the US Departure Order Says
Washington has ordered non-essential US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, the State Department said on Wednesday, according to AFP. The order comes as the kingdom faces sustained and deadly attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.
The announcement followed a report from a diplomatic source, who told AFP that all American staff and their families had been ordered to leave the US embassy in the Gulf kingdom. The same source said families of embassy staff had also been ordered to leave the UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain, all of which have been targeted by Iran during the Middle East war.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott subsequently confirmed the order in a post on X. However, he stressed that it applied to non-emergency US government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only. Pigott said the safety and security of department personnel and their families remain the department’s highest priority.
That distinction matters. The State Department’s public confirmation covered Saudi Arabia alone, while the wider orders for families in the UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain were attributed by AFP to a diplomatic source.
Why Saudi Arabia Is at the Center of the Security Concerns
Saudi Arabia has come under near-daily attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis this month, AFP reports. That includes a strike on Riyadh’s international airport, described as the kingdom’s deadliest in years, as the war with the group escalates.
Separately, aviation officials said one person was killed and eight others wounded in an attack on Dammam airport in eastern Saudi Arabia. A drone was also aimed at the Shaybah oil field near the UAE border, although it was not stated who launched it.
The conflict in Yemen has intensified since June, when a four-year truce in the country’s civil war collapsed and revived a conflict that dates back to 2014. The Saudi-led coalition has backed Yemen’s internationally recognised government since 2015.
This is not the first time Washington has pulled back diplomatic staff from the Gulf. According to AFP, the US previously ordered non-essential staff to leave the region ahead of the start of its war against Iran in late February, and again in July before President Donald Trump called off a new wave of strikes.
Ben Sulayem Insisted Qatar and Abu Dhabi Races Will Go Ahead
The timing of the embassy orders is what makes them so significant for Formula 1. On Tuesday, Ben Sulayem told media that the final two races of the 2026 season would take place as scheduled in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Asked whether the two countries were fine to host Formula 1, he answered that they were. He pointed to his own family as evidence of his confidence, saying his children are in the UAE. He also said the FIA would never take its staff, drivers or officials to a place it considered risky.
Ben Sulayem was careful not to offer guarantees, however. He acknowledged that he cannot predict what will happen, adding that as of today, “the two races are going to happen.” He also said he was happy for FIA staff to travel to the events, and that his own presence in the region meant he felt secure.
Those comments came with a clear caveat. The FIA president kept the door open to a change of plan, and the embassy departure orders arrived within a day of his reassurance.
F1’s 2026 Calendar Has Already Been Hit by the Regional Conflict
Formula 1 has already adapted its calendar to the situation in the Gulf this year. The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were called off in April, and the Bahrain-branded race was eventually staged at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia earlier this month.
Ben Sulayem emphasised that the FIA had followed the requests of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia when those races were called off. That precedent shows the governing body has been willing to change plans when circumstances required it.
Asked whether Imola remained ready to step in as a season finale venue if needed, Ben Sulayem replied that the FIA is always ready. He did not suggest that any such move is planned.
What Happens Next for the F1 Season Finale
For now, the schedule stands. Qatar is due to host the penultimate round at Lusail on November 29, with Abu Dhabi closing the championship at Yas Marina on December 6. No changes to either race have been announced.
ALSO READ: Vasseur Denies Red Bull Dominance Despite Max Wins
The key question is whether the new US departure orders alter the assessment of the FIA and Formula 1. Ben Sulayem’s own position, delivered only a day earlier, was that conditions in Qatar and the UAE were fine at that moment, while accepting that events cannot be predicted.
With the Qatar Grand Prix just over a month away, attention will turn to whether the FIA, Formula 1, the teams and the host countries respond to the latest developments. Any decision would affect the final two races of the season and the venue where the 2026 championship is settled.
Follow us
Never Miss an F1 Update!
Join the AutodromeF1 Formula 1 community for real-time race commentary, paddock news, and 2026 calendar updates across your favorite platforms: