Engineer – empirically, it is NOT safe, i.e. just ask 22 people ( or, more to the point, ask the relatives of those ) who were murdered within the 'secure compound' at al-Khobar on the 29th May.
The
Control Risks Group has the following to say:
Control Risks continues to advise foreign personnel to exercise utmost caution in Saudi Arabia. Companies should proceed on the assumption that the terrorist threat will not diminish in the near future and take steps now to minimise their exposure. Business travel can continue provided that visitors are fully confident in their security arrangements, in particular those governing hotels, offices, work sites and local movement.
If companies are in any doubt about the adequacy of their arrangements, they should consider temporarily relocating dependents and non-essential staff to safer locations, inside or outside Saudi Arabia. As a separate measure, they may also wish to consider offering dependents and non-essential staff the option of withdrawal on a voluntary basis.