British embassy in Kuwait suspends services

‘As of 19 October, 2011, because of an increased threat toward the British embassy, we have temporarily suspended British embassy services,’ the statement said.

In an update to the ‘terrorism section’ of its travel advice, the embassy also advised British organisations and businesses to review their security measures, although it said that the threat was targeted at the mission itself.

‘Whilst the threat is targeted against the embassy itself, we cannot rule out threats against other British interests in Kuwait. We therefore advise that British organisations and businesses in Kuwait review the security procedures they have in place,’ it said.

The embassy was closed Thursday, a working day in Kuwait, according to a recorded telephone message.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed the suspension of embassy services but did not provide more details.

‘We are aware of an increased threat toward the British embassy in Kuwait. We have therefore taken the precaution of temporarily suspending embassy services,’ she said.

The security alert comes less than two weeks before British heir to the throne Prince Charles is due to visit Kuwait.

He is also to visit Qatar. The visit to the two countries is due to take place on October 31 and November 1.

‘We are keeping security under constant review as we would with any royal visit, and we are taking advice from the Foreign Office,’ a spokeswoman for the prince’s Clarence House office told AFP.

A spokesperson for the British embassy in Kuwait said the embassy is scheduled to reopen on Sunday after a ‘revision of the security situation over the weekend,’ which is Friday and Saturday in Kuwait.

She declined to elaborate on the nature of the threat to the embassy.

Security around the seaside embassy complex in Kuwait City was raised following the threat, with many police cars deployed in the area.

About 20,000 British nationals live and work in Kuwait.

The oil-rich Gulf state has not seen violence since January 2005, when security forces fought gunbattles with a group believed to be linked to Al Qaeda.