On Tuesday this week, I attended an online briefing by the U.S. Embassy for the American Business Community, organized by AmCham Saudi Arabia. This virtual briefing was hosted by the U.S. Chargee d’Affaires, Alison Dilworth.

Here are the key topics that were covered:

1. 1. Awareness of potential impact of the regional tensions on US business operations

   2. Current alerts and advisories for American citizens as communicated by the U.S.

   3. Consular services are suspended throughout the Kingdom with only limited emergency support when possible.

   4. There are no current planned U.S. organized charter flights from the Kingdom

   5. There are no current confirmed recommendations in regards to schools opening, operating virtually or closing. 

   6. The Saudi authorities are reporting daily success in the defence systems intercepting attacks 

   7. Airspace is still open in Saudi but it is restricted, temporarily closed at times, and inconsistent depending upon the daily attacks in Saudi airspace. 

ISG is monitoring and assessing a range of factors and will be sharing a final decision on the learning model (on-campus or virtual) for March 29, 2026  soon.We understand and are aware from your survey feedback that families have concerns about safety in returning to the Kingdom or in returning to on-campus learning as well as travel concerns for flight cancellations, disruptions and delays.  In addition, we see that the feedback indicates a preference for returning to on-campus learning as soon as it is safe to do so.  We are taking all of this information into consideration and thank you for your patience as we identify the most balanced solution for the return to learning on March 29, 2026.

Although our current timeline was to share this final update no later than March 23, 2026, based on community feedback, we understand that the earliest possible date for sharing this information would be welcomed.  Therefore, we are finalizing the assessment and anticipate an earlier communication, possibly as early as this Friday or Saturday afternoon, please monitor your email.

Lastly, we have also heard your feedback about some challenges related to virtual learning quality, meaningfulness, time commitment and engagement during previous virtual learning.  Our leadership team has been and continues to  collaborate this week to provide clarity in expectations and expanded approaches for enhancements in virtual learning.  Thank you for your ongoing partnership with ISG.

The Ministry has directed that individuals refrain from photographing or broadcasting footage related to missile interceptions or security operations, in order to prevent unnecessary concern and the circulation of inaccurate information. Social media platforms are being monitored accordingly.  We encourage individuals to also not post on social media in ways that could be viewed as disrespectful to the significance of the current situation for individuals and countries in the region.

As a community, we encourage all families and staff to rely on official sources for information and to exercise responsibility and discretion when using social media. Our priority remains the safety of our students, employees and families, and we are grateful for your cooperation and understanding.