Riyadh, March 18 (IANS): The US embassy in Saudi Arabia will remain closed until further noticed due to heightened security concerns at US diplomatic facilities, the embassy said on its website Wednesday.

The embassy first announced the US embassy and consulates have cancelled all consular services in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran for Sunday on March 15 and 16.

Telephone lines to the Consular sections will not be open during these two days. Later on March 16, the embassy announced that the US diplomatic facilities in Saudi Arabia will continue to be cancelled.

A new security message will be sent out as soon as consular services return to normal, Xinhua news agency reported citing Wednesday's statement.

The embassy also warned its citizens to be aware of their surroundings, and take extra precautions when travelling throughout the country.

According to the statement, the State Department has urged US citizens to carefully consider the risks of travelling to Saudi Arabia and limit non-essential travel within the country.