Some news about the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States has come to light that’s getting people’s attention. Bloomberg is picking up a report from The New York Times, saying that the U.S. appears to have instructed personnel of its diplomatic mission stationed in Saudi Arabia to leave the country.

This is said to be a withdrawal directive from the State Department, suggesting a fairly official response. If the personnel are being urged to evacuate, it likely means there are substantial concerns. However, the specific reasons have not been disclosed in detail yet.

When you look at moves like this, it makes you wonder whether a broader trend of moving away from the U.S. is also affecting relations with Saudi Arabia. We can only wait for an official announcement to find out what kinds of exchanges took place behind the scenes in diplomacy. In any case, it looks like it could be one signal indicating changes in the Middle East.