Overseas residents are leaving Kuwait

British travellers are being advised to be extra vigilant - and to stay away from Jordan altogether.

The Foreign Office has already urged Britons in Israel and Kuwait to leave as soon as possible.

It has also advised British nationals in Bahrain to consider leaving and for those in the United Arab Emirates to be extra careful.

Those in Saudi Arabia, Syria and Qatar have been told they face a "high" threat from terrorists, possibly even involving chemical or biological attacks.

Risks high

The Foreign Office has urged Britons around the world to be vigilant.

In a statement, it said: "The risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks in public places, including tourist sites, will be especially high during military action in Iraq.

There is a risk of an attack from Iraq Foreign Office on Kuwait Gulf expats feeling isolated - click here

"You should be vigilant, take sensible precautions, be aware of local sensibilities, monitor the media, and check our travel advice for the country you live in or plan to visit."

Officials said countries neighbouring Iraq were most at risk of attacks.

The Foreign Office statement, released hours before the US launched strikes on Baghdad, said: "Military action in Iraq is imminent. There is an increased threat from terrorism to the safety of British nationals in neighbouring countries.

"There is also a risk of the use of chemical and biological weapons by Iraq in the event of hostilities. Jordan might be affected.

Iraq crisis Latest travel advice

"We advise against travel to Jordan. If you are already in Jordan, we advise you to consider leaving while air routes remain open, unless your presence is essential.

The growing crisis has seen British Airways suspend all flights to and from Kuwait and Israel. A final flight from Israel will leave for Britain on Thursday.

BA flights to and from Kuwait and Israel will be suspended indefinitely. Services to other countries in the region are under constant review.

A spokeswoman said: "We are suspending services in the light of Foreign Office advice about travel to these areas."

'Why I'm staying in Kuwait' Click for story

BA normally operates one flight a day between Heathrow and Kuwait, while there is a twice-a-day Heathrow-Tel Aviv service.

The airline had already cut its London to Dubai daily services from two to one, but is continuing to fly to Qatar, Bahrain and Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

Foreign Office travel advice is also available on 0870 6060290

Do you live in the Middle East? Will you heed the advice of the UK Foreign Office? Do you feel safe where you are?

Click here or scroll to the bottom of the page to e-mail us

I and quite a few ex-pats are working on a plant in the middle of nowhere. Security is nil, anybody can wander into our camp. The last warden's notice was 26 February. Very reassuring. The British embassy is a joke, we get more news from Sky TV. And the BBC. Gordon, Saudi Arabia

I have just seen my family off at the airport. My wife's school and my children's school have both closed, but my company will not (glad to say). I am not sure I agree with the comments about the embassy here. If one took the trouble to register you would be contacted by e-mail by the allocated warden after every warden's meeting or after each warden's notice was posted on the embassy website. Of course that will have ended now, so I will be surfing the FCO site for updates. Who doesn't now wish this month were over? Terrance, Kuwait

I am living in the UAE and feel safer here than in London. Whilst the country remains calm, outside reports raise uncertainties. My only way of perceiving the real risk is to log onto the UK Government site, which appears to be updated regularly. More information from the British Embassy here would be comforting. I think propaganda is an inevitability of any war, in fact it is one of the fighting forces, but it is important to keep a level head. I think there is as much of risk of being a victim of terrorism in the UK as there is in the UAE. Annabel, UAE

Warning: 0870 and 0845 emergency numbers cannot be called from abroad! It was quite a chore earlier just to get BA's 0141 number as none of the 0845 ones they kindly gave me were of any use here. I suggest that anyone out in the Gulf checks this out sooner rather than later, just in case! George Prout, Brazil / UK

The local Kuwaitis are going out of their way to offer support, advice and even accommodation Rob, Kuwait

My wife and daughter left Kuwait on the advice of the British Embassy 2 weeks ago. I remain in Kuwait and have daily contact with them. Even under the raised alert from the embassy, life here still goes on normally. In fact the local Kuwaitis are going out of their way to offer support, advice and even accommodation for those westerners who have decided to stay due to personal or work related reasons. My wife and I have agreed that me remaining in Kuwait is the best option available at the current time, but we review this daily. Rob, Kuwait

I was in Damascus, Syria, over the weekend. The mood there was certainly not one of a country anticipating the attack or fallout from weapons of mass destruction. Indeed, when I left on Monday morning the plane was only two-thirds full. James Ollerenshaw, UK

There is relative calm here amongst the expat community. Bruce Bowman, Saudi Arabia

I am currently working in the Dharan area of Saudi Arabia, just around 30km from Bahrain and adjacent to the main oil-fields. In general, it has to be said that there is relative calm here amongst the expat community. Many people remain although more time is now being spent on the residential compounds behind tight security. Many dependants have gone but many feel comfortable to stay with a little extra vigilance in personal safety. I am now returning to the UK, hopefully for just a couple of weeks. This is as much about my family's peace of mind as it is about personal security. Bruce Bowman, Saudi Arabia

I have been living in the UAE since July 2000, and have found this country both a pleasure and a challenging place in which to live and work. At no time have I or any of my friends and colleagues here felt threatened by the situation, regardless of nationality. However the recent lack of information from the British Embassy here in Dubai and the concerns over the potential for terrorism in the region is beginning to make everyone feel very nervous. What is needed is official communiqu�s from the British Embassy, informing registered UK passport holders, clarifying our position and grading the potential threat in the region. In this age of mass communication surely the British Embassy should be advising all registered passport holders by email. Chris Atkin, United Arab Emirates

My wife Renu is still working at one of the British schools in Kuwait and I will not be able to leave without her. Kuwait seems to be well protected and the US/UK army has given the public assurances that chemical/biological warfare is a very distant possibility. Deepak Idicula, India

I cannot justify putting my family through the worry of being here Sean Redmond, UK

I will be leaving tomorrow. I have been in Kuwait for over six years. There have been several times when tensions with Iraq have been high, however at no time did the British Embassy issue warnings to leave - unlike the American! For the embassy to tell people to leave urgently, it must be serious. I cannot justify putting my family through the worry of being here. I have no doubt the attack will be swift and I intend to be back here within two weeks. I hate being put in this situation, however, I trust the embassy's advice.

The possibility of attacks against Western targets in Kuwait by fundamentalists is a real threat; more so than any attack form Iraq itself. I work as an language instructor at the British Institute of Training and Education. We have had armed guards outside our institute for the past week. I am worried about leaving friends here, expatriate and Kuwaiti alike. Sean Redmond, UK

I lived and worked in Kuwait until a couple of weeks ago. My wife and I made the hardest decision to leave when the stage one evacuation was announced. We had very little guidance from the embassy. What amazed us was the initial advice to leave was announced late on a Wednesday night (the start of the Islamic weekend).

We were annoyed to find that the embassy was shut for the entire weekend. We could not get any of our questions answered. Unfortunately panic set in because we felt we were left in the dark. If the embassy had been more forthright (like the French, American et al) then most of us would have stayed longer. Jonathan, Kuwait