Saudi- Shopping malls tighten security

(MENAFN- Arab News) RIYADH: Shopping malls have tightened security after the Interior Ministry issued a warning over possible attacks.
At the upscale Kingdom Center Mall in central Riyadh security guards inspected bags and scanned visitors with metal detectors before they entered an AFP reporter witnessed.
Inside the older Akaria Mall and office complex in the city center guards also stopped visitors and searched their belongings.
At a suburban mall this week a witness said they saw police cars deployed and officers inspecting the vehicles of arriving shoppers.
The new measures follow an Interior Ministry warning on Monday over a possible attack against a shopping center or oil facilities. A ministry spokesman said there was "an alert" involving a mall or oil installations.
Saudi Aramco the world's largest oil company in terms of crude production and exports based in the east of the Kingdom told AFP it had a policy of not commenting on matters concerning security.
Fears about possible attacks by extremists in the world's largest oil exporter have been raised since September when the Kingdom began taking part in US-led airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Syria.
In March Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif ordered that security be tightened nationwide after the Kingdom launched airstrikes against Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.
On April 8 two Saudi policemen were killed when their patrol came under fire from unidentified assailants in Riyadh less than two weeks after two others were wounded in a similar attack.
The United States closed its Riyadh Embassy for several days in early March because of unspecified security concerns.