Our Mission began as a legation in Jeddah in 1943.  Full diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia commenced in 1948 and the U.S. Mission, located in a traditional house in the old city center, was upgraded to the status of an Embassy.  The Embassy moved in 1952 to the current Consulate General location, which at the time was an isolated, beach-front property to the north of the city limits.  Along with all other foreign missions, the Embassy was transferred to Riyadh in 1984. The former Embassy compound in Jeddah is now our Consulate General for the dynamic Western Region of Saudi Arabia. Our Mission also includes a Consulate General in Dhahran, which covers the Eastern Province.