Saudi Arabia says it has closed its embassy in Syria

Dubai - Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it had closed its embassy in Syria and withdrawn all diplomats and staff.A Foreign Ministry statement said the decision was made "in light of the current events in Syria".Several Arab and Western countries have scaled down their diplomatic presence in Syria in protest at a crackdown by President Bashar al-Assad on a year-long revolt against his autocratic rule.Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries, who are broadly opposed to Syria's alliance with their regional rival Iran, have led efforts to isolate Assad and have called for arming Syrian rebels so they can better take on government troops, tanks and heavy weapons.Some other Arabs have been wary of such a step, concerned that it could plunge Syria into a full-scale civil war.Click for full JPost coverage