Riyadh: The Saudi Foreign Minister said on May 14 that 15 Saudis carried out the deadly car bomb attacks in Riyadh and acknowledged there were gaps in security – a startling admission for a country that took five months to confirm most of the September 11 suicide hijackers were Saudi.

Prince Saud also said that those behind this week's attack, which like the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US was blamed on al-Qaida, wanted to drive foreigners from the Kingdom. But he stressed that his country was safer now than before the May 12 attacks on three residential compounds that killed 34 people and injured nearly 200, according to Saudi count.

In the meantime, some foreigners went ahead with plans to leave Saudi Arabia, which has a population of expatriate workers of 6 million, including about 35,000 Americans and about 30,000 Britons.

The British School in Riyadh, which occupied a section of one of the compounds hit, has closed for an indeterminate period of time and some teachers have left or plan to leave soon, according to a British Embassy official. British Airways said on May 14 it was cancelling overnight stays in Saudi Arabia for crew on flights to the country.

The US Embassy in Riyadh was closed for security reasons on May 14, a day after a State Department directive ordered non-essential diplomats and family members out of Saudi Arabia.

And other foreigners said they wanted to get away for a while.

"I'm terrified and I'm really scared. I think we need a break from all of this," said Tanya Scott, a 36-year- old Australian flight attendant.