US man shot in Saudi Arabia

An American working for the Saudi Navy was shot and injured in eastern Saudi Arabia, a defence official said today.

The incident occurred near the King Abdul Aziz Naval Base in Jubail, in the eastern province of Damman.

The American is being treated for his wounds at the base hospital and is in good condition, according to the defence official quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency.

The search for the assailant is under way, the official said.

The American worked with a service company for the Saudi Naval forces, SPA said.

No other details were immediately available.

Western diplomats suspect that groups sympathetic to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden have been behind a string of attacks against Westerners in Saudi Arabia since late 2000.

The Saudi government has blamed many of the attacks on gangs fighting over the illegal liquor trade.