Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry condemned the passage of a U.S. law that would allow families of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to sue the kingdom for damages, calling it a matter of "great concern" in a statement on Thursday.
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to approve legislation that will allow the families of those killed in the 2001 attacks on the United States to seek damages from the Saudi government.
"The erosion of sovereign immunity will have a negative impact on all nations, including the United States," said the Saudi statement, which was carried on state news agency SPA after a day of stony silence from Riyadh.
The foreign ministry expressed hope that the U.S. Congress would correct the legislation "to avoid the serious unintended consequences that may ensue," without elaborating on what the consequences might be.
Riyadh has always dismissed suspicions that it backed the attackers, who killed nearly 3,000 people under the banner of Islamist militant group al-Qaeda.