The body of an Irishman killed in Saudi Arabia will have to remain there for a number of weeks as a result of the ongoing criminal investigation.
Mr Anthony Higgins (59) from Galway died on Tuesday after he was shot several times after at least two armed men stormed the office of the Saudi construction company where he worked and began shooting.
The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in London last night offered its deepest sympathies to his family. In a statement, the embassy said the incident was under investigation by Riyadh police and that the terrorist group al- Qaeda was not being ruled out.
"Although there have been rumours the attack was linked to al-Qaeda, police are also looking at the possibility that it was a criminal act unrelated to terrorism," the statement added. Thursdays and Fridays are the weekend in Saudi Arabia and inquiries will only begin again tomorrow.
Last night a spokeswoman for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, said: "The murder is currently under investigation by authorities in Riyadh and that is likely to take some time. We expect it to be a number of weeks before his body will arrive back in Ireland."
The Government would not comment on whether it thought the killing was part of a terrorist attack, saying it was "merely playing a consular role" in aiding the family in the repatriation of Mr Higgins's body.
Nearly 100 foreign nationals in Saudi Arabia have been killed by militants in recent months.
About 1,200 Irish citizens live in Saudi Arabia. The Department has advised Irish people not to travel there unless their visit is essential and has warned Irish residents in the kingdom to keep a low profile.