Saudi Arabia on Sunday renewed a warning to its citizens to leave Syria and not to travel to the country, hit by over a year of deadly unrest.

"Due to the continuing deterioration of the security situation in Syria, the foreign ministry renews its warning to all citizens from travelling to Syria," the ministry said in a statement carried by the SPA state news agency.

It also "urged citizens there to leave." The kingdom, which has repeatedly called for world action against Damascus and called for rebels there to be armed, issued a similar warning in November.

Saudi Arabia was one of six Gulf countries to expel Syria's ambassadors and withdraw their own in February. The following month it shut down its embassy in Damascus and withdrew all its staff. [AFP]