The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that an Irish citizen was killed today in an attack in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.
The man died when two gunmen broke into his office and shot him four times. The identity of the victim, who is understood to be an engineer, has not been revealed.
A Saudi official said at least two armed men stormed the office of the Saudi-owned company at about 5p.m. Saudi time and began shooting.
It is understood the man was working for a Saudi construction firm, Rocky for Trade and Construction. The Irish embassy in Riyadh is providing consular assistance.
Today's killing is the second killing of an Irish national by Saudi militants in two months.
On June 6, Simon Cumbers, 36, a BBC cameraman, was shot and killed while filming a militant's family home in Riyadh. Security correspondent Frank Gardner, 42, a Briton, was critically wounded in that attack.
A western diplomat confirmed to the Reuters news agency that there has been a shooting, and that the man was Irish. "We lack information on motive or circumstances," the diplomat said. A security source said police found the man dead in his company's office.
Militants linked to al Qaeda have targeted Western nationals in a campaign since May 2003 to destabilise the world's largest oil exporter. Some 90 policemen and civilians, many of them foreigners, have been killed in the attacks that have targeted government institutions, oil industry sites and expatriates in the world's largest oil exporter.
Only a handful of militants took up a government offer of a limited one-month amnesty which ended in late July. The offer came after security forces killed then local al Qaeda leader Abdulaziz al-Muqrin and three other militants after they beheaded US hostage Paul Johnson.
Saudi Arabia has said that militants were going after individuals and soft targets because of a tough security clampdown on them over the last year.
The Irish embassy has advised against non-essential travel to the kingdom. Some 1,400 Irish citizens are registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs in Saudi Arabia.