JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia -(Dow Jones)- Saudi Arabia's interior minister warned Saturday of the ongoing concern of possible terrorist attacks that could target oil facilities in the kingdom, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

"The threat of terrorist acts is there and it's standing for the time being," Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said in a statement.

Prince Naif also highlighted the threat to oil facilities in the kingdom, the government controlled agency reported.

Members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are gathered in the Saudi city of Jeddah Sunday to discuss record high oil prices, which they partly blame on geopolitical concerns such as terrorism.

Terrorists attacked the Abqaiq oil processing plant in Saudi Arabia in 2006 in an assault that could have dramatically cut the kingdom's export capacity.

The U.K. government raised last week its terror alert for a possible attack against expatriates and facilities such as oil plants in the United Arab Emirates to high, from general.

The U.A.E. is the third-largest exporter in OPEC, after Saudi and Iran.

In New York Monday, crude set a new record of $139.89 a barrel but has since eased back on a combination of Chinese fuel price hikes and expectations that Saudi Arabia will boost oil supplies.

Event Web site: www.jeddahenergymeeting.com

-By Majdoline Hatoum, Dow Jones Newswires; +9714 364 4964; majdoline.hatoum@ dowjones.com

Copyright (c) 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

    (END) Dow Jones Newswires   06-22-08 0145   Copyright (c) 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.