German authorities dismissed multiple warnings about the suspect in the December 20 deadly Christmas market attack in Magdeburg, including formal alerts from Saudi Arabia and reports of explicit threats.

The suspect, identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, had been the subject of three separate Saudi security warnings and an Interpol arrest request that German officials rejected as politically motivated, Der Spiegel reported.

Al-Abdulmohsen, who worked as a psychiatrist at a German state hospital, drove his vehicle into crowds at the market, killing five people and injuring more than 200, authorities said.

The Saudi national had been granted asylum in Germany in 2016 after claiming persecution in his home country, despite subsequent warnings about his activities, according to police sources familiar with the matter.

German security services received specific alerts in 2023 through the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees about threats allegedly made by the suspect on social media, the sources said.

"The warnings were dismissed as expressions of free speech," one senior security official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the investigation.

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Germany whilst noting that it had previously sought the suspect's extradition.

Social media reports also note that several Saudi citizens contacted German authorities beforehand; however, several calls went unanswered. 

The incident has raised questions about Germany's handling of security intelligence regarding asylum seekers. Opposition politicians have called for an urgent review of protocols for assessing threats.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz faced jeers from onlookers during a visit to the attack site on Saturday, as public anger mounted over the authorities' failure to act on the warnings.

German media outlets have been criticised for initially providing limited information about the suspect's background and for missing security alerts.