JEDDAH: A Saudi citizen was being questioned by security authorities on Thursday after a guard at the French Consulate in Jeddah was attacked with a knife.
The security guard, who works for a private security firm, was treated in hospital for minor injuries that were said not to be a cause for concern.
The French Embassy said it had full confidence that the Saudi authorities would establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“The Diplomatic Security Special Forces have arrested a citizen —  in his forties — after he attacked a security guard with a sharp tool at the French Consulate in Jeddah,” Makkah Region Police  spokesman Maj. Mohammed Al-Ghamdi said.
“The security guard has sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital to receive the necessary treatment. The perpetrator has been arrested, and statutory measures are being taken against him.”
The French Embassy in Saudi Arabia called on its citizens to exercise caution. It said: “The French Consulate General in Jeddah was the target of a knife attack this morning against a guard employed by a security company.”
The embassy said it “firmly condemns this attack against a diplomatic site,” affirmed its “full support for the victim,” and expressed its confidence in the Saudi authorities “to shed light on this attack and ensure the safety of the French sites and community in the country.”