The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism has launched an official investigation into claims that a Saudi man was barred from entering a tourist site because he was wearing a thobe.
The incident has gone viral on social media sites. The Saudi citizen had apparently been with his family at the time, according to a report in a local publication.
Rasha Al-Azaizee, official spokesman of the ministry and media adviser to the Egyptian minister of tourism, said the investigation would focus on identifying the location and details of the incident.
She said all Saudi tourists are given special consideration due to the close relationship between the Kingdom and Egypt. The ministry does not prevent tourists from accessing tourist locations while clothed in their national dress, she said.
Al-Azaizee said that if the actions of the Egyptian security guards are confirmed, they would have acted on their own, in violation of the policies and views of the ministry and the Egyptian people.
Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Ahmed Abdulaziz Qattan said the embassy would contact the ministry to find out more about the incident, and that steps would be taken with the ministry.
There would also be measures taken to comfort the Saudi man and his family. He urged Saudi citizens in Egypt to contact the embassy directly if they have any complaints.
Online sources had claimed that security guards outside the gates of the tourist location in Cairo prevented the Saudi tourist and his family from entering, claiming they were acting on official orders to bar tourists dressed in Saudi thobes.
Several people recorded the incident on their mobile phones and spread the videos and images online.
Many Egyptian citizens said online that the claims, if true, does not reflect the views of the country.
Saudi in thobe ‘barred from Cairo tourist site’
Saudi in thobe ‘barred from Cairo tourist site’
Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya ‘shaping the future,’ says executive ahead of Six Flags opening
- Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari underscored the Kingdom’s recent monumental achievements in alignment with Six Flags Qiddiya City’s symbolic upcoming opening, stating: “We, in Saudi Arabia do not start where others end, we start where others dream”
RIYADH: Qiddiya is “shaping the future of entire sectors,” the entertainment megaproject’s managing director said at a press conference on Monday ahead of the official opening of Six Flags on Dec. 31.
Abdullah Al-Dawood took to the podium to share his pride in Qiddiya City’s speedy progress.
“Today, Six Flags Qiddiya City is complete, and Aquaarabia is over 95 percent complete,” he said.
With doors set to open in nine days, Al-Dawood made sure to remind the audience that this milestone is only the beginning of a grander vision for Qiddiya City and the Kingdom as a whole.
“What we are doing today goes beyond simply developing a project, it is about building a city and shaping the future of entire sectors. God willing, the Kingdom will be among the leading countries in the fields of entertainment, sports, culture and tourism” he said.
Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari underscored the Kingdom’s recent monumental achievements in alignment with Six Flags Qiddiya City’s symbolic upcoming opening, stating: “We, in Saudi Arabia do not start where others end, we start where others dream.”
En route to the park, Qiddiya executives welcomed members of the press to their grand project as mountains made way to rollercoaster views.
Qiddiya’s progress in becoming a hub for entertainment and sports is visible in the daylight as cranes and construction crew gathered to finalize building some of the most anticipated projects such as Aquaarabia, a waterpark, and golf courses in the heart of the desert.
The park is the first Six Flags outside of North America and forms part of Qiddiya Investment Co.’s flagship development.
