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Saudi Arabian king leaves France after holiday controversy

03 August 2015 15:15 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. Saudi Arabian King Salman left the south of France for Morocco on Sunday, cutting short a planned three-week stay after a petition from some 150,000 residents over the closure of a public beach outside his villa, APA reports quoting The Telegraph.

A local French government official added that about half of the king's 1,000-person entourage had left along with him. He did not specify a reason for the departures nor if the monarch planned to return to France.

But prior to his visit, residents wrote a letter addressed to Francois Hollande and other senior socialist politicians, the group demands that the French government re-open the beach, part of which is reserved for local nudists.

It read: "We recall that this natural zone, as with all public coastal areas, is an inalienable public good from which everyone must benefit - inhabitants, tourists, Frenchmen, foreigners, residents and travellers alike.

But the closure of the public beach for privacy and security reasons stirred up a local storm. The king's installation of an elevator from the beach to the villa, approved for temporary use by local government, also provoked anger among some residents who objected to allowing him this privilege.

The Saudi source said King Salman's presence in France had been coordinated with French authorities and strictly followed their procedures and arrangements for high-security visitors.

The source said the king respected the French people and hoped his schedule next year would permit a visit to nearby Cannes, where the famous film festival is held annually.