Saudi King's Riviera holiday sparks anger in France

The 79-year old king was expected to land in Nice on Saturday, and travel to the family seafront villa in Vallauris. He will be followed by an entourage of over 1,000 people, in accordance wth Saudi Arabian traditions.

French authorities closed off a public beach outside the villa early on Saturday, despite a storm of complaints from the locals and a petition against the move signed by more than 100,000 people.

"We recall that this natural zone, like all maritime public estates, is an intrinsic public property that should be available for the benefit of all, residents, tourists, French, foreigners or people passing through," the petition said.

"We ask the state to guarantee the fundamental principle of the equality of all citizens before the law," the text added.

Although beach access is normally open in France, the authorities may close off a part of the coast for security reasons.

King and law

Workers also tried to raise a fence around the beach and build a metal catwalk bolted to the rock cliffs near the villa. However, local officials in Vallauris intervened and stopped the illegal construction.

The mayor of Vallauris, Michelle Salucki, even complained to President Francois Hollande over the unauthorized work done by the Saudis.

"We understand the security reasons and the nation's greater interest. But nobody can exonerate himself from the laws of the land," she wrote in a letter.

In another disputed move, a cement platform was poured on the beach for an elevator from the villa. The Vallauris authorities acquiesced on condition the elevator is removed after the visit.

"We're sick and tired of this messing around," a local woman said ahead of King Salman's visit.

"I can see it's normal that you need to guarantee their security, but they should let us go for a swim."

'Real' impact for the economy

Only 300 people from Saudi King's inner circle will be placed in the private villa, with the rest accommodated at top hotels in Cannes.

"Clearly this is good news," Michel Chevillon, president of an association representing hotel managers in Cannes, said earlier this week.

"These are people with great purchasing power which will pep up not only the luxury hotel industry but also the retail and tourism sectors of the town," he added.

"The economic impact for us, but also restaurants, chauffeurs and all those who worked at his villa, is real," said Serge Reinhard, director of the four-star Hotel Montaigne in Cannes where Saudis have booked half of the rooms.

dj/bw (AFP, Reuters)