Egypt in Contact With Saudi Arabia Over Detained Man, MENA Says

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry is “seriously” following the case of an Egyptian citizen detained in Saudi Arabia, the state-run news agency reported today, as his arrest angered activists at home.

Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr has asked the Egyptian embassy in Riyadh to act quickly to learn the details of the case of Ahmed el-Gizawy, who was detained in Saudi Arabia last week, and to “work to ensure his release,” the Middle East News Agency said, citing Amr Roushdi, a ministry spokesman.

The arrest has fueled complaints by activists on social media about the treatment of Egyptians in Saudi Arabia and sparked calls for protests outside the Saudi Embassy in Cairo. Dozens of people gathered at the embassy today demanding el- Gizawy’s speedy release, MENA reported. Egyptian security deployed forces to secure the building, the agency said.

Roushdi said the ministry understands the anger, while urging Egyptians to consider “whether their means of expression will be in the interest of the detained Egyptian citizen or will make his situation worse,” MENA reported.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mariam Fam in Cairo at mfam1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net