Cairo - While Egypt's tourism industry is fighting to recover from the tragic aftermath of the January 25 revolution, local tourism has been violently thrown into a new crisis. The Saudi authorities decided to close their embassy in Cairo and consulates in Alexandria and Suez. Riyadh recalled its Ambassador Ahmed Al-Katan and his diplomatic corps after hundreds of protesters campaigned in front of the Saudi Embassy in Cairo against the arrest of an Egyptian lawyer. According to the Saudis, lawyer Ahmed el-Gizawi was attempting to smuggle a huge amount of drugs that are banned in the Saudi kingdom For the first time in the history of the time-honoured Egyptian-Saudi relationship, the Saudi King and people felt insulted, which led to an unfortunate and unprecedented crisis between the two countries. The decision to close the Saudi Embassy and consulates in Egypt has killed the hope of more than 20,000 Egyptian worshippers, who were planning to visit the holy sites in the kingdom this year. The financial loss to hundreds of travel agencies and tour operators organising trips to the Saudi kingdom are estimated at hundreds of millions of Egyptian pounds. It is strange that the lawyer and his supporters are ignoring the sovereignty and legal authority of the Saudi kingdom. It is even more suspicious that just hours after the lawyer was arrested at a Saudi airport, crowds gathered outside the Saudi Embassy in Cairo to chant slogans condemning the kingdom, its royal family and people. The protesters prematurely rejected the conclusion of a legal investigation by the Saudi authorities. According to a statement of the Egyptian ambassador in Riyadh, the suspect submitted a written confession that illegal drugs were found in his possession. Whether the lawyer is innocent or not, his case was blown out of proportion to sour the Saudi-Egyptian relationship. In addition to economic problems, the crisis between Riyadh and Cairo will have disastrous consequences for Egypt's ailing tourism. Some neighbours in collaboration with elements at home are determined to break the time-honoured ties between Cairo and Riyadh. Although Egypt and the Saudi kingdom will swiftly and wisely overcome this crisis, it remains to be seen when and where the next landmine will explode and damage Egypt's tourism. [email protected]
