The news of a Saudi citizen being kidnapped in the Biel area, in the heart of Beirut's commercial center, has caused great uproar at a confusing time when efforts and calls are being made to move past previous disputes among Arab countries and to form a united Arab front against global threats. Is this kidnapping operation intended to disrupt the resumption of relations, or is it merely an act of financial extortion by criminal gangs given the large ransom amount, especially with the country approaching a promising tourist season? Due to the sensitivity and seriousness of the situation, Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi has vowed a severe response to deter such actions, and Arab and foreign embassies in Lebanon are preparing to mobilize all their resources to quickly identify those responsible and hold them accountable.
In exclusive information, security forces were able to reach leads, which they have withheld details about. A press conference is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, at the Saudi embassy. Regarding the circumstances of the kidnapping, a Saudi citizen who works for Saudi Arabian Airlines at Beirut airport and resides in an apartment in "Aaramoun" was abducted late Saturday. He was driving a Grand Cherokee SUV with Lebanese plates when he was intercepted by four men in official military uniforms, who falsely claimed to be from Lebanese security.
The Saudi news outlet "Al-Ikhbariya" reported that the kidnappers "tracked him with two cars and disguised themselves in military clothing." According to initial information, the Saudi citizen went silent in the Biel area around three o'clock on Sunday morning; based on tracking his phone, it was discovered that the kidnappers moved him through three or four different areas, including the southern suburbs, Hazmieh, and Bhamdoun, before sending a voice message from his phone from the southern suburbs of Beirut to his employer, demanding a ransom of $400,000 (1.5 million riyals). The Lebanese Interior Minister denied any detection of the kidnapped citizen’s phone signal in the Bekaa or the suburbs, clarifying to "Al-Arabiya": "The phone of the kidnapped Saudi citizen was tracked in several areas in Beirut, and we are keeping the Saudi ambassador informed of all the details regarding the case."
Conflicting reports with other sources indicated that the kidnapped individual's car was found in the Bekaa region. After the news, which was initially kept confidential by Lebanese authorities for security reasons, the Minister of Interior and Municipalities Judge Bassam Mawlawi tweeted: "We have been following the case of the kidnapping of a Saudi citizen in Beirut with the Information Branch of Internal Security Forces since yesterday, and we are in constant communication with His Excellency Ambassador Walid Bukhari about the most precise details."
He added: "We always work with an iron fist to free any citizen who is harmed on Lebanese land. What happened affects Lebanon's relationship with its brothers, and the punishment for the perpetrators will be severe." "Al-Ikhbariya" affirmed that the kidnapped Saudi citizen works for Saudi Arabian Airlines, adding: "The kidnappers moved the Saudi citizen to the southern suburbs and demanded a ransom of $400,000."
Additionally, the Saudi embassy in Beirut urged its employees to avoid traveling and to stay at home until matters are clarified. The embassy announced that it received a notification from the family of one citizen reporting that they had lost contact with him early Sunday morning.
