Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari clarified via his Twitter account, "I have canceled my planned visit to the town of Faour for security reasons, and I thank the people of Faour, including its sheikhs, dignitaries, municipalities, notables, and youth, for their kind understanding and for issuing a statement clarifying what happened."
After Bukhari left the town of Faour during his tour in Beqa'a, and following the circulation of video clips on social media about the incident, the tribes in Faour issued a statement explaining the truth of the day's events. The statement read: "The Arab tribes held an emergency meeting at the homes of Sheikhs Khaled and Naif Al-Hussein in Central Beqa'a, in the presence of MPs Mohammad Suleiman, Bilal Al-Hachimi, Yassin Yassin, and Hajj Ahmad Hashmiya, Judge Khaldoun Arimout, Sheikh Bilal Al-Mulla, Sheikh Marai Jumaa, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fayyad, Sheikh Ali Al-Hussein, the head of the Municipality of Shihabiya Faour, Hajj Ghazi Al-Sharif, as well as several notable figures from Faour and dignitaries from the Arab tribes. This was in reaction to the planned meeting in the town of Faour to welcome Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari, which was scheduled for five in the evening but was delayed until six-thirty.
Upon arriving at a location close to his reception in Faour, the ambassador's convoy immediately withdrew. We learned from embassy sources that the security team made the decision for security reasons, and the ambassador expressed his displeasure at the cancellation of the visit. We clarify that the large crowds that gathered were eager to welcome the ambassador in the customary tribal way that we have welcomed esteemed guests in Faour, and it seems that this raised questions for the security team.
After the confusion and the enthusiasm of some in the speech that came hastily out of affection for the ambassador and eagerness for the meeting, and after clarifications confirmed without a doubt the ambassador Bukhari's love for the Arab tribes and the people of Faour, we affirm that we consider what happened as a misunderstanding, nothing more and nothing less. As the people of Faour, including our sheikhs, dignitaries, municipalities, notables, and youth, we stress that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is our Arab and Islamic reference, topped by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince, Prime Minister Muhammad bin Salman.
On behalf of the Arab tribes, we affirm that we welcome His Excellency in the town of Faour among the Arab tribes, especially the Harook tribe, and he is among his family and people whenever he wishes."
On its part, the Media Affairs Authority of the "Future Movement" denied in a statement what was contained in an article published by the "Al-Akhbar" newspaper today titled "A Blue Uprising Against Bukhari?". The statement said, "Al-Akhbar published an article today titled 'A Blue Uprising Against Bukhari?', which involves the name of the Future Movement in what happened with the Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari during his visit to the town of Faour. The authority wishes to deny the content of the article in its entirety, affirming that it is filled with a series of fabrications and lies against the movement and its supporters, as it narrates the factual security reasons that prevented Ambassador Bukhari from completing his visit to the town of Faour, and subsequently fabricates baseless narratives to accuse the movement's supporters of what they are not involved in, emphasizing that Al-Akhbar's attempts to impose the hostility policy it pursues against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia onto the 'Future Movement' are rejected and hold no value in reality."
Sources close to the Saudi embassy informed LBCI that Ambassador Walid Bukhari was preparing to meet with the tribes of the town of Faour during his tour in Beqa'a, and that this was one of the essential visits for the Kingdom's strong relationship with them. However, according to the sources, as soon as "the ambassador arrived at the site, the embassy's security team decided to leave the location after information about security issues at the entrances among the tribes," emphasizing that "the relationship with the Arab tribes is rooted in Arab depth and steadfastness."
