Saudi police arrest 80 after Alkhobar riots

Saudi police have arrested 80 people in Alkhobar following riots during Wednesday’s National Day celebrations, which may have cost business owners millions of riyals in losses.

Fourteen of those arrested were teenagers, Yusuf Al-Qahtani, spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior in the Eastern Province told the Saudi daily Okaz.

The destruction of restaurants, shops and cars in Alkhobar’s city centre is estimated to have cost business owners millions of riyals, but Al-Qahtani said it was too soon to put a figure on the losses since many of the companies were headquartered outside the province.

Witnesses claimed rioting broke out after one youth pointed at a fast-food chain and said it was a supporter of Israel, Arab News wrote on Sunday.

The rioters mostly targeted international brands, it said.