The Saudi authorities have urged citizens traveling abroad to avoid seedy locales for their own safety, and to check with officials before conducting business with any unfamiliar party, according to the official Saudi news agency, SPA.
A government statement referred in general terms to cases where Saudis have been targeted by gangs and swindlers.
In the statement issued Saturday, the government urged traveling Saudis to use public transportation or taxis that deal directly with hotels.
They were also warned against placing too much confidence in strangers so as not to be deceived by them.
The statement said that “some drug gangs have malicious and wicked means to trap innocent people with some imaginary services or anaesthetize them by mixing intoxicants into food or beverages” in order to rob them.
“Moreover, if the goal of the visit is doing business, Saudi citizens should contact chambers of commerce in the kingdom prior to their departure or the Saudi embassy in the host countries before entering into negotiations with companies and individuals with whom they are dealing for the first time,” the statement noted – Albawaba.com
