JEDDAH: Jeddah and Makkah police have arrested over 50 Egyptian nationals who were celebrating a crucial World Cup qualifying win against Algeria on Saturday. They were accused of holding up traffic and causing chaos.
Egyptian fans took the streets holding flags and celebrating, with Saudi revelers also joining in. Police acted immediately after they were inundated with complaints. The arrested was kept in police detention and released within 24 hours.
Some Egyptian fans said they did not know that celebrating was illegal in Saudi. Rabea Mahmoud, who was held in Al-Kandara police station, was surprised at being arrested when it should have been a happy occasion. “I am sad I was held but at the same time I am happy that my team renewed its hope to qualify for the World Cup. I think it was worth it despite staying in a police station for a day.”
Coffee shops in Jeddah were packed with Egyptian fans waiting for their national team’s match against fierce rivals Algeria. Some Egyptians had taken the day off, given so much was at stake. Accountant Wael Abdullah said he did not go in because he could not concentrate on work, despite the match being played late at night. He said that he had lost hope until Emad Metib scored deep into injury time in Cairo to give Egypt a 2-0 win and guarantee a play-off in Sudan.
Before the match Egyptian fans brought their drums into coffee shops and were cheering for their country.
