According to a report in Wednesday's Al-Yaum daily, the gang held the family at gunpoint for about 30 minutes and ran off with gold, laptops and mobile phones.

Meanwhile in Yanbu, police arrested a Saudi in his 20s on Wednesday accused of robbing expatriates at their residences at knife-point.

Foreign residents complained to police that the man was making his rounds shaking down people for cash in their homes. Police took down a description of the perpetrator and made an arrest.