JEDDAH, 8 October 2005— Saudi television presenter Rania Al-Baz whose near-death assault by her ex-husband Mohammed Al-Fallata was widely reported, has fled the country and decided not to return. Reports of her alleged escape aboard a foods lorry bound for Bahrain and from there to Paris were posted on Arabic websites two days ago. The reports claimed that she was prevented from traveling when she went to Jeddah International Airport last week for a trip to Paris where she was supposed to attend a conference on women’s rights. She has been traveling to Paris regularly to continue her plastic surgery treatment of multiple facial fractures caused by her ex-husband’s brutal beatings.
A report in The Guardian newspaper confirmed that she was in Paris and that she “won’t go back”. She said that she was looking for a place to live and find work either in Paris or London.
As for the reason why she fled, Rania told the British paper: “I was not safe any more in Saudi Arabia.”
She left her children, two boys from Al-Fallata and a daughter from a previous marriage, in Jeddah and was “thinking about” them.
Margot Fero, a spokesperson for Rania’s publisher of her book “The Disfigured”, told The Guardian: “She is here in France legally but without the permission of the Saudi government. Yes, it was an escape but she’s OK. Obviously she’s worried about her children.”
Arab News called Rania’s Saudi cell phone number, which she usually leaves with her mother or a close friend when she travels, and her home phone number but without success. When Arab News contacted her close friend, who wished to remain anonymous, she said that she had not heard of Rania fleeing until then.
“The last time I spoke to Rania was a few days before she intended to travel to Paris and there was nothing about her planning to escape or that she didn’t intend to come back,” she said.
She was surprised to hear of the reports that Rania had escaped aboard a lorry and that she was prevented from traveling at the airport. “Why would she be prevented from traveling as if she were some wanted criminal? She hasn’t done anything wrong. I don’t believe what was written, there have been a lot of rumors about Rania, and I know who’s behind them but I won’t say,” she added.
She said that Rania was looking for a job either in Dubai or London or anywhere else and maybe that is what she meant by saying that she won’t come back and that she wanted to stay in Paris. “How can she not come back when her kids are here with her mother?” she asked.
Attempts to contact Rania’s parents failed. A visit to their residence by Arab News found the house closed and lights turned off. No one answered the door.
— With input from Essam Al-Ghalib
