CAIRO, 12 August 2007 — This summer — a popular time for Egyptian beggars to flock to tourist areas to gain the sympathies of visitors, particularly those from Gulf states — an abundance of Saudi beggars can be seen in Cairo trying to elicit the sympathies of fellow Gulf travelers to make a quick buck.
Most say they are on holiday and have been robbed and need cash to return to the Kingdom. The Saudi beggars are reported to be dressed in traditional Saudi attire and show their identification cards or passports to prove their nationality.
Tourists on Cairo’s Al-Haram Street reported how a Saudi beggar in his early 30s has been seen following one Saudi family after another. The man alleged he had arrived in the Kingdom with his wife and children and lost his money. Speaking in a perfect Saudi accent, the man is known to show his green Saudi passport to make his case seem real.
Mahmoud Karim, a restaurant worker on Al-Haram Street, told Al-Watan that this guy had been going round this area for a month now. “During the day he collects money from tourists and at night spends his time at nightclubs,” he said.
An Egyptian taxi driver said King Faisal Street has a number of beggars and that a young Saudi man has been begging there for a year. Al-Watan managed to track down the beggar, who refused to give out his name or show identification documents.
“I came here last summer and decided not to return to Saudi Arabia. I don’t have a job there or family. So I stay here,” he said, adding that he busks to earn a living.
Al-Watan met another Saudi in his 20s who was wearing tattered clothing. “I’m Saudi. I live in Cairo. Basically, I can’t return home because my landlord has taken my passport until I pay him the rent on my apartment,” he said.
At the Saudi Embassy in Cairo, Muhammad Al-Turki told Al-Watan that the embassy has not received information about Saudis begging in Cairo. He said beggary sends a negative impression about Saudi Arabia and that the embassy would coordinate with the Egyptian authorities to deport Saudis caught begging. He also added that there may be a possibility of non-Saudis dressing up as Saudis and speaking in Saudi accents to beg.
