Saudis traveling to the UK must be extra cautious, especially when they visit public places and stay in hotels. They should also keep their travel documents in a safe place, advises the Saudi Embassy in London.

The new directive comes a day after the Foreign Ministry told Saudis not to travel to Lebanon because of the unstable situation in the country.

Thousands of Saudis, individuals as well as families, spend their summer vacation in tourist resorts abroad, especially in the UK, France, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco and Malaysia.

The Saudi Embassy in London advised Saudi tourists not to give their passports to any party as a guarantee and to register their names at the nearest Saudi mission. “If you lose your passport or if it is stolen, you should inform police immediately,” the embassy said in a statement. The embassy said Saudis who want to visit the UK for business, studies or any other purpose should make sure that the spelling of their name and date of birth in their present passport remain unchanged, compared to the previous passport, which they had used to travel to the country. “If there is any change they have to correct it before traveling.”

The embassy also advised travelers to keep their handbags safe from professional thieves. “We also tell Saudis to keep in touch with the embassy or consulate to receive various services,” it added.

It also urged Saudis to keep away from suspicious and dangerous places and use credit cards in place of cash to pay their bills.

The embassy also warned Saudis driving cars in the UK against parking them in prohibited areas to avoid paying huge fines. “Sometimes police will tow the car and you have to pay double the fine,” it added.

In a related development, the Saudi Embassy in Greece urged Saudis to be cautious about offers on the Internet or through telephone to buy expensive cars at a cheap rate.

“We are still receiving complaints from Saudis who were cheated by gangs who disappeared soon after receiving the money,” the embassy said. The gangsters use a false address and telephone numbers to make it difficult for their Saudi clients to pursue the thieves.

“Nobody should make any such deals before contacting the embassy or concerned Greek authorities,” the embassy said.