100,000 petition as Saudi King closes French Riviera beach for holiday

Petition after La Mirandole public beach closed for Saudi King holiday

King Salman of Saudi Arabia has incurred the wrath of French locals after a public beach was closed for his three-week holiday.

Over 100,000 beachgoers on the French Riviera have signed a petition against the closure of La Mirandole beach, which sits under the king's villa in Vallauris, between Antibes and Marseille.

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Under French law, the beach is open to the public, with a section for nudists.

But French authorities have closed it for the Saudi King's holiday for privacy and security reasons.

According to the BBC, the petition reads: "We recall that this natural zone, like all maritime public estates, is an intrinsic public property that should be available for the benefit of all, residents, tourists, French, foreigners or people passing through.

"We ask the state to guarantee the fundamental principle of the equality of all citizens before the law."

Along with the petition protesting the "privatisation" of the beach, the mayor of Vallauris has also written to Francois Hollande, the French president, to protest against unauthorised work done by the Saudis at the property, where a slab of concrete was poured onto the beach to install a 'temporary' elevator.

According to the Independent, Mayor Michelle Salucki wrote: "We understand the security reasons and the nation's greater interest. But nobody can exonerate himself from the laws of the land."

The Saudi monarch arrived in Nice on Saturday with a 1,000-strong entourage.

His inner circle will be staying at the villa, while about 700 others will stay at hotels in Cannes.

Some local hotels and restaurants, however, are not upset with the visit, as they say it will have a positive "economic impact" on business.