French-Egyptian engineer held in Saudi prison after disputed Hajj visa
Amr Abdelfattah, a 41-year-old telecom engineer and university professor, has been detained in Saudi Arabia's Dahaban prison near Jeddah.
The French-Egyptian academic, who lives in the Paris region, was arrested on accusations of using an invalid Hajj visa, a scam that is reportedly common. Since his detention, he has remained incarcerated at the prison of Dahaban, located close to the Red Sea city of Jeddah. His case has drawn attention to the risks faced by foreign pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
Why it matters
The detention underscores risks for foreign pilgrims and raises questions about Saudi legal procedures.
In this story
Hajj visaprisonSaudi Arabiaforeign detaineetelecommunications engineervisa scam
