Thinking of vacationing in the French Riviera? Tough luck, unless you're royalty, and specifically Saudi royalty. France may have abolished the monarchy in 1870, but it still knows how to cater to royal whims – especially foreign royals with lots of money.
A long stretch of the French Riviera will be cordoned off from the public to allow the Saudi royal family, whose immense villa stretches over a kilometer of the coastline, to bathe in peace. Who would want to swim in water that commoners swam in? Not us, that's for sure. Ungrateful citizens, however, seemed visibly angry at this decision, as many had been anticipating taking a dip at the public beach in Vallauris.
"Are we still in our own home? The Saudi royal family will bar access to the public beach in Vallauris! Long live the revolution!"
King Salman is scheduled to arrive sometime this week, which would leave some time for people to enjoy the beach, right? Think again! Construction of a fence has already started to bar access to the beach, but was halted until the royal family arrived.
"Whether it's him or another billionaire, they always have priority over ordinary people. On the other hand, they are good for business, coming here with 400 people in their entourage. I heard they might even fix the roads," Fatima, a local nurse with two daughters, told Agence France Press .
AFP also reported that coast guards will stop anyone coming by sea within a 300-meter radius of the villa.
A local official, Philippe Castanet, cited security concerns when probed by Nice-Matin newspaper about the city's accommodation to the royal family's conditions: "This is not about privatising a beach, but to avoid endangering the king of a country at war." If you didn't know, Saudi Arabia is currently at war with Yemen, and has promised to wage battle against ISIS. Who knows what could happen in a private beach haven in the French coast?