'Toy drone' near Saudi palaces causes panic
Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry yesterday instructed drone enthusiasts to obtain permission to fly the devices until regulations were finalised, a day after security forces shot down a recreational drone near the king's palace in Riyadh.
Amateur online videos of heavy gunfire in the capital's Khozama district on Saturday sparked fears of possible political unrest in the world's top oil exporter. A senior Saudi official told Reuters there were no casualties when the drone was shot down and that King Salman was not in the palace at the time.
An Interior Ministry spokesman said a law for the use of drones was in its final stage, state news agency SPA reported.
Saudi Arabia has witnessed a series of radical political changes over the past year under the king's son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has spearheaded reforms to transform the economy and open the country culturally.
But they have also fuelled speculation about a possible backlash against the crown prince, who remains popular with Saudi Arabia's burgeoning youth population.
Comments