Staff Writer

JEDDAH, 25 June 2003 — Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Britain has said that the Saudi government and diplomatic mission in London take seriously the security and safety of Saudi citizens wherever they may be.

The assurance came in a statement issued on Monday by the embassy “in response to the attack on Saad Al-Faqih “, the Saudi Press Agency quoted an embassy statement as saying.

“We have expressed to the British Foreign Office our deep concern over the attack against Saad Al-Faqih as well as our concern over the safety and security of all Saudi citizens who live in Britain and whose safety is the responsibility of the British government as long as they live in this country,” the embassy statement said.

It added that Faqih had lived in London safely for more than seven years and had not been subjected to any attack. “From our side, we categorically reject any claim that the Kingdom’s government had a hand in the attack. These are baseless claims that have been exaggerated,” the statement said.

A spokesman for Saint Mary’s Hospital in north London, where Faqih was treated, said Monday that he had apparently been knifed but that his wounds were “not very serious.”

Faqih said he had been struck with a metal object on the face, the legs and the body. His aggressors were white, “apparently British” and spoke English.

To get him to open the door, the two men had pretended to be plumbers answering an emergency call, Faqih said.