Saudi Arabia imposes drone restrictions

By Mohamed Fahd

RIYADH (AA) – Saudi authorities on Sunday ordered drone enthusiasts to obtain permission before flying the devices, one day after a drone was shot down near a royal palace in the capital Riyadh.

An Interior Ministry spokesman said regulation on the use of drones was “in its final stages”, according to the official SPA news agency.

He called on drone enthusiasts to obtain the necessary permission “authorizing them to use drones for the purposes assigned to them in permitted sites from police in their neighborhoods”.

The spokesman said the measure will be temporary until the issuance of the regulation.

On Saturday, Saudi security forces shot down a remote-controlled recreational drone flying in the capital’s Khuzama neighborhood near the Royal Palace in Riyadh, triggering speculations about unrest in the oil-rich kingdom.

A police spokesman said a security screening point in Khuzama “noticed the flying of an unauthorized small recreational drone", leading the forces to “deal with it according to their orders and instructions”.

Saudi official said King Salman was not at the palace when the incident took place.