UAE, Saudi Arabia warn citizens in Lebanon after protests

By Wasem Saifaldin

BEIRUT (AA) - Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday warned their citizens in Lebanon to avoid protest places.

The Saudi embassy in Beirut, in a statement, urged all its citizens to "be vigilant and stay away from the places of demonstrations and protests..., due to the current security situation in the Republic of Lebanon."

Meanwhile, Beirut-based UAE embassy on Twitter warned its citizens and called them to "avoid the places of demonstrations, and stay in their residence to ensure their security and safety."

On Thursday, protests erupted in Lebanon amid government plans to impose a fee on calls over WhatsApp and similar applications amid the worsening economy.

Lebanon has been facing economic troubles due to refugee waves from Syria and charges of government "corruption".

International credit rating agency Fitch downgraded Lebanon’s credit rating from B- to CCC on Aug. 24.

* Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara