Mirandole Beach Reopens for Public as King Salman Leaves French Riviera

Mirandole public beach in southern France that was closed for King Salman of Saudi Arabia has reopened after he cut his trip short.

King Salman had been due to stay for three weeks on the French Riviera, but left after only eight days to travel to Tangiers in Morocco.

The beach in Vallauris was closed for King Salman’s trip, causing uproar among locals.

The beach was reopened on August 3, and a lift installed for King Salman was being dismantled.

“All the security measures are gradually being lifted,” the region’s sub-prefect Philippe Castanet told France Bleu.

Jean-Noel Falcou, a town councilor in Vallauris who lodged a petition against the changes to the beach, welcomed the news that it had reopened.

“All the illegal building work, all the trouble it caused, all the refusal of dialogue by the French state – all of that for only eight days of holiday for the Saudi king,” he wrote on his Facebook page on August 3.

More than 100,000 people signed a petition against the closure of the beach. Critics of the move said it was a breach of French laws on equality.

The Mirandole beach is directly below King Salman’s private villa and French officials agreed to seal it off for the monarch’s security.

Building the lift had involved pouring a large concrete slab on the sand.