The flag of Saudi Arabia. (Credit: AFP file photo)
An alert has been issued to Lebanese nationals living in Saudi Arabia after reports of a scam targeting expatriates through fraudulent phone calls.
The warning, shared notably via Facebook, was issued by the Lebanese Executives Council in Saudi Arabia to caution the community against falling victim to the scheme.
Rabih al-Amine, president of the council, told L’Orient-Le Jour on Saturday that “several expatriates received fraudulent calls claiming to be from the Saudi Embassy in Beirut. The callers requested a series of personal details under the pretext of updating data on the Lebanese community in the kingdom.”
After receiving numerous inquiries from Lebanese residents puzzled by the calls and confirming the scam, the council issued a public warning on social media.
“We advise expatriates not only to ignore these calls, but also to report them to the Saudi authorities, who are capable of launching a swift investigation,” al-Amine said.
Rabih al-Amine said no Lebanese nationals appear to have fallen victim to the scam, as the expatriate community is generally aware of such risks. He added that the identities of those behind the scheme remain unknown, as do their true motivations. The callers reportedly attempted to obtain banking or other sensitive personal data that could potentially be used for fraud. However, there is no certainty about their intentions at this stage, he noted.
Relations between Lebanon and Gulf Arab states had deteriorated in recent years due to Hezbollah’s growing influence in Lebanese politics and its hostile stance toward Gulf countries. The Shii party, backed by Iran, was weakened militarily following its war with Israel between October 2023 and November 2024 — a shift that has prompted some Gulf nations to reconsider their approach to Lebanon.
During separate visits to Saudi Arabia, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said efforts were underway to lift the travel ban imposed on Saudi nationals traveling to Lebanon and to resume Lebanese exports to the kingdom. These moves signal a potential warming of ties between the two countries.
