Saudi king flew into France on two 747 Jumbo Jets to escape the heat and ended up triggering a 150,000-strong petition

In a bid to escape the scorching sands of Riyadh, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz once flew into France in two Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets, only to trigger a 150,000-strong petition in protest.

Better known as ‘The Gardens’ for its historic settlements, the Saudi capital might better be renamed the Golden City.

Not for its wealth, but rather for the rich beaches that are baked in sunshine day after day, hour after hour.

But even Saudi locals and royalty can feel the heat of the scorching weather, and when one King decided to take his 747 Jumbo Jets on a cooler, yet equally lavish, holiday, he came across quite a French kerfuffle.

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Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz once shut down an entire French beach for his own holiday

Many Saudi royals have a fleet of their own airplanes, although they’re not always used for your standard trips around the Middle East.

In fact, some of the world’s finest aircraft are owned by Saudi royals and businessmen.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz is the owner of two twin Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets, and uses them to escape the heat of Riyadh’s summer sun when it reaches its peak.

On one occasion, he took the behemoth aviation duo on an annual trip to Nice, France, to spend some time in the family’s private estate overlooking the shore in Vallauris, the Château de l’Horizon.

But having landed in Nice, the Saudi King and the French authorities blocked off 300 meters of the public Plage de la Mirandole beach, authorizing patrol units to restrict access to the popular marine shore.

While the family has enjoyed the Villa for over 50 years now, this one journey was met with mass resistance.

But 150,000 signatures later, the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets were in the air again

Reportedly sparked by councilor Jean Noël Falcou, a petition was launched to have the beach reopened and tourism to continue flourishing in the height of summer.

The petition soared to 150,000 signatures in a matter of days.

Not wanting to cause any more disruption, King Salman bin Abdulaziz took the twin Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets and cut his three-week vacation short by two-thirds.

Instead, he took the massive airplanes to Morocco for the rest of his trip.

The Saudi family still owns the villa, and is known to spend time there during the summers, but that privacy comes at a price, as the beach remains open.

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