Saudi man faces legal action for mocking firefighters

Dubai: Authorities in Saudi Arabia threatened legal action against a man who mocked the Civil Defence on Twitter.

Ayadh Al Zaide posted the viral video clip of Mamoudou Gassama, the 22-year-old Malian "Spiderman" feted for saving a child hanging from a balcony in France, with the caption: “He should come and give training courses to civil defence staff on how to climb up buildings to save the injured in their spare time, instead of sitting and eating Mandi.”

Mandi is a traditional Yemeni dish made up of rice, meat (lamb or chicken), and a mixture of spices, and is a favourite meal across the Gulf region.

In response to the tweet, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence flagged the online comment and said that it will take legal action, in addition to holding the Saudi man legally accountable for his negative comments.

The controversial comment of @a_alzaide has since been deleted and only the original post with the video remains.

The reaction to the online comment has sparked a Twitter debate, with social media users claiming that people have the right to criticize government departments while others praised the work of firemen in the kingdom.

Others also demanded punishment for the online comment, “and recommended he be made a lesson to others.”