Algerian PM Apologizes to Saudi Arabia for Banner critical of King Salman

Algerian Prime Minister, Ahmed Ouyahya, presented the apologies of the Algerian government to Saudi Arabia after supporters of a football club waved a huge banner depicting a face, half of which belonged to King Salman bin Abdulaziz while the other half belonged to Donald Trump.

The huge banner, brandished by the supporters of Algeria’s Ain Melilla football club in an Algiers stadium on Saturday, reads at the bottom “Two faces of the same coin”. The banner stirred the anger of Saudi officials and put the two countries on the verge of a diplomatic crisis.
The following day, Sami bin Abdullah al-Saleh, Saudi ambassador to Algeria, voiced his country’s “annoyance” with the image vowing to “take the appropriate response.”

Yet, in an attempt to ease tension, the Saudi Ambassador announced on Twitter that he received the apologies of the Algerian government for such an “irresponsible act” and promised to launch a probe.

The image was intended to express dissatisfaction with Trump’s decision earlier this month to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, which has prompted widespread condemnation and protest across the Arab and Muslim world.