Saudi national missing in Lebanon;embassy in touch

The Saudi Embassy in Lebanon is in touch with the Lebanese security authorities to determine the whereabouts of a missing Saudi citizen.

In a statement issued on Friday via the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the embassy said it "is in contact with the Lebanese security authorities at the highest levels in order to release unconditionally the kidnapped Saudi citizen as soon as possible."

The Associated Press quoted Lebanese police officials as saying that search operations are ongoing to find him.

The officials say that Syrian citizen, Ivine Hassan, informed police that her Saudi husband, Ali Shamrawi, had been missing since Thursday night, adding that he went missing north of Beirut. The Saudi man lives in Lebanon.

It was not immediately clear if the kidnapping was related to rising tensions between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia because of last week's resignation of Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri.

Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk was quoted as saying by local media outlets on Friday that the safety of all foreigners was a priority for authorities, adding that the stability of Lebanon was a "red line."

Some local TV stations said Shamrawi's family had received a call from unknown persons demanding a ransom of $1 million in exchange for Shamrawi's release