Here’s a new way to piss off the locals and have a beach vacation ruined…

Forget about poor weather or maybe even reports of sharks in the water. All that was needed to close a public beach in Vallarius on the French Riviera was a visit by the King of Saudi Arabia and his entourage of around 1,000 people!

Over 100,000 people signed a petition against the beach closure which will allow King Salman to take his holiday in private. Too bad it’s at the expense of others.

According to the BBC, “The petition insists the public beach in Vallauris should be “available for the benefit of all“. I can’t say that I disagree with them.

The king is supposed to stay at his villa for three weeks.

While the president of the association of Cannes hotel managers says the visit is a good thing (good for the local economy), many local residents are still outraged. The area being closed is a section of La Mirandole beach, below the king’s villa.

The petition basically says that all should be able to enjoy and benefit from public property, regardless of it being residents or tourists.

There has also been some work being done to prepare for the king’s visit. ” A cement platform has been poured on to the beach to provide a lift up to the king’s villa, although the Saudis have promised to remove it when they leave”.

Besides not being able to walk on the beach, “there is also a ban on coming within 300m of the villa by sea“.

Find out more from BBC News here.