Saudi orders media to limit coverage of Trump’s decision on Jerusalem

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed has reported that the Saudi royal court has sent notices to media organisations in the country ordering them to avoid giving US President Donald Trump’s decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel too much airtime.

The instructions were sent to managers of television and radio stations in the country as well as newspaper editors.

In addition to this, both the Saudi and Bahraini embassies in Jordan warned their citizens last night against participating in the protests and demonstrations organised in Jordan against Trump’s decision.

The Saudi embassy in Amman wrote the following on its official Twitter page: “The embassy calls upon its citizens living in Jordan and its students studying in Jordanian universities to stay away from places of public gatherings and protests in order to protect their safety.”

Read: Jordan calls for protests over Trump’s Jerusalem decision

The Bahraini embassy in Jordan also urged its citizens to steer clear of places of public gatherings and protests. In a statement posted on its official website, the embassy said: “The Kingdom of Bahrain embassy in Amman urges its citizens in Jordan to completely avoid areas of public gatherings and protests, and stresses the need to be cautious and vigilant in order to protect your safety and lives from the developments and events occurring in the area.”

The warnings were met with criticism from politicians and activists on social media, who called on the two countries’ citizens to participate in the protests.