RIYADH- Saudi Arabia on Saturday officially announced that it was hosting toppled Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family after they fled their country.
A palace statement carried by the official SPA news agency confirmed that Ben Ali arrived early Saturday in the kingdom after fleeing Tunisia on Friday in a dramatic end to his 23 years in power following deadly protests.
"Out of concern for the exceptional circumstances facing the brotherly Tunisian people and in support of the security and stability of their country... the Saudi government has welcomed President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family to the kingdom," the statement said.
"The kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands totally alongside the brotherly Tunisian people and hopes that they will close ranks in order to overcome this difficult period in their history," the statement added.
A Saudi source said earlier that Ben Ali's plane had landed overnight in the Red Sea city of Jeddah but did not specify who had accompanied him to the ultra-conservative Saudi kingdom.
"The plane with President Ben Ali on board has landed in Jeddah," the Saudi source, who declined to be identified, told AFP.
An airport source said that Ben Ali left the plane and went to the airport's VIP lounge.
Before flying out of Tunis, Ben Ali signed a decree handing interim presidential powers to Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi.
His immediate destination was shrouded in mystery and fuelled much speculation in the media, with some reports suggesting he was heading to France, while others said he was going to Malta or Italy.
On Friday his plane had flown over Malta as it headed further north after the Tunisian president fled his embattled country, officials in Malta said.
"The plane made contact with the control tower asking for permission to enter Malta's air space. The plane is going north," a foreign minister spokesman told AFP.
At the same time rumours swept the Internet suggesting that Ben Ali was hoping to find exile in Malta or Italy while other reports suggested he would make his way to France.
In Valletta, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg said: "Ben Ali is not coming to Malta and the government has no indications he'll be coming to Malta." Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said.
The Italian foreign ministry said Ben Ali was "absolutely not" on his way to Rome, and the rumours were "unfounded."
France also said it does not want Ben Ali to seek a bolthole on its territory and the foreign ministry in Paris formally confirmed that the ousted Tunisian president had not asked for asylum.
Late on Friday a civilian plane thought to be carrying Ben Ali refuelled at Cagliari airport in Sardinia, Italian government sources said.
The passengers stayed on the plane during the refuelling in southern Italy and told authorities there were "two pilots and a hostess," onboard, the sources told AFP.
Italian government sources later said that Ben Ali was not on that plane.
The Tunisian president's departure represents the first time that an Arab leader has been forced to leave office by pressure from public protests.
The rare protests in tightly controlled Tunisia were unleashed by the suicide attempt last month of Mohamed Bouazizi, who set himself on fire after police prevented him from selling fruit and vegetables to make a living.
The 26-year-old graduate died of his injuries in hospital last week.
Meanwhile rumours circulated that Ben Ali's wife, Leila, was in Dubai.
According to unconfirmed report the Tunisian first lady returned to Dubai where she had spent a week in late December with her husband and other family members. They had reportedly left the city-state on December 27.
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