Mina Shalabi annoys Saudis by smoking in public

Egyptian actress Mina Shalabi encountered an embarrassing situation
during her recent visit to Saudi Arabia to attend the ‘Saudi Forum for the
Unity of Arab Countries in the Fight against Aids’ as a number of Saudis reprimanded
her for smoking in the lobby of the hotel she was staying at. In addition a
number of the attendees of the forum were irritated by Mina’s constant smoking
as she walked around the hotel and the centers where medical tests were being
performed.

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A number of people tried to get her attention to the
inappropriateness of her actions, but she ignored all attempts and began
talking about her smoking habit and how it became an addiction.

Many considered Mina’s refusal to keep her smoking habit a
private one and done in her room a sign of stubbornness on her part and saw her
actions as a sign of disrespect to the Saudi Ministry of Health that was
sponsoring the event and a very active member in the anti-smoking campaign.