Al-Ula Agrees with Accor to Expand Ashar Resort

Al-Ula Agrees with Accor to Expand Ashar Resort
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Al-Ula Agrees with Accor to Expand Ashar Resort

Al-Ula Agrees with Accor to Expand Ashar Resort

Saudi Arabia has agreed with Europe's biggest hotel group Accor for the group to expand and operate a resort at Al-Ula tourism project in the Kingdom’s northwestern region, the Royal Commission for the project said on Sunday.

The agreement will see Accor operate an expanded Ashar Resort under the Banyan Tree brand, with 47 new units bringing the resort's total capacity to 82 high-end villas, along with a spa and several gourmet restaurants, a commission statement said.

The project is located in the Ashar valley, 15 km from the Kingdom's UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra.



French Prisoner Escapes in Fellow Inmate's Luggage

The 20-year-old prisoner escaped from Corbas prison, near Lyon, southeast France. Reuters file photo
The 20-year-old prisoner escaped from Corbas prison, near Lyon, southeast France. Reuters file photo
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French Prisoner Escapes in Fellow Inmate's Luggage

The 20-year-old prisoner escaped from Corbas prison, near Lyon, southeast France. Reuters file photo
The 20-year-old prisoner escaped from Corbas prison, near Lyon, southeast France. Reuters file photo

France's prison service said Saturday it had launched an investigation after a man escaped by smuggling himself into his cellmate's bag as he left jail, having served his sentence.

The 20-year-old prisoner escaped from Corbas prison, near Lyon, southeast France, on Friday, broadcaster BFMTV reported.

The inmate was serving several sentences, the prison service said in a statement to AFP.

He "took advantage of the liberation of his fellow inmate to hide himself in his luggage and get out", the statement said.

The escaped prisoner was also under investigation in a case linked to organized crime, a source close to the affair told AFP.

An internal investigation is underway and Lyon prosecutors had opened their own investigations, the prison service added.