King fires aide after video of him slapping photojournalist emerges

A senior aide in Saudi Arabia has been fired by King Salman after a video emerged of said aide appearing to slap a photojournalist emerged.

BBC reports that no reason was given for the removal of Mohammed al-Tobayshi as head of royal protocol in a decree published by the official SPA news agency however television footage seemingly showed Tobayshi hitting the photographer while King Salman greeted Morocco's King Mohammed at Riyadh airport on Sunday.

Last month, King Salman banned a senior member of the royal family, Prince Mamdouh bin Abdul Rahman, from taking part in all sports activities and speaking to the media after he made remarks considered racist during a TV talk show.

This latest show of support for protocol has been welcomed by journalist Abdullah al-Bergawi as he told Gulf News:

"This is a great day for journalists and media figures, removing the head of the royal protocol in support of a journalist is a clear consolidation of the status of the media and a victory for journalism. King Salman is again showing that no-one is above the law and that all people, officials or not, are to be held responsible for their words and deeds and for not respecting people's right to dignity."