Islam Saad is considered one of the most famous fashion designers in EgyptMany Egyptian stars wear his designs, millions follow him on social media platforms, and he has become a regular guest at film festivals and celebrity parties.
In his last appearance, he sparked great controversy by wearing a men’s suit studded with diamonds, which he said was worth 20 million pounds, or about a million dollars at the time.
The arrest of Egyptian fashion designer Islam Saad
Yesterday, Tuesday, millions of social media users were shocked by the news of the arrest of Egyptian fashion designer Islam Saad at Cairo International Airport as he was leaving the country.
Local news sites said that Cairo Airport police arrested him after trying to smuggle money.
Saad did not hide this money in secret or other places, as the amount that was seized with him did not exceed 55 thousand dollars. However, this number is contrary to Egyptian law.
Egyptian law prohibits leaving Cairo Airport with more than 10,000 dollars or its equivalent in other foreign currencies, and it also prohibits leaving with more than 5,000 pounds, or a little more than 100 dollars.
The law also punishes exceeding these amounts with imprisonment and a fine, or one of the two penalties.
Supporters and opponents on social media
The news of Islam Saad’s arrest preoccupied social media users in Egypt, both supporters and opponents.
Lawyer Abdullah Fadel praised the authorities’ implementation of the law, saying: “This is a country where the law prevails and does not differentiate between the famous and the unknown, so do not think that your fame and the millions who follow you on social media are justification for violating the law and enjoying protection.”
As for Zahraa El-Shorbagy, she has an opinion regarding the nature of the amount, as she said: “If a man deals entirely with artists, celebrities, and the wealthy, then this is a normal amount for him. A person wears a suit worth 20 million and travels for tourism, work, or for any purpose. Do you expect that he will spend less than 100 thousand dollars?” for example?”.
While Ahmed responded to her, saying: “Times have advanced greatly, and no one in the world now uses cash while traveling. Everyone uses bank cards for payments and purchases from around the world, so I see no justification for possessing an amount of this size to take it out of the country, in light of the state’s suffering to provide Foreign exchange.
As for Zain, he says in surprise: “We know how to stay inside the country and obtain the dollar, and if we obtain it, we do not know how to deal with it. What do we do next? Egyptian banks set a limit on the use of the dollar through their cards outside the country, ranging between 250 and 750 dollars per month.”
Later, the Public Prosecution released Islam Saad on bail of 300,000 pounds, equivalent to approximately 6,000 dollars, with reservations on the amount seized at the airport.