CAIRO, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian fishing boat and its nine crew members have been released from detention in Saudi Arabia and are heading back to Egypt, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
The vessel, Mohamed Abu al-Azaim, and its crew had been detained in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea region of Tabuk after mistakenly entering Saudi territorial waters on Oct. 16.
The release followed diplomatic efforts with Saudi authorities, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.
The boat has departed Tabuk with all nine Egyptian fishermen on board after receiving fuel, food and other supplies needed for their safe return to Egypt.
The ministry urged Egyptian fishermen and fishing boat operators to comply with maritime navigation and fishing regulations and refrain from entering neighboring countries' territorial waters without the required permits to avoid legal consequences and protect their safety. ■
