Watch: Saudi tourist tackles thief in London street confrontation
London street thefts surge with one phone stolen every 15 minutes
DUBAI: A Saudi tourist turned the tables on a would-be thief in central London last week, reclaiming his phone in a dramatic confrontation captured on video and widely shared online.
The footage shows the man, identified as Saud bin Huraiol Al Subaie, wrestling a suspect to the ground after an attempted theft in a busy shopping area.
In the clip, Al Subaie pins the alleged thief using his arms and legs while onlookers watch.
سعودي يستعيد هاتفه بقوة بعد أن تعرض لمحاولة سرقة في #لندن pic.twitter.com/HE8ps9lMsW
— العربية السعودية (@AlArabiya_KSA) August 6, 2025
At one point, he grips the suspect by the neck to prevent escape, shouting angrily before retrieving his phone and walking away. No police report was filed, and neither man was injured.
Crime in London
London police data reveals one phone is stolen every 15 minutes, with many incidents involving motorcycle or e-bike snatchers. Oxford Street remains a hotspot, prompting retailers to paint purple warning lines along pavements to remind pedestrians to stay alert.
Days earlier, a Saudi news crew from Al-Ekhbariya was robbed while filming on Oxford Street. In a separate case, Cambridge Police charged a 21-year-old man with murder after the fatal stabbing of Saudi student Mohammed Yousef Alqassem.