Hotel removes booze and porn as Saudis arrive

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FRANKFURT, May 27 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia arrived in Germany on Saturday becoming the fifth World Cup team to settle into their training base with just under two weeks to go until the tournament begins with the opening match on June 9.

  
The three-times Asian champions went from Frankfurt airport to the Hotel Dolce, north of Germany's financial capital in Bad Nauheim, which has been especially prepared for their arrival.


The hotel has removed alcohol from the minibars, blocked adult entertainment and other free-TV channels showing naked women and taken down tasteful nude photos in the fitness area.

Consumption of alcohol is forbidden in Islam and is a grave offence in Saudi Arabia, a country that enforces strict Islamic laws that also prohibit what it regards as pornography.

Togo were the first of the 32 teams to come to Germany on May 15. They were followed by Costa Rica and Angola.

Ghana have also arrived, although they are leaving again to play two friendlies in England and Scotland in the next week.

Hosts Germany, by contrast, have been training in Italy and Switzerland and will return home on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia are in Group H with Ukraine, Spain and Tunisia. They are due to play a friendly against Turkey in Offenbach, near Frankfurt, on Wednesday.