Nicolas Sarkozy didn't impress anyone with his manners during a January 2008 visit to Saudi Arabia. A cable from the embassy in Riyadh describes the French president as "less than gracious" to his hosts, avoiding traditional Arab foods and displaying a "bored look during the televised arrival sword ceremony."
To make matters worse, Sarkozy attempted to bring along his then-girlfriend, former supermodel Carla Bruni, to the conservative kingdom, a gaffe that the cable dryly describes as "[m]inor in substance, but significant to Saudi sensibilities."
Bruni, who married Sarkozy the following month, opted to stay home in the end.
