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Al-Masaari wins

leave to stay in

UK for 2 years

LONDON: Saudi dissident Mohamed Al-Masaari, whom Britain has bee n trying to expel under pressure from the Saudi government, is to be allowed to remain in Britain, The Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday.

Al-Masaari, 49, is to be given exceptional leave to stay in the country for at least two years but has not been granted asylum, the paper said, adding that the status to be granted to him, while time-limited, has no other conditions attached.

A Home Office spokeswoman however insisted late Wednesday that the report was "speculation". But she confirmed that Al-Masaari would be meeting the assistant head of the Home Office asylum division to discuss his position later Thursday.-AFP