Socialite and hotel heiress Paris Hilton has sparked outrage in the Middle East by opening a new store in Saudi Arabia’s Holy city of Mecca. Saudis took to Twitter to say Hilton, who once starred in a sex video, was 'insulting Mecca' by bringing her business venture to the city.

Hundreds lashed out at the celebrity entrepreneur with their tweets, with some saying it was an 'affront' to the 'principal sanctuary' of Islam.

According to the New York Daily News, one person replied to her message, in which she announced the official opening on her Twitter feed last Thursday, by saying: “R u kidding?”.

Another added: “Saudi claim there are other ways to allow for pilgrims, and if religiosity is of such importance, why is @ParisHilton being allowed a store in Mecca?”

A third person tweeted: “How can someone who made such a video open a store in the holy city next to the Grand Mosque?'' And a further added: “It is not acceptable to have such a woman open her store here.”

But the 31-year-old remained undeterred by the comments and tweeted a picture of the store accompanied by the message: “Loving my beautiful new store that just opened at Mecca Mall in Saudi Arabia!”

She later added: “This is the 5th store in Saudi Arabia, and store number 42 in total! So proud to keep growing my brand!”