Model citizen: Omar Borkan Al Gala, a poet, model, actor and photographer, was surrounded by reporters and fans when he arrived in HCM City yesterday. — Photo courtesy of Family World magazine

HCM CITY (VNS) — Omar Borkan Al Gala, one of three men expelled from Saudi Arabia in April for "being too handsome", arrived in HCM City yesterday morning, surrounded by hundreds of Vietnamese fans at Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Many local fans, however, said the model and actor, who was reported to have arrived from Vancouver, Canada, was not as handsome as his photos on Facebook.

In HCM City, he and 40 young Vietnamese professional models will take part in a catwalk performance during the show Ket Noi Uoc Mo (Connecting Dreams) to be held at the Military Zone 7 Stadium tomorrow.

Money raised from an auction for a dinner with Omar, who was ousted from a festival in Saudi Arabia for being too good-looking and acting as a potential distraction to women in the country, will be donated to a charity programme with an estimated audience of 14,000, organised by The Gioi Gia Dinh (Family World) magazine.

Local artists Ho Quynh Huong, V Music band, the runner-up of Viet Nam Idol 2010 Van Mai Huong, and Noo Phuoc Thinh will also perform at the event.

During his visit, Omar will take part in a charity auction, a visit to an orphanage and a photo shoot, as well as fan activities.

Al Gala, a poet, model, actor and photographer from Dubai, was born in 1990 in Baghdad, Iraq, but now lives in Vancouver, Canada.

With his dreamy eyes, well-groomed beard and razor-sharp cheekbones, Omar Borkan Al Gala is considered handsome by many admirers. — VNS