The American socialite and hotel heiress whose Twitter is awash with optimistic, life-affirming tidbits such as, “Smile, because you’re beautiful... Stand strong, because haters can’t bring you down” and “I love black and white photographs. They are always so timeless” — has sparked controversy in the Middle East.

Posting a picture of her new accessories store in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca, Paris caused a backlash of abuse from an insulted Islamic community, with some claiming it as an “affront” to the “principal sanctuary” of the religion.