CAIRO - A state-owned Egyptian newspaper on Wednesday said Hosni Mubarak was being treated in hospital in Saudi Arabia, the latest media report about the ex-president's health that comes after the army denied earlier speculation.

The army could not immediately be reached for comment on the al-Akhbar report. A military source had on Tuesday denied another media report that said Mubarak, 82, and his family tried to flee Egypt and afterwards Mubarak was hospitalized in Cairo.

Before Mubarak stepped down on Feb 11, a report about Mubarak's health in a big state newspaper such as al-Akhbar would have been unthinkable unless given the official nod, even if official sources were not named.