Officials in Saudi Arabia have arrested dozens of high-ranking officials, including a billionaire prince who owns the Savoy Hotel in London in an anti-corruption clampdown that fortifies Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's power-base.
According to Reuters, those detained include:
- Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding 4280.SE
- Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, minister of the National Guard
- Prince Turki bin Abdullah, former governor of Riyadh province
- Khalid al-Tuwaijri, former chief of the Royal Court
- Adel Fakeih, Minister of Economy and Planning
- Ibrahim al-Assaf, former finance minister
- Abdullah al-Sultan, commander of the Saudi navy
- Bakr bin Laden, chairman of Saudi Binladin Group
- Mohammad al-Tobaishi, former head of protocol at the Royal Court
- Amr al-Dabbagh, former governor of Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority
- Alwaleed al-Ibrahim, owner of television network MBC
- Khalid al-Mulheim, former director-general at Saudi Arabian Airlines
- Saoud al-Daweesh , former chief executive of Saudi Telecom 7010.SE
- Prince Turki bin Nasser, former head of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment
- Prince Fahad bin Abdullah bin Mohammad al-Saud, former deputy defence minister
- Saleh Kamel, businessman
- Mohammad al-Amoudi, businessman
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS, as he is often known, has brought in several reforms since he came to power, including allowing women to drive, pledging to turn the country towards a more moderate interpretation of Islam, and launching a radical economic reform program designed to reduce the country's dependence on oil.
However, according to The Telegraph, he has also been accused of seeking to concentrate power in his own hands and using reform as an excuse to crackdown on potential political adversaries.
If you are worried about your position or safety in Saudi Arabia
If you are concerned about you and your family’s safety in Saudi Arabia, there are several options available to you to come to the UK. OTS Solicitors is a global Immigration law firm that has been highly recommended by the Legal 500. Our immigration consultants provide immigration advice to many nationals of countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. We can discuss options with you, such as claiming Asylum, or entering the UK on a Tier 1 entrepreneur visa or Tier 1 Investor Visa.
There will be a full-length article outlining all these options in detail later in the day.
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