Saudi Arabia Concludes 15-Month Anti-Corruption Campaign, Reports Reuters

By Stephen Kalin

RIYADH – Saudi Arabia has concluded an extensive anti-corruption campaign initiated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which reportedly recovered over $106 billion through settlements with numerous senior princes, ministers, and influential businessmen.

On Wednesday, a royal court announced that 381 individuals had been summoned during the crackdown launched in November 2017, although no names were disclosed. The statement indicated that 87 of those individuals confessed to charges and reached settlements involving the forfeiture of real estate, companies, cash, and other assets.

The campaign ended as suddenly as it began, despite rumors in the business community suggesting that more arrests were likely. The public prosecutor opted not to settle cases for 56 individuals due to existing criminal charges against them, while eight others, who rejected settlement offers, are facing corruption accusations.

Those detainees who were not charged have been released, though it remains uncertain when travel bans, bank freezes, and electronic monitoring for some of the released individuals will be lifted.

Initially, many members of the kingdom’s elite were held at Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel, with some later transferred to prison facilities. Reports of detainee mistreatment have surfaced, although authorities have denied allegations of torture.

Critics have labeled the operation as a shakedown and a show of power by the Crown Prince, which has stirred anxiety among foreign investors that he is seeking to attract as part of efforts to diversify the economy away from oil dependence. The killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in 2018 further sullied the Crown Prince’s reputation internationally, escalating scrutiny over Saudi Arabia’s human rights practices and involvement in the ongoing conflict in Yemen.

Prince Mohammed has characterized this anti-corruption initiative as "shock therapy" aimed at reforming the economy. His social reforms, including lifting bans on cinemas and allowing women to drive, contrast with a simultaneous suppression of dissent involving the arrest of clerics, women’s rights campaigners, and intellectuals.

Karen Young, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, commented that it is challenging to determine the success of the campaign but remarked that the government seems eager to move forward. "On Saudi foreign policy and domestic politics, particularly toward citizen activists, there is still deep apprehension in the West," she noted.

Ali Shihabi, head of the Arabia Foundation, suggested the end of the campaign reflects an effort by the government to address concerns about due process and transparency. He indicated that while critics may lament the absence of names and detailed accounts, many involved prefer to remain unnamed.

The figures disclosed recently were largely consistent with those shared in the previous year’s update. It remains unclear how much of the reportedly recovered funds have actually entered state coffers. A month ago, the finance minister stated that authorities collected around $13 billion from settlements in 2018 and anticipated a similar amount for the current year.

The initial wave of the crackdown apprehended notable figures, including billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, former National Guard minister Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, and ex-Riyadh governor Prince Turki bin Abdullah. Miteb was released weeks later after agreeing to pay over $1 billion to settle corruption allegations. Two months following his detention, Alwaleed also reached a settlement characterized as a "confirmed understanding" with the government, while Turki’s current status remains unknown.

Other detained high-ranking officials included ousted economy minister Adel Fakieh, who is believed to still be held, and former chief of the royal court, Khalid al-Tuwaijri. Prominent businessmen were arrested alongside them; while some, like Waleed al-Ibrahim and Saleh Kamel, were released early, others, including Amr Dabbagh and Mohammed Hussein al-Amoudi, were only freed recently. The current status of Bakr bin Laden, who was released temporarily last week, also remains uncertain.