Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign, detaining 11 princes, four sitting ministers, and dozens of former officials. The new anti-corruption committee, which he heads, has the authority to issue arrest warrants and travel bans.
Among those held is billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a major investor in companies such as Twitter and Apple, with a net worth estimated at $17 billion. His investment firm, Kingdom Holding, saw shares plunge nearly 10% following news of his detention.
King Salman also replaced the heads of the national guard and the navy. The national guard minister, Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, and navy commander Admiral Abdullah bin Sultan were removed from their posts.
Attorney General Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb stated that the status of detainees would not influence the application of justice. Analysts view the arrests as a move by the crown prince to consolidate power, though the official narrative focuses on corruption investigations into events such as the 2009 Jeddah floods and the Mers virus outbreak.
The purge has shocked many Saudis, but the crown prince remains popular among younger citizens who support his modernisation efforts. Critics, however, point to the ongoing war in Yemen and the boycott of Qatar as destabilising actions.
