New revelations have exposed the deep financial and operational ties between Twitter and Saudi Arabia, predating Elon Musk's acquisition of the platform. The Saudi government, through its Public Investment Fund (PIF) and individual investors like Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, has been a major shareholder in Twitter, using the platform both as an investment and a tool for surveillance and repression.
According to Saudi journalist and human rights activist Ali al-Ahmed, Twitter's relationship with the Saudi regime is purely transactional. 'Twitter is no different from Boeing or those military companies. They care about making money,' he said. Ahmed, whose Arabic-language Twitter account was banned while his English account remained active, believes his account was compromised by Saudi spies, endangering dissidents who communicated with him via private messages.
The Saudi government's use of Twitter to track and arrest critics is well-documented. In 2018, aid worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan was abducted by Saudi security forces for running a satirical Twitter account. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. His sister, Areej al-Sadhan, has not heard from him in years and expressed uncertainty about whether he is still alive.
Saudi Arabia's influence extends far beyond Twitter. The kingdom has invested billions in Silicon Valley firms, including $3.5bn in Uber and $20bn in Blackstone's infrastructure fund. By 2018, Saudi Arabia had become the largest single funding source for US startups, according to the Wall Street Journal. This influx of capital has given the regime significant leverage in the tech industry.
Critics argue that the Saudi-Silicon Valley relationship allows the kingdom to launder its reputation while continuing its repressive domestic policies. The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 highlighted the regime's willingness to target dissidents abroad. Despite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's attempts to portray himself as a reformer, human rights groups say repression has only intensified under his rule.
