The release of Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal after 83 days of detention in Riyadh’s Ritz Carlton hotel last week leaves more questions than answers.
When he was initially detained along with dozens of other senior princes, ministers and bureaucrats in early November, the government said the action was part of an anti-corruption drive ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Most of the princes were subsequently released after reaching deals with the government to hand over a part of their assets, while some officials were reportedly transferred to prison to face trial.
In a media interview, Prince Alwaleed, who appeared thinner with a salt-and-pepper beard and wearing sun glasses, said he was living a normal life in the hotel “stretching, swimming, walking and having my diet food” and that there were no charges against him.
But for the nearly three months that he spent at Ritz Carlton, the prince, one of the richest men in the world, dubbed as the “Warren Buffet of the Middle East,” was out of bounds. The authorities did not say on what grounds he had been detained, nor did they say on what grounds he was released — whether he was found innocent or he reached a deal with the government. There has also been an air of murkiness surrounding Saudi officials’ plan to recoup $100 billion from the detained princes, ministers and the businessmen.
In any country with functional democratic institutions and a responsive government, this kind of “anti-corruption campaign” would be considered counter-productive. But in Saudi Arabia, where the King and the Crown Prince have absolute power, the detention of a group of rich men in a luxury hotel for months without any trial and their release based on obscure deals is still sold as a fight against graft.
Unmistakable message
Irrespective of the wealth seized from the detainees, an unmistakable message has already been sent across the royal family – Crown Prince Mohammed is in charge.
By detaining politically and economically powerful princes — such as the former National Guard Chief Mutaib bin Abdullah and Prince Alwaleed — and media moguls, the Crown Prince has already undercut potential challenges to his eventual rise to the throne. Unsurprisingly, in the interview, Prince Alwaleed reiterated his loyalty to the government. In the short term, the Crown Prince has managed the detention drama without triggering any crisis to his authority. But there are at least two longer-term problems.
First, the detentions happened as the Kingdom underwent economic reform and sought to invite foreign investment. How could it possibly attract foreign investment if the government can lock up businessmen without due process, and then ask them to give up their wealth? That does not behove the reputation of a modernising government battling corruption.
Second, the detained princes were powerful figures within the royal family. They may be down now, but not out of the game. Saudi Arabia is not free from palace infighting and power politics. Crown Prince Mohammed has already created many enemies. It remains to be seen whether power will be smoothly transferred from King Salman to the next generation in such a tumultuous political situation.
