20 May 2018•Update: 21 May 2018
By Addis Getachew
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Saturday said he had secured the release of 1,000 Ethiopians from Saudi prisons.
He broke the news on his return from the Kingdom.
An hour after the prime minister's plane landed at the Addis Ababa airport, an aircraft carrying 690 prisoners aboard arrived.
Abiy addressed a huge gathering at the Millennium Hall in the capital heralding the good news.
“We demanded the release of our citizens and the Crown Prince [Mohammed bin Salman] responded positively,” Abiy said, hailing the diplomatic victory his delegation achieved during his two-day visit to the country.
He added that he had also sought the release of Ethiopian-born Saudi tycoon Mohammed Hussein al-Amoudi, who has built a huge business empire in Ethiopia employing close to 70,000 people.
Al-Amoudi was among the hundreds of Saudi princes and tycoons incarcerated following Bin Salman's anti-corruption and embezzlement drive.
Regarding al-Amoudi, the prime minister said: “The crown prince and I reached total agreement …and I am confident that he would be released soon.”
Abiy described his visit to the Kingdom as “hugely successful”.
The remaining Ethiopians released from Jeddah and Jizan prisons are expected to arrive in Addis Ababa in the coming days.
