December 31, 2017•Update: January 01, 2018
By Ahmed al-Masri, Safiye Karabacak and Zeynep Tufekci
RIYADH
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, former head of the Saudi National Guard, arrested on corruption charges and later released, met on Saturday.
Saudi state television broadcast footage showing the two Saudi princes together during an annual horse-riding race in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, released on Nov. 29 after weeks of investigation into corruption charges, was seen on television for the first time since his arrest on Nov. 4.
Mutaib, the son of late King Abdullah, was among 11 princes, four sitting ministers, a dozen former ministers, deputies and businessmen detained in a massive anti-corruption sweep earlier in November.
On Nov. 29, Nouf bint Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Saud, Mutaib’s sister, confirmed on Twitter that her brother had been freed from detention.
According to a Saudi official who spoke on condition of anonymity, Prince Mutaib was released after paying $1 billion in a settlement agreement with the authorities.
The mass arrests were launched hours after an anti-corruption committee under Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman was formed by a royal decree.
The committee reportedly has the authority to investigate, arrest, ban from travel, disclose and freeze accounts and portfolios and track funds and assets of individuals involved in corruption.
