Saudi Arabia detains top three members of royal family

Riyadh: Three senior members of the royal family, including the king’s brother, have been arrested for unexplained reasons, by the Saudi government.

Two of the detainees were highly influential figures of the kingdom and are being linked to the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Earlier in 2017, members of the Saudi royal family, including ministers and businessmen were arrested and confined to the ‘Ritz Carlton Hotel’ on the orders of Muhammad bin Salman.

According to the sources, the arrests were made on Friday morning. The detained members include King Salman’s brother Prince Ahmad bin Abdul Aziz, Mohammad bin Nayef and Nawaf bin Nayef. Mohammed bin Nayef was interior minister until he was removed from his role and placed under house arrest by Mohammed Bin Salman in 2017.

According to sources, security guards dressed in masks and black clothes came to their homes and conducted a thorough search. On the other hand, Al Jazeera says that all three individuals have been detained on charges of rebellion.

Mohammad bin Salman received global recognition in 2016 when he vowed to make numerous economic and social reforms in the conservative country of Saudi Arabia.

However, they have also been subjected to several conflicts so far, including the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

In recent times, Saudi Arabia has also taken several steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The measures taken in this regard include the banning of Umrah, and there are still question marks when this year’s pilgrimage is held.

Saudi Arabia reopens Mecca, Madinah holy sites after coronavirus closure

Saudi Arabia has already banned the entry of foreigners into Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Arab citizens and residents have also been included in the ban because of concerns over the coronavirus.

Masjid Al Haram and Masjid e Nabwi were closed earlier to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but have now been reopened now.