Trump Welcomes Saudi King and Crown Prince's Anti-Corruption Efforts

On Monday, November 6, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed significant trust in the actions of Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in their "fight against corruption" in the country. The "Anti-Corruption Committee," chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, issued orders on Sunday for the arrest of several princes, ministers, and a number of former ministers. It is reported that billionaire Saudi businessman Alwaleed bin Talal is among those arrested. In two tweets regarding recent developments in Saudi Arabia, Trump stated in the first tweet: "I have great trust in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know what they are doing." In another tweet, he wrote: "Some of those who are now being dealt with harshly have been draining their country for years." On Sunday, Mohammed bin Salman ordered the arrest of 11 princes, four current ministers, and dozens of former ministers and officials. According to the Associated Press, officials from the "King Holding" company stated that Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, the head of this company, is among those arrested. Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz is considered one of the wealthiest individuals in West Asia and has invested in various companies including Twitter, Apple, Rupert Murdoch's news agency, and financial services firm Citigroup. Meanwhile, Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb, the Attorney General of Saudi Arabia, stated in a statement that the fight to "eradicate corruption" in Saudi Arabia has just begun. According to Reuters, Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb, who is also a member of the "Anti-Corruption Committee," emphasized that all suspects will be treated like other citizens and will not receive special privileges due to their positions. However, he stressed that the suspects will have access to fair trial proceedings. The Crown Prince has promised to implement reforms in the political, social, economic, and cultural structure of the country based on a program known as "Vision 2030" and to change some of the highly conservative and strict laws and regulations in Saudi Arabia. Reuters notes that Mohammed bin Salman leads the Arab coalition's war in Yemen and has also taken actions to isolate Qatar. Meanwhile, critics of the Crown Prince believe these actions are dangerous adventures. Following a missile attack on Riyadh, the Saudi-led military coalition announced on Monday that it would block land, air, and sea routes to Yemen to stop the transfer of weapons from Iran to Houthi rebels.