Saad Al Jabri’s Prolonged Escape Makes MbS Impatient

Saad al Jabri Saudi Arabia hunt is latest story in the extensively mysterious power struggle of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Kingdom is increasing pressure to get al Jabri back, as two of his children are being held as hostages in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is deemed one of the most powerful leaders in Arab world, is the one who has been struggling for it the most. The uncertainty of the position that he holds has, time and again, ignited an aggression that has left some of the former senior officials burning in helpless situations.

A former advisor to ex-Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef — the cousin who makes MbS insecure of his authority — Saad al Jabri is latest in the Crown Prince’s target list. While he has been running away from Saudi for past more than three years, al Jabri recently became the most demanded man by the Kingdom.

Similar to Nayef, his advisor maintained deep ties with the Western intelligence too. Following the 9/11 attacks in the United States, al Jabri became the closest anti-terrorism contact for Washington in the Middle East. For 15 years, he worked with America and assisted its counterterrorism plans.

Before the Saad al Jabri Saudi escape, he had close relations with the royal family, access to the government wealth and was in contact with informants. This was rare for the US, which had initiated operations against the Islamic extremists. However, the world for both Nayef and al Jabri took a 180 degree turn, when MbS decided to capture the Saudi throne.

In 2017, Mohammed bin Nayef was forced to give away his position of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, which was taken by Mohammed bin Salman. While Nayef was a threat for his influence on the West, al Jabri is allegedly becoming one for the information he knows about the internal operations of the Kingdom.

The Crown Prince MbS is known amongst the US officials for using corruption probes to go after political opponents and those who are a threat to his position. In November 2017, some wealthy personalities of Saudi Arabia were detained in the “Golden Cage” — Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton hotel — and were freed only after giving up their assets.

Saad al Jabri left Saudi Arabia in the same year and moved to Canada. The Kingdom put an Interpol notice for him in 2018, which was later removed considering Jabri’s argument of being a political opponent of MbS. However, with time, Mohammed bin Salman has become more desperate for power.

In March 2020, Saudi authorities, under the orders of MbS, arrested prominent royal family members from their homes, including Mohammed bin Nayef. Ten days later, the Kingdom also detained al Jabri’s 21-year-old son, Omar al Jabri, and 20-year-old daughter, Sarah al Jabri. A Saudi official informed that the siblings are being held in a villa within a prison complex of Riyadh, which is meant for the VIP prisoners.

Following the Saad al Jabri Saudi departure, both his children were awaiting US education visas, but were barred by the Arab authorities before leaving the country. A person close to Nayef’s former advisor informed that al Jabri asked Mohammed bin Salman to leave his children. However, the Crown Prince said it could not happen until he returns to the Kingdom.

It is believed that the 61-year-old doctorate in computer science, al Jabri is aware of the in-depth information about Saudi Arabia’s internal affairs, including the financial holdings of the royal family and the foreign bank accounts. He also presumably owns certain documents that could prove to be damaging for MbS and other sensitive data about the senior royals of the Kingdom.

It is still uncertain that what Saad al Jabri knows about Saudi Arabia. Interpol had removed the notice put by Saudi and Canada also declined the Kingdom’s request for extradition. However, while the way for al Jabri’s returned is being protected by international parties, Mohammed bin Salman is increasingly growing impatient to save the details that Nayef’s former advisor has kept hidden for years about the inside of Saudi Arabia.