Nasser bin Aqeel al-Tayyar Detained In Saudi Arabia As Royal Purges Continue

The government roundup of royal family members and prominent businessmen continued in Saudi Arabia Monday, ensnaring Nasser bin Aqeel al-Tayyar, the founder of the kingdom’s largest travel company Al Tayyar Travel.

Arrests of prominent Saudi figures began Saturday just hours after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salma, adviser and favored son of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, commissioned a powerful “anti-corruption” committee. Outside observers believe the arrests are targeted at consolidating power for the young prince, who at age 32 has caused a stir for ascending to power so quickly.

Another person trapped in the arrest was international billionaire investor Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal.

Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi wrote in the Washington Post Sunday that he applauds the idea of anti-corruption, but that the Crown Prince is acting like Russian leader Vladimir Putin with the mass arrests.

“As of now, I would say Mohammed bin Salman is acting like Putin. He is imposing very selective justice. The crackdown on even the most constructive criticism — the demand for complete loyalty with a significant “or else” — remains a serious challenge to the crown prince’s desire to be seen as a modern, enlightened leader,” wrote Khashoggi. “The buck stops at the leader’s door. He is not above the standard he is now setting for the rest of his family, and for the country.”

It appears as if the detainees are being held at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. U.S. officials estimated that as many as 500 people could have been rounded up in the arrests, including 11 princes, four ministers and over a dozen former ministers.

The new anti-corruption committee can seize assets, and a no-fly list has been created with a number of prominent names on it, according to Reuters Monday. Owners of private jets now need a permit to take off.

The shakeup of the country’s elite comes at a tumultuous time for the kingdom. A ballistic missile launched from Yemen was intercepted over Riyadh on Saturday, and ​Prince Mansour bin Muqrin was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia said Monday that Lebanon has declared war against its country because of the aggressive actions of Hezbollah, deepening an ongoing conflict with Iran.