DUBAI: Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has been released from detention, family sources said on Saturday, more than two months after he was taken into custody in the kingdom’s sweeping crackdown on corruption.
His release came hours after he told Reuters in an exclusive interview at the opulent Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh that he expected to be cleared of any wrongdoing and be released from custody within days.
Family sources said Prince Alwaleed was released on Saturday.
“He has he arrived home,” one told Reuters.
Saudi officials could not immediately be reached for comment and the terms of his release were not immediately clear.
A senior Saudi official said Prince Alwaleed was freed after he reached a financial settlement with the attorney general.
"The attorney general has approved this morning the settlement that was reached with Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, and the prince returned home at 11:00a.m. (0800 GMT)," the official told Reuters, without giving details of the terms.
Prince Alwaleed had been confined at the Ritz-Carlton since early November, along with dozens of others, part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to consolidate control and reform oil superpower Saudi Arabia.
In his first interview since he was taken into custody in November, Prince Alwaleed told Reuters he was continuing to maintain his innocence of any corruption in talks with authorities.
He said he expected to keep full control of his global investment firm Kingdom Holding Co. without being required to give up assets to the government.
Reuters: Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal released, family sources say
Reuters: Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal released, family sources say
‘Basta Khair Saudi Arabia 2026’ launched by Ministry of Municipalities
- Scheme aims to support, develop, and empower street vendors by regulating their activities, providing approved sales locations, enhancing quality of practice and improving visitor experience
- Ministry of Municipalities and Housing said the scheme enhanced the image of licensed stalls as an organized model that reflects cities’ identities and improves the urban scene overall
RIYADH: The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has launched the “Basta Khair Saudi Arabia 2026” initiative.
Now in its second year, the scheme aims to support, develop, and empower street vendors by regulating their activities, providing approved sales locations, enhancing quality of practice and improving visitor experience.
In line with the ministry’s objectives to enhance the urban landscape and quality of life in cities across the Kingdom it will begin with five locations in each municipality and target up to 350 sales outlets per area, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
At least two sites in each municipality will be placed under a sustainability track to ensure operations continue beyond Ramadan, helping the initiative transition from a seasonal effort into a structured, scalable and sustainable model.
The ministry said the scheme enhanced the image of licensed stalls as an organized model that reflects cities’ identities and improves the urban scene overall.
It also provides more sustainable economic opportunities for participants and creates a gradual pathway for transitioning from informal activities to officially regulated practices within clear regulatory frameworks. This contributes to income stability, improved service quality and greater reliability of the overall experience.
Basta Khair Saudi Arabia 2025 saw 1,732 vendors take part and around 814,000 visitors. It achieved a sustainability rate of 30 percent following its conclusion and recorded 90 percent satisfaction levels, reflecting its economic and social impact and supporting the ministry’s development of an organized, sustainable model to empower street vendors across the Kingdom.
