UN 11 Saudi princes are under arrest

Link

Saudi authorities have arrested 11 princes who protested against the kingdom's austerity measures and who could face trial, a news website close to the government reported on Saturday.

Sabq said the princes, who were not named, were protesting at a historical Riyadh royal palace, Qasr al-Hokm, against a government's decision to stop paying the water and electricity bills of royals.

They were also demanding "financial compensation" after one of their cousins had been sentenced for an unspecified crime.

The princes were transferred to the high-security Ha'ir prison in the capital "ahead of their trial", Sabq said, citing unnamed sources.

It said the princes "were informed of the error of their demands but they refused to leave Qasr al-Hokm", prompting the royal guards to intervene and arrest them.

Saudi officials contacted by AFP Saturday were not immediately reachable for comment.

Saudi Arabia has introduced a string of austerity measures over the past two years to boost revenues and cut spending as the global slump in oil prices led to ballooning budget deficits.

The kingdom's push to diversify its oil-dependent economy has been linked to the arrest of more than 200 princes in November in an anti-corruption purge spearheaded by powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king's son and heir to the throne.

Most of those detained were held at the palatial Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh, which has turned into a luxury prison.

King Salman on Saturday announced a boost in stipends and tax relief for Saudi citizens, particularly those employed in the military or public sector.

The International Labour Organization estimates that unemployment among Saudis aged 15 to 25 stood at 36.2 percent last year.

 

[AnOminous]

Lol princes arrested for protesting over gibs me dats. Maybe Saudi Arabia isn't that bad after all.

 

[Audit]

Mohammed bin Salman appears to have a rather novel way of balancing the budget. Sack a few hundred of the unnecessary princes and marvel at how the budget suddenly balances itself.

 

[I-chi]

Lol good, cut the allowance on those lazy fucks.

 

[Cosmos]

Link

>Already rich beyond belief
>Still demand more money from the government

Most Saudi princes are cancerous tbh. They're completely detached from reality because they're used to getting everything they want and being treated like gods.

 

[LocalFireDept]

How the fuck are there over 200 princes. That seems like the root of the problem.

 

[Mimic]

Who else thought this was an e-mail scam bust?

 

[Darndirty]

How the fuck are there over 200 princes. That seems like the root of the problem.

200? Try more than 2000, probably more than that, each of these guys has like 30 kids

 

[LocalFireDept]

200? Try more than 2000, probably more than that, each of these guys has like 30 kids

I guess this is what comes of being able to have infinite wives. What good is blood when it's spread so damn thin.

 

[Dr. Boe Jangles Esq.]

Lol princes arrested for protesting over gibs me dats. Maybe Saudi Arabia isn't that bad after all.

Wait until oil prices spike again.
The government only dares to act because the guys who used to own the place have lost some of the stranglehold they held on it. The minute their assets jump back up in value, the choke chain will go right back on.

 

[Brackets]

Saudi Arabia is royally fucked, and they realized it at least early on in this decade. Their horrendously parochial laws and customs have prevented like half of their population (mostly women) from entering the workforce. Their government also subsidizes pretty much everything that could potentially be lucrative tax-wise. Water and oil are immense costs for the government, so it totally makes sense that princes don't want that passed down to them. However, the country has no choice but to abandon its stupidest social traditions if it wants to survive.

Wait until oil prices spike again.
The government only dares to act because the guys who used to own the place have lost some of the stranglehold they held on it. The minute their assets jump back up in value, the choke chain will go right back on.

I don't think so. If I recall correctly, Saudi Arabia is set to become a net oil importer by 2030. They need rational governance to build a stable and more diversified economy fast, and I think they recognize that.

 

[DICKPICSRUS]

First Pakistan reeeeing about money

To Saudi princes reeeeeing about money

They're kebabs not happy merchants

 

[XYZpdq]

Does this interact with that thing with the prince who wants to make tech manufacturing and other non-oil things a thing?

 

[TowinKarz]

Mohammed bin Salman appears to have a rather novel way of balancing the budget. Sack a few hundred of the unnecessary princes and marvel at how the budget suddenly balances itself.

As long as the strategic prince reserve doesn't have to be touched, everything should work out in the mid to long term from this move.

 

[Cosmos]

How the fuck are there over 200 princes. That seems like the root of the problem.

Because Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, had literally over 25 wives. Islam only allows 4, so Ibn Saud made a habit of divorcing his old wives to marry new ones. To be fair, it wasn't just philandering on his part; almost all of his marriages were made to cement alliances with other clans.

Anyway, considering that their forefather had dozens of wives, and his sons went on to have multiple wives as well, it's not unsurprising that the House of Saud comprises of over 15,000 members. Of those 15,000, "only" 2,000 are part of the inner circle who possess most of the power and wealth.

Apparently there's a lot of backstabbing and infighting in the House of Saud, which comes as no surprise. The family just keeps getting bigger and the privileges are gradually shrinking.

 

[A Welsh Cake]

Wow, the the more I find out about Saudi Arabia the less real of a country it seems.

 

[El Garbage]

Also "Ha'ir prison", that's just "Hair" with an apostrophe. Silly Saudis.

 

[XYZpdq]

Hair Prison sounds itchy.

 

[Transvaalan]

How the fuck are there over 200 princes. That seems like the root of the problem.

3 full generations of polygamy and women having zero rights to say no, +unlimited money to ensure most of the wives don't die early on in their "career", and that they can have as many wives as they damned well please.

Don't feel too bad for Saudi Princeling wives though, they aren't the ones that have depraved filthy shit done to them. So aside from popping out babies, they live the life of luxury as well.

Saudi Arabia is royally fucked, and they realized it at least early on in this decade.

They knew they were fucked in the long term since the 80s dude. The higher up know the oil will run out eventually

Their horrendously parochial laws and customs have prevented like half of their population (mostly women) from entering the workforce.

Completely irrelevant, especially to their situation

Their government also subsidizes pretty much everything that could potentially be lucrative tax-wise.

This and the royal payroll were the real killers. The Saudi's, along with a few other Gulf States, pay their populations handsome bribes, disguised as immense welfare, to shut up.

Water and oil are immense costs for the government, so it totally makes sense that princes don't want that passed down to them. However, the country has no choice but to abandon its stupidest social traditions if it wants to survive.

The core of the Royal Family is going to have the Saudi National Guard, basically a clan army, ready to go and augmented with foreign mercenaries and in tip top shape while the regular army is left with retards in shiny toys. The rest of the country can and likely will be left to rot. And by rot, I mean burn. And hard. The Saudi Royal family could not give less of a shit if half of their population outright dies.

I don't think so. If I recall correctly, Saudi Arabia is set to become a net oil importer by 2030. They need rational governance to build a stable and more diversified economy fast, and I think they recognize that.

Given that atleast half of their population in total is sub 85iq inbred retards, and a good chunk of the other half also has disagreements with the Royal family, what the Saudis might do is, after certain resources are secured, let a civil war break out that culls 70% of the population, with the Royal Family and the SANG secured, bloodied but secured, along with anyone with any sort of brains and education be sheltered, and then cut off most forms of welfare to the majority of their population.

Problem solved, and no, they won't care. And that's the good end for the Saudis. The bad end is a war with Iran and the Shias that goes hot. That ends Saudi Arabia, even if Iran falls too.

 

[ColtWalker1847]

I don't think so. If I recall correctly, Saudi Arabia is set to become a net oil importer by 2030. They need rational governance to build a stable and more diversified economy fast, and I think they recognize that.

Lol, no. That would require growing consumption levels to 5-10x as much as developed nations. That ain't happening in 12 years.

It's more about economic diversification. They have a growing population and no economy outside of oil, which is tapped for growth. They have built huge agricultural zones (turning desert into farms) with fossil water to give the people something to do. If they don't develop something they are going to face millions of unemployed pissed off young men who can't get married/laid because they have no job or prospects. This is a very bad thing for the ruling class.