Saudi Arabia released billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal on Saturday nearly three months after his arrest in an anti-corruption drive targeting the kingdom’s elite, a business associate told AFP.
“He (Prince Al-Waleed) is out,” the associate said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Prince Al-Waleed, dubbed the Warren Buffett of Saudi Arabia, was among some 350 suspects rounded up since November 4, including billionaire tycoons and ministers who were detained in Riyadh’s luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel.
Prince Al-Waleed is the latest in a series of high- profile detainees to be freed from the hotel. The terms of his release were not immediately clear.
The Saudi information ministry did not respond to AFP’s requests for comment.
Authorities have previously said most of those detained struck monetary settlements in exchange for their freedom, which could earn state coffers about $100 billion.
Another high-profile detainee, former National Guard chief Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, was released recently following his “settlement” with authorities which reportedly exceeded $1 billion.