The Story:
Officials of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia arrested eleven princes of the extended royal family on Saturday, November 4, purportedly as part of an anti-corruption campaign. Most analysts believe that the driver of the sweep was the desire of King Salman and his heir, Prince Mohammed, to consolidate power into their own hands.
A Family Affair:
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became King in January 2015 upon the death of his half-brother, King Abdullah. More than two years later King Salman made his son, Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince, that is, his heir.
The Thing to Know:
The most prominent of the princes arrested Saturday was Alwaleed bin Talal, a man with a personal fortune of more than $18 billion, and the CEO of the Kingdom Holding Company.
