🔗 Share this article

Saudi Arabia has permitted US citizen Saad Almadi to return home to Florida, five months ahead of the planned removal of travel restrictions and a day after the kingdom's leader and prime minister met the former US president at the White House.

Judicial Proceedings Overview

Almadi, seventy-five, was given 19 years of incarceration in the kingdom in 2021 after he posted 14 tweets opposing the Riyadh government. After 24 months, the charges were reduced to termed "cyber crimes" and he was sentenced to a 30-year ban on leaving Saudi Arabia.

"We are thrilled that, after four long years, our father, Saad Almadi, is finally on his way home to the United States!"

The announcement that Almadi, a dual citizen and retired engineer who had lived in the US since the 1970s, would be allowed to depart the country came after the US president gave an address touting US-Saudi ties, including weapons deals and financial agreements.

Diplomatic Recognition

"This day would not have been possible without President Donald Trump and the tireless efforts of his administration. We are deeply grateful to Dr Sebastian Gorka and the team at the security advisory board, as well as everyone at the state department," it added.

The declaration by Almadi's son, Ibrahim Almadi, also expressed gratitude to various non-profit organizations, including the James Foley Fund and Hostages America, and House speaker Mike Johnson for supporting the elder Almadi's cause. He later posted on social media that his father was on his way to the US.

Wider Implications

Almadi is one of a small number of American people with dual nationality facing travel restrictions from Saudi Arabia following a crackdown on digital criticism. His son has earlier stated that Almadi was pressured to sign papers giving up his US citizenship.

The legal proceedings involving Almadi focused on social media posts in which he was alleged to have urged Saudi citizens to seek Lebanese citizenship and faulted the kingdom's defenses against Houthi rocket strikes.

Additionally, he expressed approval for the rededication of a street in the US capital after Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist and Washington Post columnist killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

Related Incident

US intelligence reports released by the Biden administration later concluded that the crown prince had authorized of a plan to "detain or eliminate" Khashoggi.

Questioned regarding the killing, Trump said the crown prince "was unaware" of Khashoggi's killing. The Saudi crown prince has maintained his innocence. He said at the White House that Saudi Arabia "took appropriate measures" to investigate Khashoggi's death, which he called "distressing" and a "huge mistake".

Diplomatic Pressure

US pressure to free Almadi and allow him to come back to the US has been building since Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia in May. Many appealed to Trump's claim that he is uniquely successful in repatriating US citizens held overseas.

When asked by a reporter in May about the case, Trump said he wasn't aware about it but vowed to take a look. A few weeks later, one of his national security aides, Gorka, met the younger Almadi at the White House.

"President Trump is the master negotiator and he enjoys working with the Saudis and we will win your father back," Johnson said.