4 Years Of 'Horrific' Ordeal: Saudi Arabia Finally Frees US Citizen Held For Khashoggi Tweets

Washington: Saudi Arabia has lifted the travel ban imposed on a 75-year-old US citizen who had criticised the Saudi regime on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The Saudi-origin man, who holds dual citizenship of US and Saudi Arabia, is now free to return to his home in Florida, his family said. This comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House.

Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a retired engineer, was arrested in 2021 when he was visiting Saudi Arabia. The arrest came after his tweets criticised the Saudi government over poverty in the kingdom and about the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Almadi was sentenced to 19 years in prison. However, he was freed from jail after appeals from the Joe Biden-led US government in 2023. Despite his release, his travel ban had not been lifted.

On Wednesday, his family said in a statement that Almadi's four-year “ordeal” has ended as Saudi has now lifted the travel ban. “Our family is overjoyed that, after four long years, our father, Saad Almadi, is finally on his way home to the United States!" Almadi's family added. 

Family Thanks Trump

Almadi's family thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for the “tireless efforts” his administration took for his release.

“This day would not have been possible without President Donald Trump and the tireless efforts of his administration,” his family said in a statement.

“We are deeply grateful to Dr. Sebastian Gorka and the team at the National Security Council, as well as everyone at the State Department. We also extend our thanks to the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh for keeping our father safe these past four years. Throughout this ordeal, we have been supported by Speaker Mike Johnson and his staff, along with the NGO community—including the Foley Foundation, the Middle East Democracy Center, American Hostages NGO, and the Bring Our Families Home Campaign. This case has always been about free speech, and the courageous voices of Josh Rogin and Steven Nelson ensured our father’s story was heard around the world,” the statement added.

The statement further said, “Thank you to everyone who stood by us during this horrific ordeal. We hope the support and care we received will continue for those still held hostage in Saudi Arabia and in other parts of the world.”

Who Was Jamal Khashoggi?

Jamal Khashoggi was a US-based Saudi journalist. For several years, he was close to the royal family of Saudi Arabia. However, in 2017 he fled Saudi Arabia and went into a self-imposed exile, following which he started writing newspaper articles criticising the Saudi regime.

In 2018, he went to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to receive documents that would establish his divorce with his former wife and allow him to marry his Turkish fiancée Hatice Cengiz.

His fiancée waited for him outside the consulate for hours, however, he did not return. Later, Khashoggi's dismembered body was found. It is alleged that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the assassination of Khashoggi.

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