Amazon stalls $1 billion deal with Saudi after Khashoggi's murder

The ties between the world's biggest store, Amazon and the world's second-biggest oil producer, Saudi Arabia has been reportedly frozen ever since the Saudi operatives killed Jamal Khashoggi. An Amazon official told international media that Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder nor any of his top executives will not be attending the investment conference in Riyadh on October 29 which will also be marking Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's return to the world stage. However, neither Saudi or Amazon has declared that the partnership has been stalled. 

According to the reports, Amazon was all set to finalise a $1 billion deal with Saudi Arabia to build three data centres. It was likely to be announced during the Crown Prince's visit to the United States in early 2018. However, the freeze also came after Bezos waves of criticism from the Saudi-based online trolls after the National Enquirer published an expose earlier this year detailing Bezos's extramarital affair. The Amazon CEO later claimed that he was the target of “extortion and blackmail” by the Enquirer who threatened to publish revealing personal photos of him.

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Bezos accuses the Saudi government

The billionaire in March accused the Saudi government of having access to his phone and gaining private information from it. A longtime security consultant, Gavin De Becker concluded his investigation into the publication in January of leaked text messages between Bezos and a former television anchor Lauren Sanchez, who the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper said Bezos was dating. Reporting the chief’s extramarital affair with Sanchez, his intimate text messages and photos made their way into the hands of the Enquirer, leading to his divorce.

The investigations carried out by Bezos security consultant pointed out Saudi involvement in his blackmail scandal. "Our investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos' phone, and gained private information," De Becker wrote. "As of today, it is unclear to what degree, if any, AMI was aware of the details." Not specified by De Becker as to which part of the Saudi government he was blamed for the hack. However, he gave a few details about the investigation leading to the conclusion which accounted the kingdom being responsible in the act.

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(With agency inputs)