3:28A current photograph of Saad Almadi.Courtesy Ibrahim Almadi
Saad Almadi, holding both Saudi and American citizenships, who had been detained in Saudi Arabia and subsequently prohibited from departing the nation for a period of four years, is heading back to the United States, according to his son, Ibrahim Almadi.
Almadi’s freedom was ensured concurrent to the U.S. visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who engaged with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
The younger Almadi stated that the liberation “would not have been possible without” Trump and White House advisor Sebastian Gorka, along with House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Ibrahim Almadi informed ABC News that he encountered Johnson at a dining establishment, where the leading House Republican consented to advocate for his father’s freedom.
A recent photograph of Saad Almadi.Courtesy Ibrahim Almadi
ABC News has contacted the White House seeking verification.
Ibrahim Almadi expressed he was “"astonished"” upon receiving a direct phone call from his father, who communicated that he would be permitted to leave Saudi Arabia. Almadi then scheduled the earliest available flight.
It remained unclear whether Trump intervened directly in the situation, Almadi conveyed to ABC News, or if the crown prince gave the authorization to revoke the travel restriction. He did indicate, however, that despite outwardly demonstrating hospitality for their Saudi guests, American officials exerted pressure on the Kingdom concerning Almadi’s predicament.
Saad Almadi, presently 75 years old, was taken into custody in 2021 on accusations related to terrorism, stemming from a collection of 14 tweets, with one drawing attention to the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, according to Ibrahim Almadi in a post on X. The allegations were subsequently reduced to "cyber offenses," and Saad Almadi was discharged from detention but restricted from leaving Saudi Arabia until 2054.
In an interview conducted by ABC News prior to his father's liberation, Almadi stated that the State Department "saved his life" by achieving a reduction in the charges against him. However, he voiced skepticism that Trump would sustain efforts to secure Almadi’s freedom, asserting that "one call" to the crown prince would persuade bin Salman to remove the travel ban.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
