Saudi Arabia: 11 princes arrested over protest against King’s utility bills

According to a report from the Saudi news website Sabq, the princes, who gathered in the historical Palace of Government area in the capital Riyadh, were demonstrating against a government decision to suspend payment of their utility bills. Upon arrest, they were reportedly sent to prison of Riyadh.

They also sought compensation for a death sentence implemented in 2016 against one of their cousins, Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabeer.

"Despite being informed that their demands are not lawful, the 11 princes refused to leave the area, disrupting public peace and order," the public prosecutor's statement said, without identifying the princes.

"Following their arrest, they have been charged on a number of counts in relation to these offences. They are detained at Al-Hayer prison south of the capital pending their trial."

Saudi Arabia recently introduced a raft of economic reforms, including a VAT and a halt to state payments of water and electricity bills for royal family members.

The meteoric rise of 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king’s favoured son, and his ambitious, sometimes aggressive, policies have caused rare tensions within the royal family, which for decades favoured rule by consensus.

Dozens of prices, high officials and senior businessmen were rounded up in November in a crackdown on graft that has boosted Prince Mohammed’s power.