(Remember: This event occurred six months after Trump left Saudi Arabia)
The 2017–2019 Saudi Arabian purge was a mass arrest of a number of prominent Saudi Arabian princes, government ministers, and business people on 4 November 2017 and the following few weeks after the creation of an anti-corruption committee led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
The detainees were confined at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh, which had hosted the announcement for the planned city of Neom on 24 October 2017. The arrests were seen as a way for the crown prince to consolidate his power and sideline potential rivals.
The Saudi authorities claimed that they recovered about $107 billion from the settlements with the detainees, who were accused of corruption. However, some of the former detainees have revealed details of what they say took place in the hotel, such as torture, coercion, and confiscation of assets without due process.
The interrogators were reportedly looking for information on the detainees' assets, businesses, and connections. They demanded that the detainees sign over their wealth to the state in exchange for their release. Some of the detainees agreed to do so, while others resisted or negotiated. Some were released after a few weeks, while others remained in custody for months.
The Saudi authorities claimed that the purge was a necessary measure to combat corruption and recover public funds, but many critics and observers saw it as a power grab by the crown prince and a violation of human rights.
Wouldn't that be nice.