- Prince Alwaleed bin Talal had been arrested as part of a corruption probe
- The billionaire Saudi prince had strongly denied any allegations of wrongdoing
- He had been held in a suite at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh since November
Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has been released from detention, family sources said on Saturday, more than two months after he was taken into custody in the kingdom’s sweeping crackdown on corruption.
His release came hours after he told Reuters in an exclusive interview at the opulent Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh that he expected to be cleared of any wrongdoing and be released from custody within days.
Family sources said Prince Alwaleed was released on Saturday.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, pictured, has been released from custody from the luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh. The billionaire has strongly denied any wrongdoing
Prince Alwaleed, pictured, had been held in the Ritz-Carlton since early November 2017
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the arrest of some of Saudi Arabia’s wealthiest men and held them inside the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh, pictured
‘He has he arrived home,’ the source claimed.
Saudi officials could not immediately be reached for comment and the terms of his release were not immediately clear.
Prince Alwaleed had been confined at the Ritz-Carlton since early November, along with dozens of others, part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to consolidate control and reform oil superpower Saudi Arabia.
In his first interview since he was taken into custody in November, Prince Alwaleed said he was continuing to maintain his innocence of any corruption in talks with authorities.
He said he expected to keep full control of his global investment firm Kingdom Holding Co without being required to give up assets to the government.
Prince Alwaleed was staying in a luxury suit in the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Prince Alwaleed told Reuters earlier he expected all charges against him would be dropped