Former Saudi Minister Accuses Bin Salman of Kidnapping His Brothers

A prominent Saudi family that came to Canada seeking safe haven says it fears that two of its members abroad have been seized as pawns in a “game of thrones” playing out in Saudi Arabia. According to a report by The Globe and Mail, Saturday 6 June 2020, Saad Aljabri, 61, a former senior Saudi security official who helped build bridges with visiting Canadian cabinet ministers and intelligence officials, has been quietly living in Canada with some of his family members since 2017.

One of his sons, Khalid Aljabri, a doctor trained in Canada, says that two of his siblings were seized in Saudi Arabia this spring and have not been heard from since. The family fears they are being held as “bargaining chips” by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who they say has been trying to force their father’s return.

“At the core of this whole story is a couple of innocent kids who should be with us here in Toronto,” Dr. Aljabri said in an interview with The Globe and Mail, the first he has given in Canada. “We don’t even know if they are dead or alive. Are they well? Have they been tortured?”

The Crown Prince – also known as MBS – has been consolidating his power by sidelining and arresting rival royal factions and their allies to pave a clear path to becoming king. For years the Aljabri family has lived in fear of him. “We did not want to get caught in a political game of thrones,” said Dr. Aljabri, who acts as a family spokesman.

The security relationship also expanded to trade. While serving as public safety minister between 2010 and 2013, Conservative Vic Toews visited the Gulf region and met Saad Aljabri several times.

In 2015 Saad Aljabri became a Saudi cabinet minister under his patron, Mohammed bin Nayef, who became Crown Prince. But two years later, their fortunes plummeted when the the king appointed his son to that role. As heir to the throne, MBS placed his predecessor under house arrest.

In the summer of 2017 most members of the Aljabri family were travelling abroad. They decided it would be prudent to make their way to Canada, where Khalid Aljabri, had gone to study medicine at McGill University in 2010.

“Canada is home, it’s a safe haven, but none of us sought asylum,” Dr. Aljabri said. He said his family – including three other siblings ages 33, 18, and 9 – immigrated through standard processes. “Some of my family members including my dad are only a few months away from becoming Canadian citizens.”

Over the past three years, they have not been allowed to leave the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, although Dr. Al-Jabri says they were calling the family in Canada at night.

The family’s hope is that they will one day see the siblings – in Canada. “If Omar and Sarah were to land in Toronto today they would become permanent residents,” Dr. Aljabri said. “They are eligible. The only thing is they need to be physically here. They’ve applied.”