All Booked Up Saturday, November 4, 2017, was an average
day at the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Nothing was out of the ordinary, so nothing could
prepare the country for what came next. Many guests were in town for business, while others
were checking out the beautiful 5-star hotel when everything went on lockdown out of nowhere.
At about 11 p.m., guests were summoned to the hotel lobby. Staff instructed them to pack up and
bring their bags if they were there on business. They couldn't leave anything behind because they
wouldn't be coming back. Instead, they'd be moved to another hotel. If the people were visiting,
the police swiftly escorted them out. There were no exceptions and zero explanations.
These guests didn't know how lucky they were as they were being whisked away
to other accommodations. As for the people checking in over the next few days,
well, they wouldn't be as lucky. In fact, they were in for a terrible surprise.
The Ritz Carlton in Riyadh was turned into a prison by the Prince of Saudi Arabia.
Soon, the rooms were filled by the who's-who of Saudi Arabian royalty
and business elite. There were many familiar faces among the guests-turned-prisoners.
They all wondered why they were there. And, more importantly, when they could leave.
Prince's Decree The answer wouldn't be that simple. It
turns out that King Salman and his son and heir, Mohammed bin Salman - let's call him MBS - ordered
their arrest. The motive behind this bold move depends on who you ask. Some people called it
consolidation of power, while others called it a power struggle. In the end, MBS came out on top.
Many princes, current ministers, and Saudi government officials were detained at the
Ritz Carlton. These were high-ranking, well-connected, and powerful men who
held high positions of power within Saudi culture and government. In an instant,
they were fired and replaced with new officials, surprising many across the country and the world.
It shouldn't have been, though. Those who were newly appointed were all MBS supporters.
The king and MBS claimed the entire spectacle was to fight decades-long corruption, but
others were more suspicious. They smelt ulterior motives. Perhaps these moves will
make it easier for MBS to assume control as the future king after his father's death. The
pair laid the groundwork for this back in June 2017, when there was a reshuffle of royalty.
The king kicked out his nephew as crown prince and named MBS his new successor.
While some were shocked, signs of this "power shift" had been evident for years.
The former crown prince had been removed from critical decisions and sidelined during diplomatic
events in favor of MBS, including meetings with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
In hindsight, that reshuffle and mass imprisonment sent a clear sign. MBS told
the country and the world not to mess with him. The power consolidation was
in full swing, and it wouldn't stop there.
"Anti-Corruption" MBS said the imprisonment would
combat corruption in Saudi Arabian business and politics. The kingdom claimed they found at least
$100 billion had been misused for decades. That included both systemic corruption and embezzlement
from inside and outside the government. MBS wanted to hold everyone who played a part accountable.
He promised to make changes in the established order in Saudi Arabia,
and this was the first step. But he couldn't start by just throwing influential people in jail.
That would be a nasty look. It would be culturally damaging and insulting, leading
to steep consequences that could potentially break the ties that bind Saudi society together.
That wouldn't do, so instead, he booked them in one of the most affluent hotels in the world. The
Ritz Carlton in Riyadh is a luxury, 5-star hotel with royal suites, a men's only spa,
52 acres of gardens, fancy restaurants, and more. U.S. presidents and other world leaders have
stayed there. It's among the best of the best, even after being converted to a temporary prison.
MBS cut off all communication once everyone was in their
"cells." His prisoners could not contact the outside world. All the rooms were booked,
and nobody was allowed in or out. They were there until they reached an agreement with MBS,
though, at the time, they didn't know what that agreement would look like.
Shakedown MBS eventually
released his prisoners, but not until they paid hefty financial settlements. No one other than
MBS knows how much they all paid, but nobody moved until they emptied their wallets. He accused every
prisoner of misusing funds over the years. To him, it was only fair they paid it all back,
whether the accusations were true or not. As a result, most were stripped of their power,
including the former king's son. He was fired from his role as head of the National Guard.
Even though the prisoners were in a luxury hotel, they didn't have a "luxury" experience.
Anonymous sources reported they were coerced into things they didn't want to do or say.
Guards roughed them up to get the results MBS wanted.
Many of the prisoners were sleep-deprived. Some were hurt so badly that they had
to be hospitalized after their imprisonment. One former general
even passed away. They never offered an official explanation of what happened to him,
but it's likely the result of his treatment during imprisonment.
MBS and his people denied the harsh treatment and refused to comment further on the imprisonment.
What happened at the Ritz Carlton will remain a secret between those who were there voluntarily
and those held against their will. The end result was the same. MBS consolidated power.
Courtyard by Marriott The Ritz wasn't the only hotel
holding prisoners during this time. They housed more people at the Courtyard by Marriott, a nearby
hotel in Riyadh's diplomatic quarter when the Ritz filled up. These rooms were not nearly as nice.
It was only a four-star hotel, but it was good enough to house those MBS accused of corruption.
But you would never know it was a secondary holding place for prisoners if you asked the
hotel. The receptionist played dumb when questioned by reporters. She said she
didn't know about the high-profile prisoners and didn't comment on any
of the people arriving at the hotel in the last few days.
Whether they voluntarily checked-in or not, guest privacy was of the utmost concern.
Regardless of the reasoning, the Marriott hotel,
like the Ritz, was completely booked through December 1, 2017, and they were not taking new
reservations. Anyone staying there had to leave and find new accommodations,
and any existing reservations were canceled - precisely what happened at the Ritz.
Tiger Squad Public imprisonment
wasn't the only thing MBS was doing to weed out his enemies during his rise to power.
At the same time, he'd established a group of dangerous men called the Tiger Squad. They were
50 of the most dangerous people in Saudi Arabia, pulled from the secret service and the military.
Each brought a series of unique skills meant for one purpose:
to take out dissenters against the crown and MBS. Their methods were more subtle than others. They
didn't overtly take down their targets. No, it was much more sinister than that. Instead,
they staged house fires, car accidents, plane crashes, and poisonings.
Everything they did came with a plausible explanation. It all looked like an accident.
The Tiger Squad didn't want to draw attention to the purge. They simply wanted to silence those
deemed as dissenters. That included journalist Jamal Kashoggi, taken out by the Tiger Squad.
Jamal went to the Saudi Consulate in Turkey to get papers he needed to get married.
Instead of documentation, he was met with 15 men who quickly took his life. Enemies of MBS and the
crown were dealt with swiftly, though the severity varied based on their power, position, and wealth.
Saudi Arabia Imprisonment Now, not all who get arrested in Saudi Arabia
face the same five-star treatment. The government reserves those privileges to the most important
people. If an American gets arrested, they could face more severe and harsh punishments.
The laws are much different in Saudi Arabia, and you may not even know you're breaking one.
Regardless, you'll face serious repercussions. You could be expelled from the country,
arrested, imprisoned, or even executed as a result.
For example, if they catch you importing, manufacturing, possessing,
or consuming alcohol or illegal drugs, you could be jailed, fined, flogged publicly,
or deported. If you're caught trafficking substances, the sentence is capital punishment
with no exceptions. There are U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, but they don't have any
standing in courts to plead for leniency. If you do something, you're on your own.
The U.S. embassy can't get you out of jail, provide representation, pay for fees,
or serve as an interpreter. Instead, the embassy can help connect you with representatives that
speak English or your preferred language, give you information, obtain medical care,
and notify your family of what's happening. All fees and penalties are your responsibility.
It’s in every person’s best interest to become familiar with the local laws before visiting Saudi
Arabia. Ignorance is NOT a defense, and if you do get detained, always ask that they notify the U.S.
embassy on your behalf. They won't always do this for you, so it's your responsibility to seek help.
All Hail MBS MBS has been on a mission
to reform Saudi Arabia's image, and they invested $64 billion to do so. They began by inviting top
musicians like Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, and Sean Paul to look more fun and inviting. They
want to attract western attention in a good way, and they're sparing no expense to do so.
It's not just about entertainment either. Under MBS, they've ended bans on women driving,
mixed-gender concerts, and cinema. They want to increase domestic spending because
oil prices have been declining, which is the country's biggest industry. They're
attempting to appear more progressive, no matter how small the steps they're taking.
But some claim it's all smoke and mirrors. These actions only distract people from
the more serious things going on in the country. Anyone who criticizes MBS appears
to go missing. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do - scholars, activists, economists,
journalists, and so many more have all been put behind bars for speaking their truths.
MBS is the future of Saudi Arabia. Regardless of whether or not you believe in what he's doing, you
need to fall in line or face the consequences—and those consequences will be steep. Just don't
expect to be put up in the Ritz-Carlton. That's reserved for the ultra-rich and powerful.
Click to watch one of these next videos!
And let us know in the comment section would you rather have to go to prison at the Ritz
Carlton in Saudi Arabia for 6 months or would you rather pay a ten thousand dollar fine?