Saudi Arabia has made more arrests, expanded the ongoing corruption investigation, and frozen hundreds more bank accounts in the ongoing efforts of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman toward reform efforts in the kingdom.

U.S. President Trump stands solidly behind the efforts of King Salman and the Crown Prince while the U.S. State Department, full of Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers and containing multiple indulgent beneficiaries of much of the prior corrupt Saudi spending, is aligned with Deep State against the new approach by the Kingdom.
According to Reuters reports the number of domestic bank accounts frozen as a result of the purge is over 1,700 and rising, up from 1,200 reported on Tuesday.

[…] Anti-corruption authorities have also frozen the bank accounts of Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, one of the most senior members of the ruling Al Saud, and some of his immediate family members, the sources added.

Prince Mohammed, or MbN as he is known, was ousted as Crown Prince in June when King Salman replaced him with the then Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Since Sunday, the central bank has been expanding the list of accounts it is requiring lenders to freeze on an almost hourly basis, one regional banker said, declining to be named because he was not authorized to speak to media.
MbN made his first confirmed public appearance since his ousting at the funeral on Tuesday for Prince Mansour bin Muqrin, deputy governor of Asir province, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday. No cause has been given for the crash.
Among business executives detained in the probe so far are billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of investment firm Kingdom Holding 4280.SE; Nasser bin Aqeel al-Tayyar, founder of Al Tayyar Travel 1810.SE; and Amr al-Dabbagh, chairman of builder Red Sea International 4230.SE.
The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it had urged Saudi Arabia to carry out any prosecution of officials detained in a “fair and transparent” manner.  (read more)


Not surprisingly, another key player in the reform coalition, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (pictured above) expressed strong confidence in the efforts of Crown Prince Salman to remove the corruption and support for terror-minded sympathizers.

“I have said it once and I will say it again, Gulf national security is Egyptian national security. I have faith in the wise and firm leadership of Saudi Arabia,” Sisi said.
Sisi said the situation in the kingdom was “reassuring and stable” following last weekend’s arrests of 11 princes, former and current ministers and a group of elite businessmen on corruption allegations.
They face allegations of money laundering, bribery, extortion and exploiting public office for personal gain.
Sisi stressed his backing of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states, which have showered Egypt with aid ever since the general-turned-president led the military’s ouster of former President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 following mass protests.
Lebanon has been thrust to the center of regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran since the Saudi-allied Lebanese politician Saad al-Hariri quit as prime minister on Saturday, blaming Iran and Hezbollah in his resignation speech. (more)


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