Middle East

Saudi crown prince discusses anti-corruption crackdown, threats posed by Iran, and his vision for the Kingdom in first US TV interview

Author: Arab News

JEDDAH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed has said the anti-corruption crackdown he initiated in the Kingdom was "extremely necessary" because roughly $20 billion of state funds was "disappearing" every year.
In a wide-ranging interview aired by CBS television on “60 Minutes” on Sunday, the crown prince also spoke about the threats posed by Iran and its proxies across the region and the reforms being undertaken in the Kingdom to fight extremism.
The crown prince said that if Iran acquired a nuclear weapon then Saudi Arabia will too.
CBS anchorwoman Norah O’Donnell interviewed the crown prince in Riyadh two weeks ago, shortly before the royal left for his visit to Britain.
O’Donnell earlier said there were "no time restrictions and no preconditions" and that the crown prince spoke candidly.
The crown prince said Saudi Arabia has recovered more than $100 billion so far in its crackdown against corruption.
"The amount exceeds $100 billion, but the real objective was not this amount or any other amount. The idea is not to get money, but to punish the corrupt and send a clear signal that whoever engages in corrupt deals will face the law," the crown prince said in his first-ever interview with an American broadcaster.
The crown prince gave a wide-ranging interview with CBS anchorwoman Norah O'Donnell in Riyadh two weeks ago, shortly before he left for his visit to Egypt and Britain.
The crown prince said he had to take action because "probably 5 to 10 percent of the annual spent by the government", or roughly between $10-20 billion, was "disappearing" every year.
During the crackdown last November, the Kingdom detained a big number of incumbent and former government ministers, prominent businessmen, and at least 11 princes who were accused of corruption.
The accused were held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel for some time until they either returned what they have been accused of stealing from the government or proved their innocence.
On charges of human rights abuses in the Kingdom, Prince Mohammed assured that "Saudi Arabia believes in many of the principles of human rights.
"In fact, we believe in the notion of human rights, but ultimately Saudi standards are not the same as American standards. I don't want to say that we don't have shortcomings. We certainly do. But naturally, we are working to mend these shortcomings," he said.
Prince Mohammed said that his country was not always like what it has been in the last 40 years. “We were living a very normal life like the rest of the Gulf countries. Women were driving cars. There were movie theaters in Saudi Arabia. Women worked everywhere. We were just normal people developing like any other country in the world until the events of 1979,” he said.
The widespread perception of the Kingdom as a place with harsh Islamic laws impacted the youth of the country, insisted the crown prince, “After 1979, that's true. We were victims, especially my generation that suffered from this a great deal”
The prince was asked if women were equal to men, “Absolutely. We are all human beings and there is no difference,” he said. On the issue of women’s dress code and the stipulations of the Sharia, the crown prince said: “Women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men. This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya or a black head cover. The decision is entirely left for women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire she chooses to wear.”
With a ban lifted on women driving in the Kingdom and women getting ready to sit behind the wheel this June, the crown prince was again asked the issue of women and driving in Saudi Arabia. He said: “This is no longer an issue. Today, driving schools have been established and will open soon. In a few months, women will drive in Saudi Arabia. We are finally over that painful period that we cannot justify.” The crown prince also said work is underway to a new initiative to introduce regulations ensuring equal pay for men and women.

Main category: Saudi ArabiaTags: Saudi ArabiaSaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmanrelated_nodes: Exclusive: Norah O’Donnell on how CBS landed Saudi Crown Prince interview

[contf] [contfnew]

Arab News

[contfnewc] [contfnewc]

Related Articles

Middle East

Israel PM ‘flew to Saudi Arabia for secret talks with crown prince’

bbc– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly flew to Saudi Arabia on...

Middle East

Lebanon’s unfinished revolution: One year after protests, change has yet to come

Issued on: 21/10/2020 – 12:18Modified: 21/10/2020 – 14:28 It's been one year...

Middle East

Israel lauds UAE delegation visit as ‘making history’, Palestinians deem it ‘shameful’

Issued on: 20/10/2020 – 14:27 In an historic first visit by a...

Middle East

Iran rules out weapons ‘buying spree’ as UN embargo is set to expire

Issued on: 18/10/2020 – 07:42 Iran said it was self-reliant in its...