Details of the Detention of British Citizen Ahmed Al-Doush in Saudi Arabia Without Charges Since August

The Saudi authorities arrested British citizen Ahmed Ali Al-Doush (41 years old) on August 31, 2024, without filing any formal charges against him. According to his legal team in London, Al-Doush, a senior analyst at Bank of America, was detained at Riyadh Airport while preparing to return to the United Kingdom after a short family visit to Saudi Arabia.

Reports indicate that Al-Doush was stopped by passport control officers, prompting him to send his wife and young children ahead to board the plane alone. For over two and a half months, his family received no information about his whereabouts or the reasons for his detention, effectively making his case one of enforced disappearance. Initially, the Saudi authorities denied having any knowledge of his whereabouts.

His family and legal team affirm that Al-Doush is neither a political nor human rights activist, but rather a dedicated professional and family man living in the UK. It appears that his interrogations in Saudi Arabia revolved around a low-profile tweet about the situation in Sudan, his country of origin, and alleged ties to the son of a Saudi opposition figure in exile, whom he has never met. Even if he had known the individual, such an association does not justify his arrest. His lawyers consider his detention arbitrary under international law, which is also confirmed by Sanad Organization.

Initially, Al-Doush’s family hesitated to go public with his case, hoping for a swift resolution and his release. However, as his detention dragged on with no progress, they decided to seek public and international attention. His wife, Amhar Noor, revealed that she recently gave birth to their fourth child, yet Ahmed has not been allowed to contact her or check on his newborn, leaving the family in severe emotional and social distress.

On December 16, 2024, Al-Doush’s legal team filed a complaint with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, confirming that Al-Doush has been deprived of his right to a fair trial and due legal process since his arrest. The complaint details the violations he has been subjected to, including solitary confinement, denial of visits from his lawyer, refusal to disclose the reason for his detention, prevention from contacting his family, and lack of access to legal representation in Saudi Arabia.