Under direct supervision from the Crown Prince, Saudi authorities continue to detain former King Abdulaziz University president Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Youbi

Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Youbi has been held since mid-July 2022, despite being fully acquitted of all fabricated corruption and embezzlement charges. According to Sanad Human Rights Organization, his arrest followed a malicious complaint from a university official after a personal dispute, before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally intervened in the case, rejecting attempts by Al-Youbi’s family to seek his release.

Reliable information obtained by Sanad indicates that the Crown Prince ordered fabricated charges of embezzling half a billion riyals, accompanied by a smear campaign through pro-regime media and online trolls. An independent audit later confirmed that there was no evidence of embezzlement or financial misconduct, yet authorities ignored the findings and continued his detention.

Sanad’s sources confirm that Dr. Al-Youbi is currently being held in a private villa in Riyadh, under direct supervision of the Crown Prince, as part of the government’s wider crackdown on academics and national figures.

Born in 1958 in Al-Abwa near Madinah, Dr. Abdulrahman bin Obaid Al-Youbi is a prominent Saudi academic with a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Essex (1986). He has held several senior positions, including president of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, acting president of Jeddah University, and vice president for academic affairs at King Abdulaziz University.

Sanad Human Rights Organization strongly condemns his continued detention, calling it another clear example of Saudi Arabia’s repressive policies and arbitrary arrests of distinguished professionals. The organization demands Dr. Al-Youbi’s immediate and unconditional release, restoration of his academic reputation, and accountability for those responsible for the violations in his case.