Saudi Arabia denies Crown Prince has imprisoned his mother

Saudi Arabia has denied claims that Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has kept his mother away from his father for the past two years.

According to NBC News, “14 current and former senior US officials” have said that Bin Salman “blocked his mother from seeing his father, King Salman, more than two years ago and has kept her away from him as the young prince rapidly amassed power.”

However, in a statement to the channel, spokesperson for the Saudi embassy in Washington, Fatimah Baeshen, said: “This is utterly untrue. If you would like to ask Her Royal Highness the Princess yourself and this includes meeting her in person, we will be happy to arrange this immediately.”

The US channel is thought to have rejected the offer.

NBC News had reported on Wednesday that Bin Salman had stopped his mother, Princess Fahda Bint Falah Bin Sultan Bin Hathleen, from seeing his father “because he was concerned that she opposed his plans for a power grab that could divide the royal family and might use her influence with the king to prevent it”.

It added that the prince had placed his mother under house arrest for some period.

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