Ethiopia will continue to pressure the Saudi Arabian government to release the Ethiopian-born Saudi billionaire Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi, Reuters reported yesterday quoting the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abe Ahmed.
In May, Abe Ahmed demanded the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to release Al-Amoudi during his two-day visit to the kingdom.
Speaking to the Ethiopian public in a town hall-style gathering, Abe Ahmed said that Al-Amoudi was supposed to be released and leave Riyadh based on a prior agreement with Bin Salman. “I was told in the middle of the night that his release was being postponed for some proceedings,” he explained.
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The Ethiopian official pointed out that Al-Amoudi’s release was expected to happen “soon.”
“Sheikh AL-Amoudi’s detention is a national issue,” Abe Ahmed stressed.
Mohammed Al-Amoudi, a son of a Saudi father and an Ethiopian mother, is a billionaire who has invested heavily in construction, agriculture and mining in Ethiopia. His total wealth was reported to have amounted to $13.5 billion. He was among 11 Saudi princes, four current ministers and top businesspeople, who have been in detention since November as part of the Saudi government’s anti-corruption crackdown.