Saudi Arabia has lifted a travel ban on Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a US citizen detained in 2021 after tweets about alleged corruption and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. Almadi was sentenced to 16 years in 2022 and released in 2023 after US appeals, but remained barred from leaving until now. His family credited former President Donald Trump for helping secure his return and urged continued support for others detained abroad. The development coincided with Trump hosting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid lingering controversy over Khashoggi's murder.
Saudi Arabia Lifts Travel Ban on US Citizen Sentenced Over Critical Tweets; Family Credits Trump
Saudi Arabia has lifted a travel ban on Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a US citizen detained in 2021 after tweets about alleged corruption and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. Almadi was sentenced to 16 years in 2022 and released in 2023 after US appeals, but remained barred from leaving until now. His family credited former President Donald Trump for helping secure his return and urged continued support for others detained abroad. The development coincided with Trump hosting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid lingering controversy over Khashoggi's murder.
04:08 AM, 11/20/2025Politics
Saudi authorities have removed a travel restriction on Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a US citizen of Saudi origin who was detained in 2021 after posting messages critical of the kingdom on social media. His family announced he is now allowed to leave Saudi Arabia and is en route to the United States.
Almadi was arrested during a visit to Saudi Arabia in 2021 after tweets that referenced alleged corruption and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In 2022 he was sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges that included destabilizing the kingdom. He was freed in 2023 following appeals by US officials but remained barred from leaving the country until this recent development.
"This day would not have been possible without President Donald Trump and the tireless efforts of his administration," the family said, adding that they hope advocacy continues for others still detained or held against their will abroad.
Diplomatic backdrop
The announcement came as former President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the United States. US intelligence agencies have concluded the crown prince ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor who was murdered inside a Saudi consulate; the crown prince has called the killing "painful" and a "huge mistake." Trump publicly defended the crown prince during the visit, saying he "knew nothing" about the murder and remarking that "things happen," and he criticized a journalist who raised the issue.
Wider human-rights context
The case echoes earlier US appeals to Riyadh on behalf of dissidents. During Trump’s first term, Vice President Mike Pence publicly urged Saudi authorities to free Raif Badawi, a rights activist who received a 10-year sentence and was publicly lashed; Badawi completed his prison term but remains barred from leaving Saudi Arabia.
Almadi’s family statement and the timing of his departure underline the ongoing intersection of human-rights concerns and high-level diplomacy between Saudi Arabia and the United States.