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March 07, 2020 Two prominent members of the Saudi royal family have been arrested by the authorities of the kingdom, due to an alleged coup attempt, in a new move by the powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to eliminate possible rivals on his way to the throne. The news was given by the Wall Street Journal, later confirmed by the New York Times.

Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, the younger brother of King Salman, and Mohammed bin Nayef, nephew of the king and former interior minister, were arrested in the early hours of Friday, when the royal court guards showed up in their residences. The Saudi government has not confirmed the arrests.

The Crown Prince, who actually rules in Saudi Arabia, had already made similar moves in the past aimed at consolidating his power since he uprooted his cousin arrested yesterday, Mohammed Bin Nayef, as successor to the throne in 2017. In the same year he surrendered protagonist of a purge that swept numerous real and important businessmen in an alleged anti-corruption campaign.

The New York Times reported the arrest of a third member of the royal family, Nawaf bin Nayef, the younger brother of the arrested king's grandson. According to US media, the latest campaign arrives with the Kingdom which is in a delicate phase of uncertainty dictated by the impact of the new coronavirus epidemic which has drastically reduced the price of oil, the main source of income of the kingdom, while The crown prince's plans to diversify the Saudi economy are having a hard time seeing the light.

Saudi Arabia detained two prominent members of its royal family, people familiar with the matter say, further consolidating the power of the crown prince https://t.co/u2c1jOProD

- The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) March 6, 2020