Riyadh: The chief executive officer (CEO) of the Royal Commission for AlUla was arrested on Sunday, January 28, on charges of corruption.
Taking to X, the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) said that Amr Al Madani was arrested for his involvement in crimes of “abuse of authority and money laundering”.
A Nazaha source claims that Al Madani obtained illegal contracts for the National Talents Company, which he owns, from King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy.
He committed the crime through a relative before joining the government sector.
The contracts were valued at 206.6 million Saudi Riyals (Rs 4,58,04,11,885).
Al Madani continued to own the company after joining the government sector and recommended it to RCU departments.
As a result, the company secured projects worth 1.3 million Saudi Riyals (Rs 2,88,21,149). He gained personal benefits from contracting companies and received profits from those projects through his relative, Mohammed bin Sulaiman Mohammed Al-Harbi, who was also arrested.
Al-Harbi admitted to receiving money from the company and its owners and transferring it to Al Madani.
Al Madani’s partners, Saeed bin Atef Ahmed Saeed and Jamal bin Khaled Abdullah Al-Dabal were arrested for conspiring with the CEO in the aforementioned incidents.
Nazaha stated that legal proceedings are being initiated against the detainees for prosecution in a court of law, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
The RCU was established in 2017 to preserve and develop the 2,000-year-old AlUla archaeological site in Saudi Arabia, aligning with the country’s Vision 2030 heritage priorities.
