Saudi Arabia has quietly lifted a multi-year travel ban on Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a dual US-Saudi citizen imprisoned since 2021 for tweets criticizing the kingdom’s leadership and referencing the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Almadi, sentenced to 16 years on charges including attempting to destabilize the state, was released in 2023 following sustained pressure from the Biden administration but remained barred from leaving the country until this week. His family confirmed that he is now en route to the United States.

In a statement, the Almadi family explicitly credited President Donald Trump and his administration for securing the breakthrough, declaring that the resolution “would not have been possible” without Trump’s direct involvement. The announcement coincided with Trump’s high-profile White House reception for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, during which the president brushed aside renewed questions about the 2018 Khashoggi assassination, insisting the crown prince “knew nothing” and that “things happen.”

The lifting of the travel ban represents a rare concession from Riyadh on a human rights case that had drawn international criticism, particularly after Almadi’s arrest highlighted the kingdom’s aggressive pursuit of online dissent even against its own citizens abroad. The 72-year-old retiree living in Florida had been detained during a family visit to Saudi Arabia when authorities cited a series of tweets posted years earlier as evidence of criminal activity.

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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, facing Trump at the White House, described the Khashoggi killing as a “huge mistake” and “painful” while pledging up to $1 trillion in future Saudi investments in the United States. The warm bilateral atmosphere contrasted sharply with previous tensions over human rights, with Trump openly defending the crown prince against reporters who raised the journalist’s murder during the visit.

While the Almadi family celebrated their relative’s return, they urged continued attention to other individuals still detained or restricted in Saudi Arabia, including prominent activist Raif Badawi, whose decade-long imprisonment and public lashing for blogging ended with his release but who remains under an indefinite travel ban. The case underscores the complex interplay between diplomatic leverage and human rights advocacy in US-Saudi relations under the current administration.

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