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The Kingdom has agreed to allow US citizen Saad Almadi to return home to Florida, five months ahead of the planned removal of travel bans and a day after Saudi crown prince and head of government met the former US president at the White House.

Legal Case Overview

Almadi, 75, was sentenced to 19 years of incarceration in the kingdom in 2021 after he wrote 14 tweets opposing the Riyadh government. Two years later, the charges were reduced to termed "cyber crimes" and he was sentenced to a 30-year ban on departing from Saudi Arabia.

"We are thrilled that, after four long years, our father, Saad Almadi, is finally on his way home to the United States!"

The announcement that Almadi, a dual citizen and former engineering professional who had lived in the US since the 1970s, would be allowed to depart the country came after the US president gave an address promoting US-Saudi ties, including weapons deals and investment deals.

Political Recognition

"This moment would not have been possible without President Donald Trump and the persistent work of his administration. We are deeply grateful to Dr Sebastian Gorka and the team at the security advisory board, as well as everyone at the state department," it added.

The declaration by Almadi's son, Ibrahim Almadi, also thanked various charitable groups, including the James Foley Fund and Hostages America, and House speaker Mike Johnson for supporting the older Almadi's cause. He later posted on social media that his father was on his way to the US.

Wider Implications

Almadi is one of a handful of American dual citizens facing exit bans from Saudi Arabia following a clampdown on online dissent. His son has previously claimed that Almadi was pressured to sign papers giving up his US citizenship.

The legal proceedings involving Almadi focused on social media posts in which he was alleged to have urged Saudi citizens to seek Lebanese citizenship and faulted the kingdom's defenses against Houthi rocket strikes.

More controversially, he supported the rededication of a street in the US capital after Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist and Washington Post columnist murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

Khashoggi Case

US intelligence reports published by the Biden administration later assessed that the crown prince had authorized of a plan to "detain or eliminate" Khashoggi.

Asked about the killing, Trump said the crown prince "knew nothing" of Khashoggi's killing. The Saudi crown prince has denied any wrongdoing. He said at the White House that Saudi Arabia "did all the right things" to examine Khashoggi's death, which he called "distressing" and a "huge mistake".

International Efforts

US pressure to free Almadi and allow him to come back to the US has been increasing since Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia in May. Many appealed to Trump's claim that he is particularly effective in bringing back US citizens detained overseas.

When questioned by journalists in May about the case, Trump said he didn't know about it but vowed to take a look. A few weeks later, one of his security advisors, Gorka, met the son at the White House.

"President Trump is the president of deals and he enjoys working with the Saudis and we will secure your father's release," Johnson said.