Saturday, February 1, 2014

Saudi arabia suffering rampant corruption: Saudi Prince

A Saudi prince says his country is suffering from rampant and crouching corruption in state organizations, the scope of which is gradually being revealed to the public. In a letter to the head of Saudi Arabia’s anti-corruption organization, Prince al-Waleed bin Talal Al Saud has demanded that it stand against the financial corruption in the kingdom and reveal the names of the corrupt officials. Meanwhile, local media said the multi-billion-dollar project of Saudi Arabia's first locally-built car, an all-terrain vehicle called "Ghazal 1" does not really exist. Prince Bin Talal's warning comes as Saudi Arabia approved in 2011 the creation of the anti-corruption commission in order to promote transparency and fight against financial and administrative corruption. In August 2013, exiled Saudi prince Khalid Bin Farhan Al Saud criticized the suppression of dissident voices and rampant corruption in the Middle East powerhouse. He questioned Saudi Arabia’s stepped-up crackdown on anti-regime protests while supporting the militancy in Syria. The Saudi prince also criticized the United States for ignoring corruption in Saudi Arabia due to long-term interests. Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil exporter, with the black gold accounting for 90 percent of the country's exports. However, corruption is so ingrained in Saud Arabia’s royal family that despite the country’s enormous oil money, it struggles with problems such as poverty and unemployment. Job growth and welfare programs in Saudi Arabia have failed to keep pace with a booming population that hiked from 6 million in 1970 to 28 million in 2012.

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