Saudi Arabia's king orders arrest of 'abusive' prince

A member of Saudi Arabia’s royal family was arrested in Riyadh after videos of him verbally and physically abusing people surfaced.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz  ordered the arrest of Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, along with his entourage that appeared in the videos.

The prince was arrested on Wednesday just a few hours after the king’s order, which stipulated that an investigation be launched.

“[The king ordered] the arrest of the prince and everyone who appeared with him in the shameful videos, which have crossed [the line] of violations,” reported Saudi-based Sabq online newspaper. “The [suspects] and their victims must be questioned to reserve the latter’s rights.”

In one scene, the prince — wearing a black T-shirt and pants — can be seen kicking and punching man on a chair. The man can be heard saying: “I swear I didn’t do anything.”

His friends were also filmed drinking alcohol, while the prince waved what appeared to be a small handgun.

In another scene, a bloodied man -- a Yemeni national -- is sitting speechless in a vehicle, while the prince is heard swearing at him and criticising him for “parking near this house”. The victim released a video after the incident asking the Saudi king to intervene.

The king’s order said that no one is to be released until an official court ruling is issued, adding that no one has the right to violate the law regardless of their social status.

On Thursday, a video showing two officers escorting a handcuffed Prince Saud from a police car to a police station made the rounds on social media.