Recently deposed crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Nayef, has been barred from leaving the kingdom and confined to his palace in the coastal city of Jedda, The New York Times, citing four current and former American officials and Saudis close to the royal family reported.
However, a senior Saudi official on Thursday denied the report and termed it as “baseless”.
The official told Reuters that Mohammed bin Nayef, a veteran interior minister, was continuing to host guests and there were no restrictions at all on his or his family’s movements.
Mohammed bin Nayef, who was admired in Washington for quashing an al Qaeda insurgency in the kingdom between 2003 and 2006, was relieved of all his duties a week ago.
In his place as Crown Prince, King Salman appointed his son Mohammed bin Salman who also serves as defense minister and leads an ambitious reform agenda to end Saudi Arabia’s over-reliance on oil.
Mohammed bin Salman’s promotion ended two years of speculation about a behind-the-scenes rivalry near the pinnacle of royal power, but analysts said he still has to win over powerful relatives, clerics and tribesmen.
The New York Times, citing four current and former American officials and Saudis close to the royal family, said Mohammed bin Nayef has been “barred from leaving the kingdom and confined to his palace” in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.