Saudi authorities arrested British national Ahmed al-Doush, a senior business analyst with Bank of America, as he was departing back home on 31 August 2024 at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. He was returning to the UK, where he resides, after visiting Saudi Arabia with his wife and children. He was held incommunicado and reportedly in solitary confinement for 33 days after his arrest and was denied UK consular assistance and access to legal representation for over two months. He told his family that he has been informed that the charges against him are in relation to a deleted social media post and his alleged association with a Saudi critic in exile, with whom he has no relationship beyond knowing his son. The information available indicates that there has now been a trial session, despite underlying evidence to the charges still being unclear, with the judge indicating that a judgment would be issued soon. More than six months after his arrest, he remains arbitrarily detained. Saudi authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Ahmed al-Doush and allow him to return to the United Kingdom.
