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Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow US citizen Saad Almadi to come back to Florida, well before 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, seventy-five, was sentenced to 19 years of incarceration in the kingdom in 2021 after he wrote 14 tweets opposing the Riyadh government. After 24 months, the charges were reduced to termed "cyber crimes" and he was sentenced to a 30-year ban on leaving Saudi Arabia.

"Our family is overjoyed 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 touting US-Saudi ties, including weapons deals and financial agreements.

Diplomatic 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 national security council, as well as everyone at the state department," it added.

The statement 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 backing the elder Almadi's cause. He subsequently shared on social media that his father was on his way to the US.

Wider Implications

Almadi is one of a small number of American people with dual nationality facing travel restrictions from Saudi Arabia following a clampdown on online dissent. His son has previously claimed that Almadi was coerced to sign papers giving up his US citizenship.

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

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

Khashoggi Case

US intelligence reports published by the Biden administration later concluded that the crown prince had authorized of a plan to "capture or kill" Khashoggi.

Questioned regarding the killing, Trump said the crown prince "knew nothing" of Khashoggi's killing. The Saudi crown prince has maintained his innocence. He said at the White House that Saudi Arabia "took appropriate measures" to investigate Khashoggi's death, which he called "distressing" and a "major error".

International Efforts

US pressure to free Almadi and allow him to return to the US has been building since Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia in May. Many urged Trump's assertion that he is particularly effective in repatriating US citizens detained overseas.

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

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