Saudi Engineer Arrested in U.S. on Espionage Charges
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, based on data published by the Mehr News Agency citing Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has apprehended a Saudi engineer working for OpenAI, the artificial intelligence leader, on charges of attempting to intercept confidential meetings through the placement of hidden recording devices in meeting rooms used by the company’s senior officials.
In this regard, the California Post reported that Abdulrahman Al-Fawzan, 35, a native of Saudi Arabia, has been in federal custody since Friday. The company discovered an audio recording device covertly connected to a USB port behind a television in one of the meeting rooms. The device was concealed within toilet paper.
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The newspaper indicated that this room appeared to be used for high-level management meetings regarding the company’s confidential plans, including proprietary research, technical capabilities, relationships with government entities, and other sensitive matters.
The U.S. Department of Justice stated that Al-Fawzan had been employed by the company in San Francisco since July 2025.
If convicted, the Saudi national faces a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release.
