Saudi National Arrested in U.S. for Espionage Allegedly Linked to Royal Family
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, U.S. judicial circles announced that Abdulrahman Al-Fauzan, a Saudi national arrested for espionage at an artificial intelligence company, had close ties with a member of the country’s ruling family. His family reportedly provided financial support for his travel expenses.
U.S. prosecutors are endeavoring to keep Al-Fauzan detained, citing concerns about his potential escape to Saudi Arabia. It was also reported that Al-Fauzan met with Mohammed bin Salman in 2016 during the latter’s session with Saudi youth.
Several days prior, the Federal Bureau of Investigation apprehended a Saudi engineer employed by OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence firm. The engineer is accused of attempting to eavesdrop on confidential meetings by planting covert recording devices in the meeting rooms of senior company officials.
In related reporting, the California Post newspaper stated that Abdulrahman Al-Fauzan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, has been in federal custody since Friday. The company discovered a voice recorder concealed and connected to a USB port behind a television in one of the meeting rooms. The device was reportedly wrapped in toilet paper to conceal it.
According to the newspaper, this room appears to have been utilized for high-level management discussions concerning the company’s confidential plans, including proprietary research, technical capabilities, relationships with governmental bodies, and other sensitive matters.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Al-Fauzan had been employed by the company in San Francisco since July 2025.
If convicted of the charges, the Saudi national faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release.
