Saudi Heritage Site Head Arrested on Corruption Allegations

Amr bin Saleh Abdulrahman AlMadani, the chief executive of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) in Saudi Arabia, has been arrested on charges of corruption, the kingdom’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) announced late on Sunday. AlMadani is accused of abusing his authority and money laundering before his tenure in the public sector.

The allegations against AlMadani include illegally securing contracts for a company he co-owns from a government research entity through a relative. This relative, along with two others, has also been charged. Additionally, AlMadani is alleged to have recommended his company to the commission, resulting in contracts totaling 1.3 million riyals (around $350,000).

AlUla, the site of an ancient civilization located in a remote northwestern corner of Saudi Arabia, is a significant part of the country’s efforts to boost foreign tourism. The region is renowned for the Madain Saleh tombs, a 2,000-year-old city carved into rocks by the Nabateans, the pre-Islamic Arab people who also constructed Petra in neighboring Jordan.

AlMadani has served as CEO of the commission since 2017. As of Monday, Abeer AlAkel is listed as the acting CEO on the RCU’s website. AlMadani has not provided a comment on the statement from Nazaha, and it remains unclear if he has obtained legal representation.