Saudi Arabia says prince 'alive and well' after rumours of his death

Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd, son of the late King Fahd, was rumoured to have been killed while resisting arrest

Saudi Arabia's information ministry denied reports that Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd was killed resisting arrest this week. In this picture, he talks to reporters after offering his condolences to the faShow more

Saudi Arabia denied reports that a prince died while resisting arrest as part of an anti-corruption investigation.

"There is no truth whatsoever to rumours circulating in media concerning Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd," an information ministry spokesman said.

“Prince Abdulaziz is alive and well.”

The prince, son of the late King Fahd, was rumoured to have been killed while resisting arrest amid the crackdown launched by a new anti-corruption committee, headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Ali H Soufan, a former FBI agent, said in a tweet on Monday that the 44-year-old prince was “confirmed dead”. But on Wednesday, he tweeted again on the issue to say that the information ministry denied the reports.

The hashtag “death of Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd” has since featured on social media.

Dozens of high-profile people — including Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the kingdom's most prominent tycoons — were detained or sacked in the crackdown.
However, it is not clear whether Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd is one of the people caught up in the probe, that has led to the detention of 11 princes and dozens of current and former government officials.

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Read more: Senior Saudi figures accused of bribery and extortion

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The government has yet to officially disclose the names of the suspects.

Separately, Prince Mansour bin Moqren, was killed in a helicopter crash near the kingdom's southern border with Yemen on Sunday.

Prince Mansour, the deputy governor of Asir province and son of a former crown prince, was killed during a routine “inspection patrol of a number of coastal projects west of Abha city”, reported the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

It is not yet clear what caused the crash.

Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, conveyed the condolences of the UAE Government and its people to King Salman on Wednesday.