Since Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside his nation’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman (MBS) has been trying by all possible means to elevate Saud Al-Qahtani, his first man and adviser and the head of the Khashoggi murder gang, who has been implicated in serious crimes and human rights violations, back to prominence.
Man of difficult tasks
As he never lets a political crime or human rights violation happen at the state level without being complicit, Saud Al-Qahtani is referred to by many Saudis as a man of difficult tasks.
Reports on violations of human rights and prisoners’ testimonies indicate that Saud Al-Qahtani was the one in charge of personally overseeing the abuse and questioning of prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia. He even harassed female prisoners
Saud Al-Qahtani was also involved in the tight siege that Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates imposed on the State of Qatar. In the early days of the siege, he made threats to invade Qatar and overturn its regime.
After a few days, his big scandal came to light: he had overseen the murder and mutilation of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in MBS’s orders, a crime that forced him to disappear from the scene.
Even after a Saudi court cleared Saud Al-Qahtani of all charges of overseeing and taking part in Jamal Khashoggi’s murder in late 2019, a decision that human rights advocates viewed as politically motivated, the man dared not show up in Saudi Arabian politics or the media. Furthermore, he was not given any administrative or political assignments, even after the Saudi court cleared him, as he remains an international defendant in the Khashoggi murder case, and the Saudi Crown Prince and his allies are aware that the court’s decision to clear Al-Qahtani is completely unreliable and unworthy. For this reason, MBS is attempting to avoid working with him for fear of damaging his reputation, which he spends billions of dollars trying to restore through Al-Qahtani.
Al-Qahtani’s first appearance
In June 2023, Saud Al-Qahtani made his first appearance when state-run social media accounts shared a video of his visit to his uncle at his home. He was cheered on as if he were a national hero.
The video was an attempt to recycle Al-Qahtani and export him to the forefront again. But he quickly turned this into a new opportunity to speak about his crimes and abuses, led by the Khashoggi murder, which led to his rapid disappearance again.
Al-Qahtani’s second appearance
At the beginning of 2024, state-run social media accounts started praising Saud Al-Qahtani. One such account is named “Columbus,” which some users claim to be Al-Qahtani’s personal account where he writes and edits his own posts.
Saud Al-Qahtani made an appearance alongside Abdul Aziz Al-Rayes, the preacher, who stated that the ruler could commit adultery and consume alcohol on live television for thirty minutes without anyone objecting. This was perceived by some as an attempt to bring Al-Qahtani back to the political and security scene.
Does it work?
Politicians, human rights advocates, and experts agree that MBS’s attempts to gently and amicably reintroduce Al-Qahtani to the public will fail because everyone is aware of the truth about Al-Qahtani’s involvement in Khashoggi’s murder, torture, and other crimes, and because those attempting to replicate and present him are members of MBS’s inner circle, who are notorious for their dubious backgrounds, morals, and unethical behavior. Additionally, unlike his Crown Prince Bin Salman, Al-Qahtani lacks the immunity that could save him and is still wanted on a global scale by Turkey and the United States. Will Al-Qahtani be able to make another appearance?
