According to media reports, Saudi Arabian authorities detained eleven princes from royal House who protested against austerity measures at ir expense. The internet site SABQ, which is close to government, reported that princes, whose names were not named, would have kept mselves in a royal palace of capital Riad, in future, to pay for ir own water and electricity bills.

The princes also demanded a "financial compensation" after sentencing of one of ir cousins to a punishment that was not mentioned as much as offense. After ir refusal to leave palace, princes were, according to information, brought into a high-security prison in Riyadh. The process is to be made later.

Last November, more than 200 princes, politicians and businessmen were arrested under suspicion of corruption. Most were brought to five-star hotel Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh. Among "detainees" were Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal and or super wealthy business people.

They are accused of having facilitated vast desert state for decades by a total of 100 billion dollars (83 billion euros). Observers see action as an attempt by ambitious heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to turn off rivals and to concentrate power in his hands.

King Salman had announced an increase in social security benefits for his subtypes in a decree issued on Friday evening. The aim is to mitigate impact of or measures, such as introduction of VAT.

According to decree, military and civil servants receive a grant of 222 euros. Scholarships for students are increased by ten percent. In addition, soldiers on border with Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition with support of United States, receive a premium of 1,108 euros. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that unemployment rate among Saudi Arabs aged 15 to 25 years was 36.2 percent last year.

Date Of Update: 07 January 2018, 12:03