Saudi authorities have arrested 11 princes for protesting against the suspension of state subsidies to pay the electricity and water bills of members of the royal family, a rare example of open dissent over recent austerity measures.
The attorney-general said in a statement that the group of princes had staged a sit-in at a palace in the capital last week, refusing to leave the area after being told that their demands were not lawful.
The princely dissent reflects broader antipathy towards the government’s attempts to raise revenue this year, including introducing a 5 per cent sales tax, doubling petrol prices and imposing increases to utility tariffs. After the measures were implemented over the new year, Saudis took to social media to complain about the rising cost of living at a time of economic stagnation.