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The Kingdom has permitted US citizen Saad Almadi to return home to Florida, well before of the planned removal of travel bans and a day after the kingdom's leader and head of government met the former US president at the White House.

Judicial Proceedings Background

Almadi, 75, was sentenced to 19 years of imprisonment in the kingdom in 2021 after he posted 14 tweets critical of the Riyadh government. After 24 months, the charges were reduced to so-called "cyber crimes" and he was given a 30-year ban on departing from Saudi Arabia.

"Our family is overjoyed that, after four long years, our father, Saad Almadi, is at last on his way home to the United States!"

The declaration that Almadi, a dual citizen and former engineering professional who had lived in the US since the 1970s, would be free to leave the country came after the US president gave an address touting US-Saudi ties, including weapons deals and investment deals.

Political Recognition

"This day would not have been possible without President Donald Trump and the tireless efforts of his administration. We are extremely thankful to Dr Sebastian Gorka and the team at the national security council, as well as everyone at the state department," it added.

The declaration by Almadi's son, Ibrahim Almadi, also expressed gratitude to various charitable groups, including the James Foley Fund and Hostages America, and House speaker Mike Johnson for supporting the elder Almadi's cause. He subsequently shared on social media that his father was on his way to the US.

Wider Implications

Almadi is one of a small number of American dual citizens facing travel restrictions from Saudi Arabia following a crackdown on digital criticism. His son has previously claimed that Almadi was coerced to sign papers giving up his US citizenship.

The legal proceedings involving Almadi focused on social media posts in which he was alleged to have urged Saudi citizens to seek Lebanese citizenship and faulted the kingdom's defenses against Houthi rocket strikes.

More controversially, he expressed approval for the renaming of a street in the US capital after Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist and Washington Post columnist killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

Khashoggi Case

US intelligence reports published by the Biden administration later assessed that the crown prince had authorized of a plan to "capture or kill" Khashoggi.

Asked about the killing, Trump said the crown prince "knew nothing" of Khashoggi's killing. The Saudi crown prince has denied any wrongdoing. He said at the White House that Saudi Arabia "did all the right things" to investigate Khashoggi's death, which he called "painful" and a "major error".

International Efforts

US pressure to free Almadi and allow him to return to the US has been building since Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia in May. Many appealed to Trump's claim that he is uniquely successful in bringing back US citizens held overseas.

When asked by a reporter in May about the case, Trump said he didn't know about it but vowed to take a look. A few weeks later, one of his national security aides, Gorka, met the son at the White House.

"President Trump is the president of deals and he loves to do business with the Saudis and we will secure your father's release," Johnson said.