Name: Essam Al-Zamel
Field of Activism: Businessman, economist, and writer
Date of Arrest: September 12, 2017
Sentence: 15 years in prison
Current Place of Detention: Al-Ha’ir Prison, Riyadh
Charges Against Him:
- Undermining national security and inciting public opinion
- Criticizing the Saudi leadership’s policies, including the economic reforms of Vision 2030
- Opposing the Saudi Crown Prince’s plan to sell shares of Saudi Aramco
- Communicating with foreign diplomats and providing them with information about Saudi Arabia
- Belonging to a banned organization (allegedly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood)
- Participating in an online group that criticized government policies
Trial and Sentencing Timeline:
- September 12, 2017: Arrested at the airport upon his return from an economic conference in the U.S.
- October 6, 2020: Sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Specialized Criminal Court
- 2021: The ruling was upheld despite calls for his release
Violations:
- Arbitrary Arrest: Detained without a clear legal basis
- Solitary Confinement: Placed in solitary confinement and denied access to legal representation
- Unfair Trial: Denied legal representation and tried in a secretive process
- Travel Ban on Family: His family members were prohibited from leaving the country
Who is Essam Al-Zamel?
Essam Al-Zamel is a prominent Saudi economist, businessman, and influential writer. He gained recognition for his sharp economic analyses and critiques of Saudi policies, particularly the privatization of Saudi Aramco. Before his arrest, he was widely respected for his expertise in entrepreneurship and was awarded several honors, including the Prince Salman Award for Young Entrepreneurs (2009) and the State Alumni Award (2014).
Al-Zamel was arrested in September 2017 as part of a broader crackdown on intellectuals, activists, and critics of the Saudi government. His detention is widely regarded as politically motivated, as he was vocal about the risks of selling shares of Saudi Aramco. The Saudi authorities viewed his critiques as a threat to the state’s narrative on economic reforms.
After three years in detention without trial, Al-Zamel was sentenced to 15 years in prison in a case that lacked transparency and fairness. His continued imprisonment has been condemned by human rights organizations, which have called for his immediate and unconditional release.
Fake Reforms and Full Prisons
The continued detention of Essam Al-Zamel is a crime against freedom of expression and a glaring example of the Saudi regime’s double standards. While the government promotes fabricated achievements and claims to be embracing openness, intellectuals, economists, and activists remain behind bars simply for expressing their views.
The Saudi authorities have successfully convinced FIFA with deceptive reform files to secure the hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup, yet the reality inside the kingdom is far darker—where dissenting voices are imprisoned, and any serious discussion about the country’s future is silenced. The immediate and unconditional release of Essam Al-Zamel is a true test of the regime’s sincerity in its reform promises. Otherwise, these claims are nothing more than a façade hiding a deeply entrenched system of repression.