Former Saudi official alleges crown prince forged king’s signature on Yemen war decree

Saudi Arabia did not comment on Saad al-Jabri’s claims Mohammed bin Salman forged signature on decree that launched war against Houthis

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photo: AP

Published: 5:27am, 20 Aug 2024Updated: 5:36am, 20 Aug 2024

A former Saudi official on Monday alleged that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman forged his father’s signature on the royal decree that launched the kingdom’s years-long, stalemated war against Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Saudi Arabia did not respond to questions over the allegations made without supporting evidence by Saad al-Jabri in a BBC interview first published on Monday. Al-Jabri later acknowledged the allegations separately in detail in a statement to Associated Press.

The kingdom has described al-Jabri as “a discredited former government official”. Al-Jabri, a former major general and intelligence official who lives in exile in Canada, has been in a long dispute with the kingdom as his two children have been imprisoned in a case he describes as an attempt to lure him back to Saudi Arabia. Al-Jabri also alleges that the crown prince wants him assassinated.

“I am not a dissident, nor did I put myself in this situation by choice,” al-Jabri said.

“I was a high-ranking Saudi official who dedicated himself to safeguarding his country, recognised for saving thousands of Saudi and Western lives. Now I am a father doing everything possible to secure the release of his children.”

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman fist bumps US President Joe Biden in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in July 2022. Photo: Bandar Algaloud / Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via Reuters

His allegation comes as Prince Mohammed serves as Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, often meeting leaders in place of his father, 88-year-old King Salman.