What's going on in Saudi Arabia? 11 Princes Arrested

The anticorruption structure established by the crown prince in Saudi Arabia has arrested 11 princes, four ministers in office and over 10 former ministers.

Local media reports that the arrests occurred hours after the establishment of anticorruption structure through a royal decree. The structure is directed by the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

The names of those arrested are not disclosed, but unofficially state that there are names among them that are known in Europe as powerful investors.

BBC correspondent Frank Gardner says this movement reinforces the growing power of Prince Mohammed, who is Partisan of a deep reform of the country's management system and society.

Officially, not charges weighing on those arrested become known, but local television, “Al-Arabiya” says investigative reports of floods in Jeddah have been re-opened in 2009 and the Mers virus epidemic, which hit the country in 2012. Both cases are suspected of having been abused by funds and the situation has been mismanaged.

In another move, outside of the wave of arrests but connected to international media, a series of leading National Guard and Marine Navy soldiers were fired and replaced, without giving any official explanation.

Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, son of King Abdullah, who passed away in 2015, was minister of the National Guard, a powerful military force in the country, and until his dismissal was widely viewed as heir to the throne.

With this movement, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who heads the Ministry of Defence, has taken control of all the country's security forces.

As for his idea to reform the country, Mohammed recently stated that the return of the moderate “islam” was the essence of his idea to change the country.