Saad, a dual US-Saudi citizen and father, was freed on 11/19/2025 thanks to the efforts of President Trump. Upon his release, he expressed thanks to those that worked for his return, including the Foley Foundation.
Saad was retired and living in Florida, when he traveled to Saudi Arabia to see family in 2021. While in the Kingdom, he was arrested and detained over 14 tweets he posted on social media that the Saud family judged to be critical of them and their rule. Saad was falsely charged with trying to destabilize the kingdom and supporting terrorism. He was wrongfully detained until 2023, when he was released from prison, but he was still on an exit ban, unable to leave Saudi Arabia and return home to the United States and his family. Additionally, security and government officials in Saudi Arabia continued to harass him, bringing him in for questions and pressuring him to renounce his US citizenship.
