Less Than 20 Saudi Princes Infected with Coronavirus

By Staff, Agencies

Less than 20 Saudi princes contracted the novel coronavirus, the former Saudi intelligence chief, Turki Al-Faisal, announced Thursday.

Al-Faisal comments came in an article entitled “Coronavirus thoughts” in response to a recent report by the New York Times about infected Saudi royals.

On 8 April, the American newspaper said that the governor of Riyadh was “in intensive care with the coronavirus,” adding that other members of the royal family were “sick”.

“As many as 150 royals in the kingdom are now believed to have contracted the virus, including members of its lesser branches,” the newspaper reported, quoting a source close to the royal family. But Al-Faisal described the allegations as “libel”.

Responding to the newspaper’s claims that the Saudi elite hospital – which treats royals – was “preparing as many as 500 beds for an expected influx of other family members,” al-Faisal stressed that the hospital was “not designated for royals’ treatment only,” claiming that it was open for “all citizens”.