Saudi heir’s private jet rant on welfare cuts sparks outrage
A luxury private jet is no place to lecture on welfare cuts. Yazeed Al Rajhi – rally driver, coffee chain owner and, above all, scion of one of Saudi Arabia’s richest families – found out the hard way this week. His 10-minute speech sparked outrage for telling Saudis they must “accept decisions or mistakes made by officials as they strive to serve the nation and your well-being.”
His comments come after his cousin, Human Resources Minister Ahmad Al Rajhi, suspended part of the social security program (largely aimed at the elderly, the disabled and widows).
Yazeed’s father, the late Sulaiman Al Rajhi, was worth an estimated $2.1 billion in 2015 after donating most of his fortune to charity. This goodwill, which carried considerable weight in Saudi society, has not tempered the public reaction to the son’s comments: Saudis are calling for a boycott of Rajhi’s Half Million coffee chain – Saudi Arabia’s most popular – and his other businesses.
