Saudi Heir Faces Backlash After Private-Jet Video Lecturing Citizens Over Welfare Cuts
Yazeed Al Rajhi’s remarks aboard a private jet, amid recent social-welfare reforms, spark public uproar in Saudi Arabia
A video of Saudi rally-driver and business heir Yazeed Al Rajhi aboard a private jet, urging citizens to support government welfare decisions—even unpopular ones—has ignited sharp public criticism.
The message follows recent policy moves by his cousin, Social-Development Minister Ahmad Al Rajhi, to suspend parts of the nation’s social security programmes for the elderly, disabled and widows.
In the ten-minute clip shared on social media this week, Al Rajhi says citizens should “accept the decisions or mistakes made by officials as they are working to serve the nation and your wellbeing.” He delivered the remarks from within his private jet, a setting many commentators described as tone-deaf at a time of rising living costs and concerns over social safety nets.
The backlash was swift and broad.
Social-media users in Saudi Arabia called for a boycott of Al Rajhi’s café chain and other business interests, arguing the video exposed a growing disconnect between the wealthy elite and ordinary citizens.
Observers also noted the moment raises questions about how luxury, privilege and reform talk intersect in a country seeking to modernise and diversify under its Vision 2030 strategic framework.
Al Rajhi’s father, the late Sulaiman Al Rajhi, earned widespread acclaim for his philanthropy, donating much of his fortune to charity and earning a reputation for social stewardship.
The younger Al Rajhi’s remarks, however, appear to have shifted the focus of public attention.
Analysts suggest the controversy highlights how expectations of accountability and privilege are evolving in Saudi Arabia as the kingdom opens further to global scrutiny and seeks to project a modern international image.
Beyond the immediate optics, some commentators say the episode underscores a broader challenge: luxury lifestyles, including private-jet travel, increasingly draw scrutiny for their environmental footprint.
Studies by international groups such as Oxfam show that the world’s wealthiest individuals are responsible for disproportionately high carbon emissions—private jets can emit up to fourteen times more carbon per passenger than commercial flights.
Al Rajhi has not issued a public apology or statement responding to the backlash.
With public opinion circulating and social-media pressure mounting, the episode remains a test case for how Saudi Arabia’s business elites will align their public-personas with the nation’s evolving social-and-economic narrative under modernisation plans.
The message follows recent policy moves by his cousin, Social-Development Minister Ahmad Al Rajhi, to suspend parts of the nation’s social security programmes for the elderly, disabled and widows.
In the ten-minute clip shared on social media this week, Al Rajhi says citizens should “accept the decisions or mistakes made by officials as they are working to serve the nation and your wellbeing.” He delivered the remarks from within his private jet, a setting many commentators described as tone-deaf at a time of rising living costs and concerns over social safety nets.
The backlash was swift and broad.
Social-media users in Saudi Arabia called for a boycott of Al Rajhi’s café chain and other business interests, arguing the video exposed a growing disconnect between the wealthy elite and ordinary citizens.
Observers also noted the moment raises questions about how luxury, privilege and reform talk intersect in a country seeking to modernise and diversify under its Vision 2030 strategic framework.
Al Rajhi’s father, the late Sulaiman Al Rajhi, earned widespread acclaim for his philanthropy, donating much of his fortune to charity and earning a reputation for social stewardship.
The younger Al Rajhi’s remarks, however, appear to have shifted the focus of public attention.
Analysts suggest the controversy highlights how expectations of accountability and privilege are evolving in Saudi Arabia as the kingdom opens further to global scrutiny and seeks to project a modern international image.
Beyond the immediate optics, some commentators say the episode underscores a broader challenge: luxury lifestyles, including private-jet travel, increasingly draw scrutiny for their environmental footprint.
Studies by international groups such as Oxfam show that the world’s wealthiest individuals are responsible for disproportionately high carbon emissions—private jets can emit up to fourteen times more carbon per passenger than commercial flights.
Al Rajhi has not issued a public apology or statement responding to the backlash.
With public opinion circulating and social-media pressure mounting, the episode remains a test case for how Saudi Arabia’s business elites will align their public-personas with the nation’s evolving social-and-economic narrative under modernisation plans.
