US federal prosecutors allege the defendant was in frequent contact with an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family and that a Saudi military official paid for a one‑way plane ticket for the defendant’s wife and son to return to Saudi Arabia after his arrest.
An ex‑OpenAI engineer accused of installing a listening device in an executive conference room alleges significant Saudi governmental backing.
Federal prosecutors state that the defendant, Abdulrahman Alfozan, age 35, maintained regular contact with a senior member of the Saudi royal family and that a Saudi military officer financed a one‑way ticket for Alfozan’s wife and young son to return to Saudi Arabia following his arrest, according to a court filing released late Sunday.
Investigation Remains Active
U.S. authorities charged Alfozan last week with using an electronic device to intercept oral communications. He inserted a custom‑built recording unit into the rear of a television screen in an executive conference room at OpenAI’s San Francisco location, the criminal complaint details.
Meetings involving senior U.S. administrators were held in the same conference room shortly before the device was installed, according to prosecutors’ detention memorandum.
Prosecutors confirm that the investigation continues and further charges may be added.
A member of the Saudi royal family attempted to recruit Alfozan for an AI‑centric position in the Kingdom, sending a message stating, “Saudi needs you more than the U.S.” Alfozan replied “100.”
Prior to his arrest, Alfozan was slated to fly to Riyadh for a planned parental leave of two months. His spouse testified that she and their son intend to relocate permanently to Saudi Arabia, and that Alfozan likely would follow them.
A recent interview on the Identity Capital podcast revealed Alfozan frequently visiting Saudi Arabia, tracking developments there, and mentoring local startups.
During his tenure at Meta, Alfozan collaborated with fellow Saudis in Silicon Valley to launch a consultancy linking Saudi public and private sectors with expertise in big data, the Internet of Things, and machine learning.
OpenAI disclosed discovery of the recording device on September 30 and forwarded the case to the FBI.
Al Jazeera has contacted the Saudi embassy for commentary.
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