SAUDI ARABIA ROCKED

Riyadh : Saudi Arabia has arrested dozens of senior figures, including princes, ministers and top business tycoon, with authorities on Sunday-

Pledging ''fair'' justice after a sweeping purge seen as consolidating the crown prince's hold on complete power.

Prominent Global Billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal was among the princes arrested late Saturday, a government source disclosed, immediately after a new-

Anti-corruption headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was established by royal decree.

Separately, the head of the Saudi National Guard, once a leading contender to the throne as well as the Navy chief and the economy minister were replaced in a series of-

High-profile sackings that sent shock wave throughout the Kingdom.

The dramatic shake-up comes at times of unprecedented social and economic transformation in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia, as Prince Mohammed steps up his reform drive for a post-oil and modern era.

Saudi-owned AI Arabiya television reported that 11 princes, four current ministers and dozens of ex-ministers were arrested as the commission launched a probe into old cases such as-

Floods that devastated the Red Sea City of Jeddah in 2009.

The government officials gave AFP a list of 14 of the most high-profile names including Prince AI-Waleed.

''The suspects are being granted the same rights and treatment as the any other Saudi citizen,'' attorney general Sheikh Saud AL Mojeb said in a statement, adding that a number of investigations had been initiated.