Saudi King Salman and crown prince meet Khashoggi family members

The Saudi king and his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received family members of murdered Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi in Riyadh on Tuesday, state news agency SPA reported.

The royals greeted two of the journalist's sons, Salah and Sahel, at the Yamama Palace in Riyadh. A friend of the Khashoggis' has told The Associated Press that Salah is under a travel ban. The individual spoke to the A.P. on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisal.

The visit, which was filmed and photographed, came as Saudi Arabia sought to contain a firestorm of criticism over its handling of Khashoggi's disappearance after he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

• Add to Google

Turkey's president says Khashoggi was victim of 'political murder'

01:42

After vehemently denying any official involvement in the incident, the kingdom said on Friday that Khashoggi had died in a "rogue operation" during a fight in the consulate. This followed allegations by Turkish authorities who said they had audio recordings proving that Khashoggi had been killed and dismembered inside the building. Other regional diplomats have told NBC News that they believe his remains were removed from the consulate in boxes.

Khashoggi, a former regime insider who last year went into self-imposed exile, was a prominent critic of the crown prince and his crackdown on dissent.

Earlier, the Saudi cabinet promised to hold to account those who were responsible for Khashoggi's death and those who "failed in their duties" in a case that has strained ties between Riyadh and the West.

The absolute monarchy is a longtime U.S. ally and considered a bulwark against Iran, but the crisis over Khashoggi's death has helped crystallize growing unease about the 33-year-old crown prince, the country's de facto ruler.

Related

news

newsKhashoggi met crown prince's brother in D.C. months before killing

Earlier Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said evidence showed Khashoggi's killing was "brutal" and "premeditated," contradicting Saudi Arabia's most recent version of events.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between killed New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Erdogan’s address coincided with the opening of the Future Investment Initiative, a glittering gathering under the auspices of the crown prince that is aimed at showcasing oil-rich Saudi Arabia as a moderate high-tech mecca. In recent days, a slew of businesses leaders and media companies announced that they were pulling out of the Riyadh meeting, dubbed “Davos in the Desert.”

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between killed New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Bin Salman received a standing ovation when he made an unannounced stop at the conference, and appeared at an afternoon panel next to King Abdullah II of Jordan, but made no public remarks.

The A.P. also reported that Turkish officials said Erdogan called another of Khashoggi’s sons, Abdullah, to express his condolences on Tuesday, and also spoke with other members of his family.