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Alwaleed's Kingdom Gains Most Since 2014 After Prince Is Freed

Kingdom Holding surged 10% after its chairman, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, was released.

Alwaleed's Kingdom Gains Most Since 2014 After Prince Is Freed
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, Saudi billionaire and founder of Kingdom Holding Co. (Photographer: Mohammad Obaidi/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Kingdom Holding Co. surged after its chairman, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, was released from the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, which served as a prison for billionaires and princes since the nation started its anti-corruption campaign in November.

The shares gained 10 percent, the most since November 2014 and the maximum allowed in a day. The billionaire, who also owns stakes in Citigroup Inc. and Twitter Inc., returned home on Saturday after reaching a settlement with authorities, a senior government official said on condition of anonymity. He will remain at the helm of his company, the official said.

His departure from the hotel, along with other prominent Saudi businessmen, marks the end of the first phase of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s anti-corruption campaign. Hundreds of suspects were arrested or summoned for questioning, including some of the country’s richest men. The government expects to reap more than $100 billion from settlements with detainees in exchange for their freedom.

Alwaleed's Kingdom Gains Most Since 2014 After Prince Is Freed

The shares rose to 10.04 riyals in Riyadh on Sunday, but they’re still more than 2 percent below the level before the prince was arrested. The Tadawul All Share Index gained 0.2 percent at the close.

Clothing retailer Fawaz Abdulaziz Al Hokair & Co. also advanced after billionaire Fawaz Alhokair was also released from detention. The stock rose as much as 8.1 percent before paring its gain to 7 percent, the most since April.

--With assistance from Vivian Nereim

To contact the reporter on this story: Filipe Pacheco in Dubai at fpacheco4@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Celeste Perri at cperri@bloomberg.net, Dana El Baltaji, Shaji Mathew

©2018 Bloomberg L.P.