Shocking revelation of a retired Saudi officer

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In a country with vast oil wealth and lavish royalty, an estimated quarter of Saudis live below the poverty line. 

In a shocking report, a retired Saudi officer has complained of poverty and suffering in Saudi Arabia, announcing his intention to hand over custody of his children to someone else.

According to the report,a retired Saudi citizen who served as the Saudi border guard for about 20 years complained of poverty in the country, which is the richest Arab country.

The unnamed Saudi sent a letter to King Salman bin Abdulaziz, King of Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials.

"The state hides the poor very well," said Rosie Bsheer, a Saudi scholar who has written extensively on development and poverty. "The elite don't see the suffering of the poor. People are hungry."

The Saudi government discloses little official data about its poorest citizens. But press reports and private estimates suggest that between 2 million and 4 million of the country's native Saudis live on less than about $530 a month – about $17 a day – considered the poverty line in Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom has a two-tier economy made up of about 16 million Saudis, with most of the rest foreign workers. The poverty rate among Saudis continues to rise as youth unemployment skyrockets. More than two-thirds of Saudis are under 30, and nearly three-quarters of all unemployed Saudis are in their 20s, according to government statistics.

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