Links to Saudi royal family, plans to leave US: What filing against ex-OpenAI engineer who planted device revealed
Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former engineer at artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI, is accused of placing a "sophisticated recording device" in a conference room used by company executives. Federal prosecutors said in a court filing on Sunday, 18 October, that Alfozan had been in contact with a member of the Saudi royal family and planned to leave the United States for Riyadh when authorities arrested him.
Alfozan was arrested on 9 October. He is accused of using AI tools to develop encrypted recording devices and find meeting rooms used by OpenAI executives, government officials and business partners, according to CBS News.
What did the court filing reveal?
In an 11-page court filing, prosecutors said investigators found evidence suggesting that Alfozan may have planned to place more devices in the AI company's offices. The filing also revealed WhatsApp messages between him and an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family. The royal family member repeatedly urged him to return to Saudi Arabia and take part in an AI project there.
Prosecutors also alleged that Alfozan, the former OpenAI engineer, had frequent WhatsApp conversations with a member of the Saudi royal family between 2025 and 2026, including as recently as 5 October 2026. The royal family member reportedly told Alfozan, "Saudi needs you more than [sic] the US!" while trying to recruit him. Alfozan agreed but said he would not leave until his company stock had vested, meaning he had earned the right to keep it.
Alfozan was arrested on 9 October, three days before he was due to leave the United States with his wife and infant son on a one-way flight to Riyadh. The filing also revealed that his wife and three-month-old son left the country on 10 October using business-class tickets bought by a Saudi military official. Before his arrest, Alfozan was due to begin two months of parental leave in October.
According to a Bloomberg report, Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse rejected Alfozan's request for bail. Prosecutors argued that his alleged ties to the Saudi royal family and his recent dismissal from the AI company meant he was a serious risk to flee before his trial.
In court filings, the US government argued that Alfozan posed a "danger to the national security of the United States" because of the nature of the allegations against him and his connections to the Saudi government.
What is the case against Abdulrahman Alfozan?
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Alfozan, who holds a US green card, was arrested earlier this month after OpenAI staff found a recording device hidden behind a television in an executive conference room. Investigators alleged that on 28 September, he placed a "surreptitious audio recording device into a USB port on the back of a television in an executive OpenAI conference room, where the device remained for at least multiple days."
According to the DOJ, Alfozan did not have permission to enter the executive conference room where investigators found the device. Security camera footage also showed him near the room several times before the recording device was discovered. He reportedly entered the room on 5 October to take it back.
Alfozan has been a permanent resident of the United States since 2020 and was expected to become a naturalised citizen soon. He will remain in custody and return to court next month.