Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal faces backlash for 'promising Bentleys to fighter pilots bombing Yemen'
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Version 0 of 1. A Saudi Prince has come under fire on social media after reportedly promising luxury Bentley cars to fighter pilots involved in bombing strikes in Yemen. Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal apparently made the offer in a tweet after the Kingdom announced the end to the first stage of a bombing campaign targeting Houthi rebels, the BBC reports. The Prince, who has three million followers on Twitter, reportedly wrote: "In appreciation of their role in this operation, I'm honoured to offer 100 Bentley cars to the 100 Saudi [fighter] pilots". #Saudi pilots joined #Yemen strikes to be rewarded with #Bentley cars, accrd to now-deleted #Tweet by @Alwaleed_Talal pic.twitter.com/KWyJXC6Hvy Some in the ultra-conservative Kingdom praised Prince Al-Waleed’s generosity, but many outside of Saudi Arabia responded furiously. One man in Yemen posted pictures of his destroyed house, with the caption: “Glad I'm alive. But whose paying for all this mess? I get blown up, pilots get the Bentley's. Unfair world.” Glad I'm alive.But whose paying for all this mess? I get blown up, pilots get the Bentley's. Unfair world:) #WarLife pic.twitter.com/W9JX2e0pcm #Yemen which does not have food, water, medicines, fuel or electricity was not offered even one ambulance by Prince Talal bin Al Waleed. The offer also invoked fury from others across the world, with many asking when he would invest money in rebuilding parts of Yemen devastated by strikes. Prince @Alwaleed_Talal deleted his Tweet pledging 100 Bentleys to #Saudi pilots. Maybe he realized better optic would be more aid to #Yemen! @Alwaleed_Talal Muslim children died at the hands of your pilots and you reward them with Bentleys. You should be ashamed of yourself. Prince @Alwaleed_Talal pledges 100 Bentleys to brave Saudi bombers. No word yet on gifts 4 #Yemens brave bomb victims pic.twitter.com/unv5ioT0RU The tweet has since been deleted, although screenshots are still being circulated on Twitter. Some Saudi Arabian reports suggested the Prince’s account had been hacked. This has not been officially confirmed. The Prince is known for his lavish lifestyle and reportedly has a fleet of private jets, over 200 cars including Lamborghinis and Ferraris, and lives in extravagant palaces. |