11 Facts About Walid Fitaihi

Walid Fitaihi was born on 24 September 1964 and is a Saudi-American physician and a motivational speaker on Saudi television.

Walid Fitaihi was later moved to al-Hair prison, south of the capital, and released only in August 2019.

Walid Fitaihi was born on 24 September 1964 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Walid Fitaihi took his undergraduate and medical degrees from George Washington University and a master's in public health from Harvard University.

Walid Fitaihi's family decided to build a private hospital in Jeddah in 2006.

Walid Fitaihi returned to Saudi Arabia that same year to help his family set up the hospital, named International Medical Center, of which he later became CEO.

Walid Fitaihi was a popular Saudi reformist and TV presenter, best known for the television show Mahyay, which was about conversations around keeping the mind, body and soul healthy.

Walid Fitaihi attracted nearly two million followers on his social media.

Qatari news broadcaster Al Jazeera reported Walid Fitaihi had told a friend that he was "blindfolded, stripped of his underwear and bound to a chair".

Walid Fitaihi was transferred to the al-Hair prison for longer-term incarceration.

Walid Fitaihi's family tried to use public pressure on the Saudi government and US President Trump to secure his release from prison.