OpenAI bugging suspect communicated with Saudi royal, prosecutors say

US prosecutors say Abdulrahman Alfozan, the former OpenAI engineer charged in the alleged bugging of an executive conference room, frequently communicated with a member of Saudi Arabia's royal family during 2025 and 2026, according to CNBC. The most recent contact occurred on October 5, four days before Alfozan's arrest.

The unidentified royal repeatedly tried to recruit Alfozan for an AI initiative in Saudi Arabia and asked when he planned to leave OpenAI, prosecutors said in a court filing. The filing does not allege that the royal directed Alfozan to install a recording device or steal information.

Prosecutors asked a federal judge to detain Alfozan without bail, arguing that he poses a flight risk and that his conduct could endanger US national security. They said government officials met with OpenAI executives in the affected room around the time the device was allegedly installed on September 28.

Alfozan faces up to five years in prison if convicted of attempting to intercept oral communications. His lawyer requested home detention, GPS monitoring and a bond, arguing that prosecutors have not shown he is a serious flight risk.