The conglomerate, owned by the family of Osama bin Laden, was swiftly hit with sanctions from the Saudi government, and experts say that’s shocking as the firm has been known for really tight connections within the kingdom’s elite since its founding back in 1931.
The German-made crane involved in the #Mecca #cranecollapse is operated by the #saudi Binladen Group..
— Eddie Gerald (@geo_pix) September 12, 2015
The crane collapse that killed 108 and injured some 400 “embarrassed” the authorities and King Salman, analysts say, according to Agence France Presse. AFP cites an unnamed Western diplomat, who expressed surprise by the actions against the company, taken almost immediately after the incident.
“Ordinarily things move pretty slowly here,” the diplomat told AFP.
#Saudi Royal Court: Saudi Bin Laden Group shall lose its current rating & will be barred from any future projects. https://t.co/F1sLwZPYGn
— عادل بن عارف (@abumiftah) September 15, 2015
Preliminary findings suggest the crane was wrongly positioned, which caused its fall in strong winds.
Reasons for the unexpectedly sharp action taken against the company remain unclarified. However, some experts have suggested the move stems from competing business interests.
Still wondering about the coincidence of 9/11 & crane from Bin Laden construction group in Mecca disaster. pic.twitter.com/F2Q6RTOp69
— Aliya (@Aliya_Shoaib) September 12, 2015
For years, the Saudi Binladin Group has been the primary contractor for building and refurbishing the kingdom’s highways, major mosques and royal properties. It is now building what will be the world’s tallest building, the kilometer-high Kingdom Tower in Jeddah.
The western diplomat told AFP that, should the probe into the incident wrap up quickly without major action against Saudi Binladen, that would suggest the government wanted to be seen as “decisive” following the crane collapse.
The private firm has about 35,000 employees.
