In July 2021, journalist Abdulhameed Al-Ghobain was released from prison in Saudi Arabia, where he served a year after being arrested for openly calling for peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel. 

Before his arrest, Al-Ghobain was an outspoken supporter of normalization with Israel and was the first Saudi to publish an opinion piece in an Israeli newspaper.

Following his arrest for incitement, Al-Ghobain's Saudi citizenship was revoked, and he was accused of spying for Israel. He was charged, but not convicted of attempting to obtain Saudi citizenship by deception, smuggling funds, supporting the U.K., and harming Palestinians.

Even now, despite his release, Al-Ghobain is prohibited from leaving the country, giving interviews, or opening accounts on social media. Sources have suggested that Al-Ghobain was released under pressure from U.S. President Biden.