Saudi Arabia’s counter-terrorism measures are violating human rights and the kingdom’s legislation is criminalising peaceful expression of opinion, assembly and association, as well as freedom of thought and religion, a report by theUN’s special rapporteur on anti-terrorism says.

Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor has begun investigating the wealth of princes, top officials and businessmen who were detained during the kingdom’s anti-corruption purge last year, Al Sharq Al Awsat reported on Sunday.

A man died and sixteen others needed medical treatment after being abused during the controversial Saudi corruption crackdown, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia is to establish specialised anti-corruption units to investigate embezzlement in the kingdom following the recent controversial crackdown that recouped more than US$1bn recouped from detained businessmen and politicians.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the King Abdullah Financial District sits (Photo: Wikimedia)The decision was a result of the King’s “concern over combating corruption in all its forms aiming to protect the homeland and its resources, maintain public money and protect the integrity of the public employment,” according to a Saudi Press Agency statement.

King Salman also announced that an anti-corruption conference will be held in April at which combating corruption in privatisation programs will be discussed, the Saudi government website reported.

Saudi Arabia is understood to be close to entering a recession after the country spent a third of its reserves in the last three years following a drop in oil prices. Therefore, the kingdom is seeking to diversify its economy and reduce its dependence on gas exports.

Companies operating or planning to invest in Saudi Arabia face a high risk of corruption, claims a report by GAN Integrity, an agency that identifies corruption in business.

Abuse of power, nepotism and the use of middlemen, wasta, to do business are common, it says, suggesting that business practices in Saudi Arabia need to fundamentally change if corruption is to be eradicated, particularly given the overlap between business and politics.

Saudi Arabia detained hundreds of powerful businessmen and royals for several months in an anti-corruption probe in November. The majority of those held were freed after giving up large parts of their wealth to the government.

Several dozen others, whose names have not been disclosed, remain in custody in a prison outside of the capital and may stand trial, although the allegations against them have not been made public.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, who spearheaded the kingdom’s controversial anti-corruption purge last November, compared the measure to chemotherapy since it was necessary to heal the country and help balance the budget, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

Attorney General Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb announced on Tuesday the end of a three-month corruption probe which yielded US$100 billion in recuperated capital and resulted in 56 royal family members being jailed, the Guardian reported.

Saudi Arabia is to seek the extradition of nationals abroad believed to have been involved in corruption, as the kingdom continues its unique anti-graft purge, Sabq reported on Thursday.

Saudi prince Miteb bin Abdullah, former contender for the throne, paid more than US$ 1 billion to buy his way out of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh where he was being held as a corruption suspect, the BBC said Wednesday.

Following a massive anti-corruption crackdown in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, the state is now offering freedom to the detained businessmen and politicians in exchange for a large portion of their wealth, in some cases 70 percent of it, the Middle East Monitor reported on Friday.

Saudi authorities detained on Friday 201 suspects and froze some 1,700 suspicious bank accounts as part of a $US 100 billion corruption investigation, the Associated Press reported.

The Saudi Arabia's new anti-corruption committee has ordered the arrest on Saturday of 11 princes and 38 others, including sitting and former ministers as well as business tycoons, in raids across the country's capital Riyadh.

A Pakistani court issued on Thursday an arrest warrant against ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after he failed to appear before judges over allegations of corruption that  was revealed in the Panama Papers. However, Sharif can avoid his arrest by paying a bail.

Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali has cleared Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak of corruption after concluding that a US$ 681 million transfer into Najib’s bank account in early 2013 was a gift from the Saudi royal family, according to the BBC.