It’s a thing:
Gone: More cases emerge of Saudi students vanishing while facing Oregon charges
Question for people experienced in Saudi Arabia:
I have never been to Saudi Arabia. I have been to many other closed, totalitarian, ideological countries though. The constant is that they view citizens as property of the state, and all aspects of their lives are controlled by the state.
I am wondering - in Saudi, are citizens free to travel? If Saudi (men) go abroad, how much state input and connections are required to get a passport? Obtain an American visa? Obtain US $ needed to live abroad? Return at will?
Taking North Korea as an extreme example - you can assume a DPRK person traveling abroad is an agent of the state, and an employee of their spy services. You can’t travel otherwise.
How close to this is a Saudi citizen traveling abroad?