After completing his doctoral studies al-Jabri went, at the behest of then-Minister of Interior Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to work within the Ministry of Interior, where he taught at the King Fahd Security College. Over the following two decades al-Jabri became an ally and key adviser to Muhammad bin Nayef. He was a mainstay link between Saudi Arabia and western intelligence agencies, including the Five Eyes alliance, and was credited with helping bin Nayef transform and modernise the Saudi security services and their counter-terrorism methods. By 2003, al-Jabri was Chief of Staff to bin Nayef and following the Riyadh compound bombings their focus shifted to Al-Qaeda. Changes to counter-terrorism methods were introduced including rehabilitation programs and closer information sharing with western intelligence agencies. It is claimed the reforms were instrumental in the foiling of the 2010 transatlantic aircraft bomb plot. In July 2015, and with the agreement of then-Minister of Interior and Crown Prince bin Nayef, al-Jabri attended meetings with then-CIA Director John Brennan at CIA headquarters and British Foreign SecretaryPhilip Hammond in London. The following month he visited the White House to discuss the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. Despite briefing the royal court upon his return it is claimed that Mohammed bin Salman felt al-Jabri was "plotting" with bin Nayef against him. He was dismissed from his government roles on 10 September 2015.
Exile
After his dismissal from government, al-Jabri continued advising Mohammed bin Nayef in a personal capacity until he departed Saudi Arabia, 17 May 2017. He remained abroad following the ousting of Muhammad bin Nayef as Crown Prince the following month and later took refuge in Canada. Thomas Juneau, an associate professor at the University of Ottawa, stated that al-Jabri and other Saudis who had fled the kingdom were justifiably concerned about their safety. Bruce Riedel, a former CIA analyst and director of the Brookings Intelligence Project, explained why al-Jabri kept a low profile after arriving in Canada: "I think he's scared. Wouldn't you be?" On 16 March 2020 two of his children, Sarah and Omar, who were already barred from leaving the Kingdom, were detained by Saudi security officers. Their elder brother Khalid al-Jabri believes that they are to be used as bargaining chips to force their father to return to Saudi Arabia. Nether Sarah or Omar have been heard from since they were taken and their current whereabouts are unknown. The family have sought the assistance of the US authorities in their quest for information about the pair and Tim Rieser, a senior aide to Senator Patrick Leahy, confirmed that Leahy's office is pushing for both information about their location and their release. Rieser stated, "It seems that they’re being used as hostages to try and coerce their father to return to Saudi Arabia". In May 2020, al-Jabri's brother, Abdulrahman, was also detained. In June 2020, Lord Hylton, queried what steps the British government were taking over the arrests of al-Jabri's children and brother, he was duly advised that they are "monitoring this case closely" and are "concerned" about numerous detainees held by the Saudi government.
Allegations of corruption
In September 2017, Saudi authorities sought al-Jabri's arrest. According to Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail, an Interpol Red Notice was requested, whereas The New York Times, who claim to have viewed relevant Interpol documentation, a less formal 'diffusion' was filed. According to al-Jabri's son, Khalid, the request was viewed as "politically motivated". Al-Jabri successfully petitioned to have his name removed from the Interpol system in July 2018, with the Commission noting “the lack of due process and human rights guarantees” in previous corruption cases. Despite there being no extradition treaty between Canada and Saudi Arabia, Saudi authorities have twice requested that Canada extradite al-Jabri; in 2018 and again in 2019. According to the Wall Street Journal, Saudi officials have claimed that al-Jabri is wanted over missing funds which were allegedly "misused" during his time in the interior ministry. In response to the claims al-Jabri's son, Khalid, stated that the family welcome impartial "due process that doesn't include attempts to induce harm or extortion through child hostage-taking." Following the publication of the claims in the Wall Street Journal, al-Jabri was targeted by "pro-government" Twitter users, in response his son Khalid told Reuters that the campaign was a “deflection from the actual story: hostage taking of my brother and sister, unlawful persecution and false allegations”.
