© Faisal Al Nasser / Reuters
A helicopter, with a group of Saudi officials on an inspection trip, crashed in the Asir Region in the country's southwest, reports said.
The prince was serving as deputy governor of the southern province of Asir. He was a son of Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who briefly was Saudi Arabia's crown prince from January to April 2015.
A search for the wreckage of the aircraft is under way at the site of the crash, SaudiNews50 reported, posting a video of the ongoing recovery efforts.
Asir Region is located in the southwest of the country, bordering Yemen. The area has seen a number of cross-border retaliatory attacks from Yemen in recent months, reportedly leading to casualties among Saudi troops.
Saudi Arabia has been embroiled in the Yemeni conflict since March 2015 on behalf of ousted Yemeni President Mansour Hadi and against the Shi'ite Houthi rebels.
Comment: With the crown prince initiating a massive corruption purge, as well as an attempt to reign in religious extremism, it's clear that Saudi Arabia is in for a major shake-up. With all the turmoil, one is inclined to wonder if this crash is in some way connected. As George Galloway puts it:
For more on the struggle within the kingdom, check out: