Saudi Arabia's ruler King Salman bin Abulaziz has imposed a ban on another royal family member, Prince Mamdouh bin Abdul Rahman, from participating in any sporting event or speaking to the media.
The royal decree came on Sunday after Prince Mamdouh allegedly made a racist comment against a sports journalist during a television talk show, according to Arab News.
It is not clear what the controversial comment was, but the Arab media reported that the Prince "rebuked" sports writer Adnan Jestiniya.
The fact that King Salman acted against a royal family member has drawn cheer from Saudis.
The 79-year-old King took over as the monarch of the oil-rich kingdom in January this year after the demise of King Abdullah, his half-brother.
King Salman, who is also the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, had reportedly said earlier that "nobody is above the law and there will be no discrimination between citizens and regions".
Saudi netizens praised the royal ban through blogs and social media posts.
"We are now in the era of King Salman. Those who make racist statements should be very careful. It will not be tolerated," one blogger said, according to Arab News.
A royal decree to suspend @AlNassrSaudiFCe honorary member Prince Mamdouh over racist remarks made on live TV. #ايقاف_ممدوح_بن_عبدالرحمن
— Ahdaaf (@ahdaafme) April 26, 2015
