Saudi Arabia said Thursday 201 people are being held for questioning in a massive anti-graft swoop on the elite, with at least $100 billion estimated to have been lost through corruption and embezzlement over several decades.

"A total of 208 individuals have been called in for questioning so far. Of those 208 individuals, seven have been released without charge. The potential scale of corrupt practices which have been uncovered is very large," the information ministry said in a statement.