A Saudi princess has been charged with human trafficking for allegedly holding a domestic worker against her will at an Orange County condominium, US prosecutors said.

District Attorney Tony Rackauckas identified Meshael Alayban, 42, as a Saudi princess who was charged with one count of human trafficking. If convicted, she faces up to 12 years in prison.

Charged: Meshael Alayban. Credit:AP

Alayban was arrested after a Kenyan woman carrying a suitcase flagged down a bus and told a passenger she believed she was a human trafficking victim.

The passenger helped her contact police, who searched the Irvine condo where Alayban and her family were staying, authorities said.