Which hotel did the King of Saudi Arabia stay at? The delegation of the King of Saudi Arabia gave cash to Moscow hotels. Leisure and business

The Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh returned to normal operating hours on Sunday. For 99 days, from the beginning of November, it served as a detention center for 381 high-ranking officials; princes, businessmen and officials were detained in the largest Saudi Arabia anti-corruption investigation.

The campaign, led by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, began unexpectedly. On November 4, an influential citizen was summoned to appear before King Salman at the Ritz-Carlton. But instead of the king, armed men met him there, took his mobile phone and escorted him to one of the hotel rooms. “They told me I would be staying there for a while,” he recalls.

The investigators who questioned him had extensive information, presenting large stacks of documents about his financial assets. During the “long, tedious” interrogations, they methodically reviewed them, but did not make any significant claims against the suspect. He was told that he was being detained as part of an anti-corruption investigation, but could be released if he entered into an agreement and paid for his violations, which he eventually did. According to him, some of the detainees tried to dispute the charges, but made concessions when their business partners were brought to the hotel and began to testify against them. “They didn’t expect this,” he says.

The anti-corruption campaign was greeted with enthusiasm in Saudi society. According to the government, agreements with detainees have been concluded for $106 billion, and several dozen people may face trial.

Interviews with detainees and their loved ones shed light on the actual conditions of detention. Some had their meals prepared by royal chefs, but were only allowed one telephone conversation per day. Others had to endure hours of interrogation, but for a certain price, all corruption charges were offered to be dropped.

The Saudi Arabian Finance Ministry has hired consulting firms in Europe and the Middle East to track the assets of wealthy Saudis such as billionaire Mohammad al-Amoudi and Prince Bandar bin Sultan. former ambassador in the United States, people familiar with the situation said. Al-Amoudi was held at the Ritz-Carlton in November and his current status is unknown, his spokesman said, adding that the businessman has not admitted wrongdoing. A spokesman for bin Sultan, who was not detained, did not respond to a request for comment.

Among the prisoners were Saudi Arabia's richest businessman, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal; Bakr bin Laden, head of the Saudi Binladin construction company; owner of the largest media company in the country, Waleed bin Ibrahim; several ministers.

$13 billion

- That's how much Saudi Arabia hopes to replenish its coffers by the end of the year thanks to payments to those detained as part of an anti-corruption campaign, the Financial Times reported, citing a senior Saudi official. This will be money, real estate and corporate assets. These funds will help the government limit the growth of the budget deficit, which is expected to reach $52 billion this year.

The Ritz-Carlton was built in 2011 and has more than 500 rooms, including 48 presidential suites, and a 24-hour service. medical care and olive trees that are about 600 years old. The hotel is located near the seat of the Saudi government.

Some prisoners say they were treated well. Thus, Al-Waleed bin Talal, in a video interview with Reuters, which was shown on television, said that in the kitchen in his room there are several special coffee pots for traditional Arabic coffee and the authorities allow him to adhere to his usual vegan diet. Near the entrance to the room there is a vase with tulips, and on the wall there is a large-screen TV. “I play sports, swim, walk. I eat as always. I feel at home,” said bin Talal (pictured below is the living room in his room).

/Reuters Staff

High-ranking prisoners were kept in so-called royal rooms, a hotel employee explained. Each of them has two bedrooms, a dining room, two living rooms, an office and a kitchen.

The Saudi Arabian Prosecutor General said at the end of January that most of the prisoners had already been released: evidence could not be found against some, and most agreed to a deal with the authorities. They demanded $6 billion from bin Talal, The Wall Street Journal reported. But even the billionaire prince found it difficult to pay such a sum. He was released in January after reaching a financial agreement with authorities, according to people familiar with the situation; its size is not reported.

65 people refused to pay; they are in custody, the location of which has not been disclosed.

The first guests to stay at the hotel on Sunday after it reopened say little has changed. However, “The Ritz will now always be associated with luxury prison in Saudi Arabia,” says Simon Henderson, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Some Western analysts see what happened as a campaign by Crown Prince Salman to consolidate his power. "If you're a potential investor, this doesn't bode well for you," says Bruce Riedel of the Brookings Institution.

Translated by Varvara Podrugina

The King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has settled in Moscow with oriental luxury. MIR 24 correspondent Vladimir Seroukhov visited a fashionable hotel, which was completely purchased by the monarch.

The King of Saudi Arabia at night at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on Tverskaya Street with his large delegation - more than a thousand people. This is the monarch's first visit to Russia, and the luxury with which it is carried out is simply amazing. The delegation will travel around the city in cars of the most prestigious brands - top-end Mercedes, BMW, Jaguars and other luxury cars. The cost of each ranges from 6 to 10 million rubles - one might say, an apartment on wheels. There was even a story that the number of cars in the escort was equal to the number of letters in the king’s name, and it was quite complex - Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.

The dear guest himself stayed in one of the most prestigious hotels in the capital, the Ritz Carlton, and simply bought up all 334 rooms. The most luxurious of them costs 112 thousand rubles per day. The monarch will most likely feel cramped in one, even a luxury, room. He probably bought the whole floor for himself. By the way, the interiors of the Ritz were remodeled in the Arabic style; many brought their own carpets and furniture with them. The entire hotel per day will cost the king 14 million rubles per day, for 4 days (the length of his visit) - about 60.

However, the Ritz alone, of course, is not enough, so for the duration of the visit, all hotels in the center of Moscow are booked for accompanying persons - the Four Season, the National, and the Marriott.

It is estimated that hosting the retinue will cost an additional 160 million rubles. We add the price of the Ritz and we get that the delegation’s accommodation alone comes out to a quarter of a billion rubles.

Although this amount looks small compared to the multi-billion dollar contracts and investments that will be discussed in the Kremlin, which, by the way, the sheikhs, princes and ministers who will live near Red Square all these days have a wonderful view of.

It is believed that the king of Saudi Arabia descends from the Prophet Muhammad himself. The monarch arrived in Moscow wearing a keffiyeh - a cotton or silk scarf with a colored pattern, traditional for Eastern men.

King Salman's clothing is always the national loose shirt, ankle-length. It's called "tobe". And a long cloak - mishlakh, without which the king never goes out. The king's cloak is most often gold in color, but can be green or brown.

Interestingly, all Saudi Arabian officials are required to wear national dress during visits abroad. This was done in order to emphasize the national identity and introduce the world to the traditions of the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia occupies about 80 percent of the Arabian Peninsula. Due to the fact that its borders are not clearly defined, the exact area of ​​the country is not known. According to various sources, it can range from 1,960,582 km² to 2,240,000 km². Which puts it 13th in size in the world.

Saudi Arabia is often called the land of the “two holy holy places.” There are two main cities for Muslims - Medina. By the way, Saudi Arabia is one of three modern states named after their rulers. In this case we mean the Saudi dynasty.

The Kingdom is a world leader in oil sales and production. Thus, only the largest field in the country - Gavar - can accommodate almost 5 million Olympic swimming pools. The country's oil reserves amount to 260 billion barrels.

It is profitable to take in Saudi Arabia. Banks issue them at only 2% per annum. Since the Koran prohibits usury, the specified percentage goes only to cover the operating expenses of the bank.

In Saudi Arabia, everything that is directly or indirectly related to witchcraft and magic is prohibited. This is considered a serious crime and can be punishable by death. The government takes the magical threat so seriously that it has even banned the Harry Potter books.

Widespread in Saudi Arabia. In 2015, the authorities held them every other day. In most cases, execution is carried out by cutting off the head with a scimitar. Diera Square in the center of Riyadh – famous place public beheadings, known locally as “chop-chop square.”

Russian officials prepared an impressive reception for the 81-year-old monarch of Saudi Arabia, Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud, who arrived in Moscow the day before on a state visit. In the Russian capital these days, in the New Manege, the widely publicized Saudi Arabian Culture Week is taking place, an exhibition of national art of this country is opening, the whole city is covered with posters in Arabic, and on the way from Vnukovo-2 airport, the king was greeted by billboards with his own photographs.

Moscow welcomes the king on a scale that is rarely accorded to foreign leaders. Saudi delegation with her grandiose travel style has taken over the entire Moscow Ritz-Carlton, reports The Washington Post. And this is not surprising, because the monarch is the richest Arab country used to traveling with appropriate ceremonies: for example, for a visit to Japan this spring, the king and his delegation needed 10 planes, 500 tons of luggage and 1,200 rooms in best hotels. And to Indonesia, the king brought 1,500 accompanying people, including 25 princes, and 450 tons of things, in particular two Mercedes-Benz S600 cars and two escalators. Such a special personal ladder also came to Russia, but refused to work on Russian soil.

During the visit of the King of Saudi Arabia, all the available rooms in the most fashionable hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square were occupied by his retinue. At five-star Ritz-Carlton hotels, Four Seasons,St. Regis, "National" in the area of ​​Manezhnaya Square, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Bridge there are no free places left - such a situation with a complete lack of rooms rarely occurs. All issues are sold out until October 7th.

A representative of one of the hotels said that the hotel management had to cancel several events that were planned for these days. Pork dishes have been removed from the hotel menu. And the furnishings in many rooms were changed to something more familiar to guests - in oriental style. Moreover, their favorite carpets were brought specially from Saudi Arabia for several high-ranking members of the delegation, RIA Novosti reports.

The cost of a double room in this hotel starts from 41 thousand rubles per night. A room with a view of Manezhnaya Square costs 59 thousand, with a view of the Kremlin and Alexander Garden - 137 thousand. The most expensive and spacious rooms (about 500 square meters in area) cost about a million rubles per day.

In total, the Saudi delegation numbers about a thousand people, and all of them had to be accommodated in hotels in close proximity to the Kremlin.

Not just a delegation, but the entire elite of Saudi Arabia arrived in Moscow. As former Russian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Andrei Baklanov told BFM, “The Saudis are distinguished by a particularly painstaking approach to preparing and conducting visits top level". "Everything must be planned out and then, according to this carefully thought-out scenario, carried out. They pre-send a large advance group to the country where the event will take place, which works in different areas of the program. Accompanying quite a large number of family members of the ruling dynasty and officials - employees of ministries and departments, business representatives and just people who carry out technical service,” says Baklanov.

The cost of accommodation for King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his retinue during his visit to Moscow from October 5 to 7 could be up to $3.3 million, according to a study conducted for RBC by specialists from the OneTwoTrip travel service.

Earlier, RIA Novosti reported that saudi king and a thousand people in his retinue will occupy all the free rooms of five-star hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square. They will stay at the Four Seasons (Moscow), Ritz Carlton, St. Regis Nikolskaya and National. In particular, the delegation completely rented the Four Seasons Hotel. The cost of the presidential suite alone is 1 million rubles.

“Depending on the accommodation, 1 thousand guests will need from 500 to 1 thousand rooms. Including accommodation in all Four Seasons rooms and suites at the Ritz Carlton, St. Regis and National provide about 326 rooms, that is, to accommodate the entire delegation, at least another 430 rooms of a different category are needed in these three hotels,” experts calculated.

If we take into account the cost of not only suites, but also standard and superior rooms, as well as a markup for group accommodation from 10 to 50%, then the total cost of accommodation for the Saudi delegation could range from $2.2 million to $3.3 million, experts say.

According to Kommersant, the furnishings in some rooms will be changed especially for the king’s arrival: carpets will be added, furniture will be changed. “The cost of such a transformation is difficult to calculate. We can talk about tens of thousands of dollars,” say OneTwoTrip experts.

According to Kommersant, Saudi Prince Al-Waleed, nephew of the King of Saudi Arabia, owns a share in the network Four hotels Seasons. “Without a doubt, this will make adjustments to the final price,” says the study received by RBC.

Some drop in ratings of specific hotels due to the inability to regular guests accommodation for this period “will be more than compensated by income from the accommodation of delegations,” Vyacheslav Sapozhnikov, editor-in-chief of the industry portal Hotelier.PRO, told RBC. According to him, the reputation of hotels is a “long-lasting issue.”

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's visit to Moscow following the incident at Vnukovo-2 airport. When the king got off the plane and began to go down the escalator, it broke and the monarch had to go down on his own. As RBC Advisor to the Administrative Director of the President of Russia Elena Krylova, the Saudi Arabian delegation brought an escalator with them, but she could not clarify the cause of the breakdown.

During his visit, the King of Saudi Arabia held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin press service reported that increasing bilateral cooperation in the trade, economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian spheres will be discussed, and joint documents will also be signed.

MOSCOW, October 3 – RIA Novosti. During the visit of the King of Saudi Arabia to Moscow, his entourage will occupy all the available rooms of five-star hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square, including one of the hotels completely, hotel representatives told RIA Novosti.

According to a source close to the organizers of the visit, in many rooms the furnishings will be changed to something more familiar to guests, in an oriental style. Moreover, for several high-ranking members of the delegation, their favorite carpets will be brought specially from Saudi Arabia.

There are already no vacancies in five-star hotels in the area of ​​Manezhnaya Square, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most. The RIA correspondent visited several hotels, including Four Seasons, St. Regis, "National" - those where the delegation from Saudi Arabia will stay. "The most early booking available from October 6,” RIA Novosti was told at the reception of one of the hotels.

In total, the Saudi delegation will number about a thousand people, a source told RIA Novosti. Most of The delegation will be accommodated in hotels in close proximity to the Kremlin.

One of these hotels, with about 200 rooms, will be fully occupied.

It is already impossible to rent a hotel room for any money on the dates of the king’s visit. The reservation department of RIA Novosti explained that the situation of a complete lack of rooms rarely occurs, and it is associated with the “check-in large groups". Now all rooms are sold out until October 8, the reservation department offered to check in for later dates.

The cost of a double room in the hotel starts from 41 thousand rubles per night. A room with a view of Manezhnaya Square costs 59 thousand, with a view of the Kremlin and Alexander Garden - 137 thousand. The most expensive and spacious rooms (about 500 square meters in area) cost about a million rubles per day (the price depends on the season and occupancy of the hotel). They are considered the most expensive hotel rooms in Russia.

“The hotel has been completely rented by the king’s entourage,” one of the hotel representatives told RIA Novosti. The hotel management had to cancel several events for these days - private banquets and weddings were planned at the hotel. In addition, pork dishes have been removed from the hotel menu.

Now there is increased security at the entrance to the hotel and around it; people are allowed into the hotel only upon presentation of a guest card.

In addition, a source close to the organizers of the visit said that in some rooms the stop will be changed from European to Oriental, and the Saudi delegation is also bringing its own carpets and furniture.

Michal Szmetz, general manager of one of the hotels in the Asian region, told RIA Novosti that replacing furniture in rooms or even plumbing fixtures is a common practice for wealthy guests, especially from the Middle East. “Carpets and low trestle beds are more comfortable for them. If necessary, we change the furniture at our own expense. The old furniture is sent to the warehouse, and in its place we install new furniture in the oriental style. After the departure of distinguished guests, of course, no one throws out the “oriental” furniture - it is also sent to the warehouse until new guests arrive,” said Shmets.

Also in Moscow, posters appeared with greetings from the “Russian-Saudi Investment Fund” addressed to “the custodian of the two Islamic shrines, His Majesty King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.” The poster is made in Russian and Arabic and is decorated with a portrait of the king.

Earlier, Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said that the visit of the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to Moscow will take place on October 5. A RIA Novosti source reported that the king will visit Moscow on October 4-7. According to him, a meeting between Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Russian President Vladimir Putin is planned, and a package of documents is being prepared for signing.

Before the meeting between the President of the Russian Federation and the King of Saudi Arabia, a Russian-Saudi investment forum will be held on October 5, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, told reporters. In addition, the week of Saudi culture is taking place in Moscow all week.

According to press reports, on the eve of the king's visit to Indonesia in March this year, 459 tons of various equipment were delivered to Jakarta from Saudi Arabia, including two Mercedes S600s and two electric elevators. The Saudi delegation numbered 800 people, including 10 ministers and 25 princes. 27 flights were made to deliver people and goods to Jakarta.