The delegation of the king of Saudi Arabia made a cash desk for Moscow hotels. The delegation of the king of Saudi Arabia made a cash desk for Moscow hotels Kings can do everything

Meeting the Guardian of the two Islamic shrines, as the kings of Saudi Arabia are often called, on the one hand, is easy, and on the other, difficult. Easy, because they always bring everything they need with them, including servants, but difficult, since the Saudi monarchs are not only one of the richest people on the planet, but also the most demanding. Moreover, not so much because of his exclusivity and wealth, but because of his advanced age (Salman is 81 years old) and poor health.

The first visit of the Saudi monarch to Russia was no exception to this, which has already become a rule. According to tradition, it can be said that Salman ibn Abdul-Aziz al Saud brought with him a 1,500 retinue and everything necessary for a four-day visit, from carpets with furniture to servants who know the habits and tastes of their master and replace individual hotel employees. Salman settled a couple of hundred meters from the Kremlin, in the Four Seasons Hotel Moscow, better known to Muscovites as the Moscow Hotel (demolished and rebuilt in the past decade).

The hotel was closed for four days to other visitors, including even those who live there permanently. The Saudis also rented all 334 rooms at the nearby Ritz-Carlton for 14 million rubles a day, booked rooms at the nearby National and Marriott.

Fans of statistics have calculated that just living in Moscow will cost Riyadh at least 250 million rubles. For a Saudi monarch, this is quite a bit. If only because his summer vacation in Moroccan Tangier this year cost his subjects $ 100 million.

In addition to furniture and carpets, King Salman brought to Moscow a special gilded escalator, with which he travels the world. The same one, in whose work on Wednesday at the airport "Vnukovo 2" there was some kind of failure. The escalator stopped halfway, so the monarch had to go down, as they say, on their own. Naturally, Salman moves around Moscow in his cars. According to the fleet that arrived in the capital of Russia from Saudi Arabia, you can recognize all the brands of the most expensive and luxurious limousines.

The king and his retinue eat exclusively Saudi products. Every day, a special plane brings 800 kilograms of food and drinks from Riyadh.

It is difficult to name the exact number of Saudi aircraft that arrived in Moscow on October 4. Obviously there are many. It is known, for example, that in March, King Salman flew on an official visit to Japan on 10 airliners, which brought almost half a thousand tons of luggage.

When it comes to foreign travel, Salman is no different from his predecessors. King Fahd (1982-2005), for example, liked to relax in the Spanish Marbella. The number of his retinue sometimes reached two or three thousand people. In 2002, he flew to seaside resort on 7 planes: in five the royal retinue of four hundred people traveled, and the other two transported exclusively food, armored limousines and luggage. On average, King Fahd left about $100 million in Marbella during the summer season. However, in 2002 he set a record and left the Spaniards almost a third of a billion.

This time, the Saudis will not have time to fork out such a sum in Moscow, but it is already clear that the Russian side has made decent money on the visit of the king, even regardless of the business contracts that are discussed during the visit.

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

Earlier, RIA Novosti reported that Saudi king and a thousand people of 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 fully rented the Four Seasons Hotel. The cost of only the presidential suite in it is 1 million rubles.

“Depending on accommodation, 1,000 guests will need from 500 to 1,000 rooms. Including accommodation in all Four Seasons rooms, as well as suites at the Ritz Carlton, St. Regis and National get about 326 rooms, that is, to accommodate the entire delegation, at least 430 more rooms of a different category in these three hotels are needed, ”the experts calculated.

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

According to Kommersant, especially for the arrival of the king, the situation in some rooms will be changed: 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,” OneTwoTrip experts say.

According to Kommersant, Saudi Prince Al-Walid, the nephew of the king of Saudi Arabia, owns a stake in the Four Seasons hotel chain. “Without a doubt, this will make adjustments to the final price,” says the study received by RBC.

Some drop in the ratings of specific hotels due to the impossibility for regular guests to check in for this period “will be more than offset by the income from the accommodation of delegations,” Vyacheslav Sapozhnikov, editor-in-chief of the Hotelier.PRO industry portal, told RBC. According to him, the reputation of hotels - "long-playing moment."

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

During his visit, the King of Saudi Arabia held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The press service of the Kremlin reported that the build-up of bilateral cooperation in 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 retinue will occupy all the free rooms of five-star hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square, including one of the hotels - completely, representatives of the hotels told RIA Novosti.

According to a source close to the organizers of the visit, in many rooms the furnishings will be changed to 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.

Already now in the area of ​​Manezhnaya Square, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most there are no free places in five-star hotels. RIA correspondent visited several hotels, including Four Seasons, St. Regis, "National" - those in which the delegation from Saudi Arabia will stay. "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 settled in hotels in close proximity to the Kremlin.

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

Already now, on the dates of the visit of the king, it is impossible to rent a room at the hotel for any money. The reservation department of RIA Novosti explained that the situation of a complete lack of rooms rarely develops, and it is associated with the "arrival of large groups." Now all the rooms are sold out until October 8, the reservation department offered to check in at a later date.

Price double room at 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 (with an area of ​​about 500 square meters) cost about a million rubles a day (the price depends on the season and hotel occupancy). They are considered the most expensive hotel rooms in Russia.

"The hotel was completely filmed by the king's entourage," one of the hotel's 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 were excluded from the hotel menu.

Now at the entrance to the hotel and around it, security has been strengthened, they 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 Eastern, and the Saudi delegation is also carrying its own carpets and furniture.

Michal Schmetz, general manager of one of the hotels in the Asian region, told RIA Novosti that replacing furniture in rooms or even plumbing is a common practice for wealthy guests, especially from the Middle East. “They are more comfortable with carpets and low trestle beds. If necessary, we change the furniture at our own expense. Old furniture is sent to the warehouse, and instead of it we put new furniture in oriental style. After the departure of distinguished guests, of course, no one throws away “oriental” furniture - it is also sent to the warehouse before the arrival of new guests," Schmets said.

Also, posters appeared in Moscow with a greeting from the "Russian-Saudi Investment Fund" addressed to "the custodian of two Islamic shrines, His Majesty the 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 King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Moscow would take place on October 5. A RIA Novosti source reported that the king would visit Moscow on October 4-7. According to him, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, 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, the Russian-Saudi Investment Forum will be held on October 5, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), told reporters. In addition, the week of Saudi culture is held in Moscow all week long.

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 consisted of 800 people, including 10 ministers and 25 princes. 27 flights were made to deliver people and cargo to Jakarta.

On Sunday, the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh returned to normal operation. For 99 days, since the beginning of November, it served as a place of detention for 381 dignitaries; princes, businessmen and officials have been detained in the largest anti-corruption investigation in Saudi Arabia.

The campaign, led by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, began unexpectedly. On November 4, an influential citizen was called to see King Salman at the Ritz-Carlton. But instead of the king, armed men met him there, took him mobile phone and escorted to one of the hotel rooms. “I was told that I would stay there for a while,” he recalls.

The investigators who interrogated him had a wealth of information, producing large stacks of documents about his financial assets. During the "long, tiring" interrogations, they methodically looked through them, but did not make any significant claims to the suspect. He was told that he was detained as part of an anti-corruption investigation, but that he could be released if he made 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, who began to testify against them. “They didn’t expect this,” he says.

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

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

The Saudi Ministry of Finance 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, a former ambassador to the US, people familiar with the situation said. Al-Amoudi was held at the Ritz-Carlton in November, his current status is unknown, his spokesman said, adding that the businessman did not admit to wrongdoing. A spokesman for bin Sultan, who was not detained, did not respond to a request for comment.

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

$13 billion

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

The Ritz-Carlton was built in 2011 and has over 500 rooms, including 48 Presidential Suites, a 24-hour medical service and olive trees that are about 600 years old. The hotel is close to the seat of the Saudi government.

Some prisoners say they were treated well. So, Al-Waleed bin Talal, in a Reuters video interview, 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 follow his usual vegan diet. Near the entrance to the room is a vase with tulips, on the wall is a large-screen TV. “I go in for sports, swim, walk. I eat like 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 the so-called royal rooms, the hotel employee explained. Each of them has two bedrooms, a dining room, two living rooms, an office and a kitchen.

The Saudi Attorney General said at the end of January that most of the prisoners had already been released: against some, no evidence could be found, most agreed to a deal with the authorities. Bin Talal was demanded $6 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported. But even the billionaire prince found it difficult to pay such an amount. According to people familiar with the situation, he was released in January after he entered into a financial agreement with the authorities; its size is not reported.

65 people refused to pay, they are in custody, the place of which was not disclosed.

The first guests who stayed at the hotel on Sunday after it resumed work, note that almost nothing has changed in the atmosphere. However, "The Ritz will now always be associated with a 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 Crown Prince Salman's campaign to consolidate his power. “If you are a potential investor, this does not bode well for you,” said Bruce Riedel of the Brookings Institution.

Translated by Varvara Podrugina

King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has settled in Moscow with oriental luxury. The correspondent of "MIR 24" Vladimir Seroukhov visited a fashionable hotel, which was completely bought out 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 first visit of a monarch to Russia, and the luxury with which he passes is simply amazing. The delegation will move around the city in cars of the most prestigious brands - these are top-end Mercedes, BMW, Jaguars and other executive class cars. The cost of each ranges from 6 to 10 million rubles - one might say, an apartment on wheels. There was even a tale that the number of cars in the escort is equal to the number of letters in the name of the king, and it is quite complicated - Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.

The dear guest himself settled 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, most likely, will be cramped in one, albeit a luxury room. He probably bought the whole floor for himself. By the way, the interiors of the Ritz were redesigned in the Arabic style, many brought their own carpets and furniture with them. The whole hotel per day will cost the king 14 million rubles per day, for 4 days (his visit will last so long) - about 60.

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

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

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

The King of Saudi Arabia is believed to be descended from the Prophet Muhammad himself. The monarch flew to Moscow wearing a keffiyeh, a scarf made of cotton or silk with a colored pattern, traditional for Eastern men.

King Salman's attire is always the national loose-fitting ankle-length shirt. It's called "tobe". And a long cloak - mishlah, without which the king never goes out. The king's cloak is most often gold in color, but sometimes green and brown.

Interestingly, all officials in Saudi Arabia are required to wear national dress when visiting abroad. This is done in order to emphasize the national identity and acquaint the world with 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 in 13th place in the world in terms of size.

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

The Kingdom is the world leader in the sale and production of oil. So, only the largest field in the country - Gavar is able to accommodate almost 5 million Olympic swimming pools. Oil reserves in the country amount to 260 billion barrels.

In Saudi Arabia, it is profitable to take. Banks issue them at only 2% per annum. Since the Qur'an forbids usury, this percentage only goes to cover the operating expenses of the bank.

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

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