The room where the King of Saudi Arabia stayed. The Saudi king made money for Moscow luxury hotels. Leisure and business
Salman Al Saud is the first Saudi monarch to visit Russia. They are preparing for his visit with all care. Special billboards with greetings even appeared at Vnukovo airport
King Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdul Al Saud. Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
The Saudi king flies to Russia. Salman Al Saud will be the first Saudi monarch to set foot on our soil. Can we say that the visit was delayed and what to expect from the Saudi delegation?
For several days now, billboards with Russian text and Arabic script have been hanging near the Vnukovo airport: “We welcome the custodian of two Islamic shrines in Russia,” and in the background is a smiling King Salman Al Saud. In Russia, people have been waiting for the monarch. Previously, Putin met only with Crown Prince Mohammed in 2004 in Moscow and two years ago in Sochi. And then, finally, the king himself. Why only now?
Professor of the Department of International Economic Relations, Institute of Asian and African Countries, Moscow State University. Lomonosov“This is connected to many things, because when the Crown Prince was here, we agreed, say, to create a joint fund in the field of oil. There are a lot of funds involved, over $1 billion should be invested by both sides. Among other things, the king of Saudi Arabia understands perfectly well that it is necessary to negotiate with Russia on Syrian issues. The king must test the waters to see how far our ties with the same Iran go, and whether Iran will lay claim to some special role in Syria after the completion of the military operation against the Islamic State.”
Salman is 81 and rarely travels outside the country. According to Arab media, after suffering a stroke, the monarch suffered greatly. It is believed that the king suffers from Alzheimer's disease. However, Salman's condition does not change the status of the meeting.
Associate Professor, Department of General History, Russian State University for the Humanities“The Queen of England visited us in 1994, but this is the first time the Saudi king is coming. This means everything will be widescreen. There will be a guard of honor, there will be a whole range of pompous protocol events. They can even give you a mini-tour. It all depends on the state of health of the king; it is not so much the guards who are important there as the doctors. Yes, he is of advanced age, plus he is a sick man. Ours, too, have probably prepared some kind of ward at the Central Clinical Hospital just in case, it’s just not advertised.”
All the rooms of the Ritz Hotel were purchased for the king.-Carlton until October 7th. It’s not just a delegation flying: the entire color of the country. For example, during a March visit to Japan, the king traveled to Tokyo on ten planes and transported 450 tons of luggage. He talks about the intricacies of the Saudi protocol former ambassador Russia in Saudi Arabia Andrey Baklanov:
Andrey Baklanov former Russian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia“The Saudis are distinguished by their particularly painstaking approach to preparing and conducting top-level visits. Everything must be planned out and then, according to this carefully thought-out scenario, implemented. They first send a large advance group to the country where the event will take place, which different directions the program is working. Accompanies pretty a large number of family members of the ruling dynasty and officials - employees of ministries and departments, and business representatives, and simply people who perform technical services.”
The king’s visit will be such that one can only sympathize with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who will also arrive in Moscow.
On October 4, Business FM received information that during the visit of the King of Saudi Arabia and his retinue to Moscow, all available five-star rooms around Red Square and the Kremlin will be occupied by them. One of the hotels is 100% booked.
The royal will remain in the capital until October 7. During this time, several very important meetings should take place. Now we can say with confidence that in the area of Lubyanka, Kuznetsky Most, and Manezhnaya Square it will not be possible to find a free place in a top-level hotel. The important guests decided to pay special attention Four Seasons,St. Regis and National. It was these objects that were considered most worthy to receive the delegation from Saudi Arabia. Work in hotels is in full swing, as everyone needs to be pleased. In general, the Saudis arrived in large numbers - about 1000 people. For the most important of them - the king - all rooms at the Ritz Carlton hotel were booked until October 7.
According to Yunis Teymurkhanly, general director and the owner of one of the St. Petersburg hotels, such measures are mandatory, as they are part of the protocol requirements for accommodating persons of this level. Important guests should get everything they expect. If the king believes that the hotel should be filled with his retinue for the entire duration of his stay, so be it. Important guests - special rules. In practice, in most cases, guests of this level are accommodated in official residences countries they visit. In this way, the maximum level of security can be ensured.
But, the decision on which accommodation facility to choose is determined only by the protocol of the two countries. The monarch’s delegation may have its own perception of transport accessibility and safety, and therefore the choice may well be different. As happened in the case of the visit to Moscow. If we talk about the hotels that were the choice of the delegation, their cuisine even exceeds the capabilities of a state residence, which, as a rule, is offered to important guests. Most likely, the king will invite various guests, including journalists. During the visit of politicians, his own chefs will treat not only the large delegation, but also all invitees.
Already on October 4, one could notice that there were an unusually large number of traffic police officers on the roads of Moscow, which was most likely dictated by increased security measures. The King must understand that in connection with his visit all necessary measures. The vice-president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of the Russian Federation believes that traffic in the center during this period can be considered significantly more complicated, but Moscow has long been accustomed to this. The capital city often receives distinguished guests, so we will work at the usual pace. The delegation is actually very large. There is also a nuance: all the guests wished to stay exclusively in top-level hotels, the latter were happy about this.
At the Ritz Carlton hotel on Booking.com, room rates range from 35 to 112 thousand rubles per night as of October 8. In total, the hotel has 334 rooms.
It is worth recalling that at the beginning of 2017, the Saudi king already undertook a 31-day trip to Asian countries. In order for the trip to be as the king had planned for himself, it was necessary to take 459 tons of luggage, which included 2 elevators, as well as 2 Mercedes-Benz S600 cars and a retinue of 1,500 people. The monarch's age is 81 years.
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 during Saudi Arabia's largest 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 people met him there and took him away. mobile phone and escorted 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.
Saudi Arabia's Treasury 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, a former ambassador to the United States, people familiar with the matter 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, a 24-hour medical aid station and olive trees that are approximately 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. But "the Ritz will now forever be associated with a luxury prison in Saudi Arabia," said 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
https://www.site/2017-10-06/podschitano_razmechenie_saudovskogo_korolya_so_svitoy_v_otelyah_moskvy_oboshlos_v_3_3_mln
It is estimated that the accommodation of the Saudi king and his retinue in Moscow hotels cost $3.3 million
Kremlin press service
Travel service OneTwoTrip calculated that the accommodation of the delegation of the King of Saudi Arabia in five-star hotels in Moscow cost 2.5 - 3.3 million dollars.
The king's delegation of 1 thousand people stayed at the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, National, the statement said. From 2.2 million to 3.3 million dollars was the cost of living in all rooms Hotel Four Seasons, as well as in suites, standard and superior rooms at the Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, National.
The cost of accommodation for three nights in just one Four Seasons, the rooms of which were purchased in full for the delegation, could be $738 thousand, excluding price adjustments for group bookings. The hotel has 180 rooms: 139 rooms, 39 suites, 1 presidential suite and 1 royal suite. The cost of living per day in the last two is at least 1 million rubles, a night in a “standard” room, depending on the view from the window, from 35 to 60 thousand rubles, in a suite from 80 to 200 thousand rubles.
In addition, the service suggested that the furnishings in the rooms were changed especially for the king’s arrival: carpets were added, the furniture was changed.
The 81-year-old King of Saudi Arabia, Salman Ben-Abdel Aziz Al Saud, arrived in Russia the day before. He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. As Kommersant reports, following negotiations between the leaders of Russia and Saudi Arabia, agreements were reached on the purchase by Riyadh of S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems. In addition, a contract was concluded to organize the production of Kalashnikov assault rifles in Saudi Arabia and a memorandum was signed on the purchase and localization of TOS-1A heavy flamethrower systems, Kornet-EM anti-tank missile systems and AGS-30 grenade launchers.
The King of Saudi Arabia is famous for his love of luxury. During a recent visit to Indonesia, he was accompanied by 1 thousand people, and his luggage weighed about 500 tons. Salman Al Saud's visit to Japan was carried out on 10 aircraft. He brought with him 500 limousines and two golden escalators.
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, the widely publicized Saudi Arabian Culture Week is taking place in the New Manege, and an exhibition is opening national art of this country, the whole city was 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. In five-star hotels Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, St. Regis, "National" in the area of Manezhnaya Square, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most 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.
Price 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 top-level visits.” “Everything must be planned out and then, according to this carefully thought-out scenario, carried out. They first send a large advance group to the country where the event will take place, which works in different areas of the program. Accompanying a fairly large number of family members of the ruling dynasty and officials - employees of ministries and departments, business representatives and just people who perform technical services,” says Baklanov.