by Our Foreign Staff from The Telegraph, August 22, 2017
A Saudi prince reportedly spent £558,000 during a week-long holiday in the Turkish resort of Bodrum.
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, one of the kingdom’s richest men, descended on the Aegean resort with dozens of family members, staff, and bodyguards in tow.
His private jet arrived in the town on August 14 carrying more than 300 suitcases, which needed to be carried by truck to his hotel, according to the Hurriyet newspaper .
The 62-year-old prince indulged a passion for cycling by flying in 30 bicycles and riding around the coastal town escorted by dozens of bodyguards.
He reportedly spent £367,000 on accommodation during the trip, which involved renting a beachside hotel, a nearby villa and several lodges.
The prince spent days on his yacht, Kingdom 5KR, which was docked at the resort. The 281ft vessel was formerly owned by Donald Trump, who sold it to the Saudi in 1991.
The prince dined with 14 other guests at the Nusr-et Steak House on a peninsula sticking into the Aegean Sea. Apparently pleased with his meal, he reportedly left a £4,459 tip.
The restaurant’s owner, Nusret Gokce, became famous worldwide as “Salt Bae” for his flamboyant style of dropping salt on meat.
On another day he reportedly spent £8,919 at a fish restaurant.
The family moved around in a fleet of luxury vehicles and buses, according to the newspaper. Hurriyet gave no source for the figures it quoted.
Prince Alwaleed is the chairman of the Kingdom Holding Company, which invests in major firms around the world. Forbes ranks him as the 45th wealthiest person on the planet, with a net worth of £14.6 billion.
He is a major shareholder in Twitter and other companies. The prince is a regular Twitter user but appears to have taken a screen break during his holiday and posted only once.
He famously tanged with Mr Trump during the 2016 presidential election. In December 2015 he tweeted to his four million followers:
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. @realDonaldTrump |
Mr Trump replied the next day:
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Dopey Prince @Alwaleed_Talal wants to control our U.S. politicians with daddy’s money. Can’t do it when I get elected. #Trump2016 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2015 |
The prince tried to bury the feud after Mr Trump’s election, saying:
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President elect @realDonaldTrump whatever the past differences, America has spoken, congratulations & best wishes for your presidency. — الوليد بن طلال (@Alwaleed_Talal) November 9, 2016 |
This article was written by Our Foreign Staff from The Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].
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