Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton to reopen

The Ritz-Carlton luxury hotel here will re-open next week after it was used as a makeshift prison for hundreds who were jailed following an anti-corruption probe launched Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Ritz-Carlton's website showed on Sunday that it will accept reservations beginning February 11, with room prices starting from $664 per night, reports Xinhua news agency.

The hotel with around 500 rooms and suites was closed for about three months after the Crown Prince launched the unprecedented investigation against corruption on November 4, 2017.

More than 300 princes, ministers and businessmen were held in the five-star accommodation.

Among them was billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, dubbed the "Warren Buffet of Saudi Arabia".

A total of 56 individuals are still detained but have been moved to other places, while another 90 people have been released after agreeing to "financial settlements".

The estimated value of settlements stands at more than $106 billion in various types of assets, including real estate, commercial entities, securities and cash.

Saudi Arabia announced last week the end of the settlement stage in the largest anti-corruption campaign in the modern history of the kingdom.

--IANS

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