Thursday, June 19, 2025 | 01:55 AM ISTहिंदी में पढें
Business Standard
Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

A 5-star prison: Ritz-Carlton is a gilded cage for Saudi royals

Saudi Arabia finds itself in the midst of a crackdown on corruption that began on Saturday night

Saudi king names son as heir to throne
premium

Nicholas Kulish | NYT
From the stately rows of palm trees on its 52-acre grounds to the grand double staircase to the glittering ballroom chandeliers, it is easy to see why the six-year-old Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, has played host to billionaires, heads of state and members of the Saudi royal family.

Which is why it is all the more jarring that former government ministers, prominent businessmen and members of the royal family — the House of Saud — are being held captive in the five-star hotel, which was swiftly converted over the weekend into what is almost certainly the