The delegation of the King of Saudi Arabia gave cash to Moscow hotels. The delegation of the King of Saudi Arabia made a cash register for Moscow hotels King of Saudi Arabia Ritz Carlton
On Thursday, October 5, the King of Saudi Arabia was received in the Kremlin. The arrival of Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is significant not only because it is the first visit of the monarch, but also because the negotiations with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (al-Haram Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina) were supposed to dot the i’s in issues related to the oil market and military-technical cooperation. Among the Kremlin gilding, the Saudis, accustomed to luxury, were deciding the fate of a package of arms contracts worth over three billion dollars. And the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who was celebrating his birthday, photographed with interest the place for the throne in St. Andrew's Hall.
Kings can do anything
Muscovites could learn about the king's upcoming visit not only from the news. At the beginning of October, the Russian-Suad Investment Fund placed posters on the highway from Vnukovo airport with greetings to “The Custodian of the Two Islamic Shrines to His Majesty the King of Saudi Arabia.” The delegation, numbering almost a thousand people, rented all the luxury rooms in the most expensive hotels Russian capital. In an effort to please guests accustomed to oriental luxury, the furniture in the rooms was changed, carpets were laid and low trestle beds were placed. The king himself stopped at Four Seasons. The hotel chain is partly owned by his nephew, Prince Alwaleed.
There are legends about how the king and his retinue travel. The amount of luggage transported is especially impressive - hundreds of tons are counted. Airplanes transport equipment, cars, elevators and even an escalator, the length of which when folded is 15 meters. That's where the trouble started with him. The technical specialists who arrived as part of the delegation independently collected this royal know-how. But something went wrong on Russian soil. The 81-year-old monarch stepped onto the escalator, traveled a third of the way, and the ramp jammed. The elderly king, leaning on a stick, barely climbed several steps on his own.
There were no glitches in the Kremlin. Since a state visit - the highest level possible - involves a magnificent welcoming ceremony, taking into account the age of the monarch, it was nevertheless reduced. According to tradition, the delegations of the two countries lined up along St. Andrew's Hall. In this ceremonial room of the Grand Kremlin Palace, restored in the 90s, a place for the throne is also designated. More precisely, a throne with replicas of the royal chairs. It was in this direction that Vladimir Putin led his guest, circling the arches of the hall with his hands and telling something with the help of translators.
When the king and president left the hall, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, approached the throne. He stood out against the general background with his paramilitary attire - a dark green service jacket. Left alone for a few moments, Kadyrov took out his phone and photographed the place for the throne. And then he posed for his Instagram with the leaders of Ingushetia and Tatarstan. All three represented the Muslim part of the Russian Federation.
Arab journalists, meanwhile, warned their Russian colleagues against a mistake: the name of their king should have been pronounced in full and only in full. “In short, no way! Only Salman bin Abdulaziz!” - One of the guests spoke in excellent Russian, raising his voice with respect.
We waited ten years
Relations between Moscow and Riyadh have not always been smooth sailing. The first official visit of Saudi Arabian representatives to Moscow after the collapse of the USSR took place in 2003. For the current king, who took the throne in 2015, this is the first visit in a new capacity, but he has already been to Moscow in 2006, when he was the ruler of Riyadh.
But Vladimir Putin visited this Arab country only once - ten years ago, but remembers that trip with warmth. He was greeted royally, with a cannon salute and a cavalry escort. The monarch put the entire palace at the guest's disposal and generously invited him to change the schedule of the visit at his discretion. The road in front of Putin was strewn with rose petals, and the dancers spectacularly presented a dagger (one can imagine what the president’s personal security went through at that moment). The outfits of Russian journalists added color - they had to wear hijabs.
Just a few years before that visit, Russia accused Saudi Arabia of financially supporting Chechen terrorists. Riyadh expressed dissatisfaction with Moscow's attitude towards its country's Muslims. But in the name of the joint fight against terrorism, the parties entered into a dialogue. Then Putin left the kingdom with the kingdom's highest award - the Order of Abdul Aziz. Finally, he invited the then King Abdullah, the half-brother of the current ruler, to make a return visit to Moscow. The visit had to wait ten years - Riyadh preferred to look towards Washington.
Kalashnikov and wheat
Before Salman Bin Abdel Aziz’s visit, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that the leaders’ meeting would be “a turning point in relations and will bring cooperation to new level, providing a fruitful contribution to stability in the Middle East and North Africa." Sources working in this area told the Kommersant newspaper that Moscow really has high expectations, especially in terms of military-technical cooperation.
According to the publication’s interlocutors, the Russian side has prepared a package of arms contracts worth over three billion dollars, including for the supply of several divisions of S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems. For ten years, Moscow has been trying to enter the Riyadh arms market, but it has never reached contracts.
As a result, only an agreement was signed through Rosoboronexport to organize licensed production of AK-103 assault rifles and cartridges for various purposes in the kingdom. Of the 14 documents certified by the delegations, one can highlight an agreement on research and cooperation in outer space and a program in the field of atomic energy use. Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture agreed on the supply of Russian wheat to Saudi Arabia, although the export of Russian barley already accounts for almost half of the bilateral trade turnover worth more than $200 million.
Salman bin Abdul Al Saud positively assessed Russia's efforts to resolve the situation in Syria. And he did not fail to prick Iran. “We emphasize that the security and stability of the Gulf region and the Middle East will require Iran to renounce interference in the internal affairs of states and renounce activities to destabilize the situation in this region,” the king said slowly, checking the papers covered in large print. Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, he noted that relations between Moscow and Riyadh, in his assessment, are “characterized by a coincidence of views on many regional and international problems.”
“It was a friendly, detailed conversation, based on the mutual desire of Moscow and Riyadh to consistently increase mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas,” Lavrov said following the negotiations. His colleague Adel ibn Ahmed al-Jubeir used stronger language. In his opinion, “relations between the two countries are reaching new horizons that we could not even imagine before.”
Finally, King Salman bin Abdulaziz invited Vladimir Putin to visit. The Russian president accepted the invitation and promised to visit Saudi Arabia again. But he didn’t specify a time frame.
For the King of Saudi Arabia.
During the visit, the delegation of the King of Saudi Arabia will live next to Red Square. Today, rent a room at the National, Four Seasons or St. Regis will not work: in one of the hotels, journalists were told about full occupancy, which, according to employees, happens extremely rarely. Reservations will open again after October 8th.
Some hotels had to cancel planned weddings and banquets; The main task now is to strengthen security: you can enter the building only after presenting your guest card.
Sergei Kolesnikov, vice-president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers, told Kommersant FM that this is normal practice:
“These events do not take place spontaneously, regardless of who comes: Saudi Arabia, the United States, the President of the Russian Federation or high-ranking officials. A representative of the special services selects not just a hotel, but specific rooms, this happens within a week or two. After the advance group, the day before arrival, special security measures are carried out: the room is checked again so that there are no misunderstandings.”
The organizers of the visit paid special attention to the convenience of the guests. The king of Saudi Arabia is known for his whimsical nature: on his March trip to Indonesia, he took about 500 tons of luggage, two Mercedes-Benz S600 cars and even two electric elevators; Apparently, the Saudis did not come to Moscow lightly. Especially for the delegation, hotels change the furnishings of the rooms: the usual European furniture is sent to the warehouse, and in return they lay out carpets brought from Riyadh; In addition, pork dishes will be excluded from hotel menus.
This is not all that hotels can do for the sake of clients, noted Kirill Ryabkov, marketing director of the Quintessentially Russia concierge club:
“I worked at the Hyatt hotel where Madonna lived, and we did a separate room where she did yoga. The room had to be connected to her presidential suite, this was a requirement. One Australian pop star demanded that there be a certain scent of lilies where she walked."
There are a thousand people in Salman Al Saud’s delegation, and they were apparently lucky with their accommodation. Although it happened that wealthy guests bought the best rooms from the guests - the owner of the Helvetia Hotel in St. Petersburg, Yunis Teymurkhanly, told Kommersant FM about this case:
“The delegation, apparently from the Emirates, was only satisfied with the presidential number: it was sold to one of the Russian oligarchs, and representatives of the Arab sheikh contacted the Russian with a request to give up this number. He categorically refused, bidding began, and in the end, when it had already reached astronomical figures, the oligarch’s wife could not stand it, saying: “You don’t want it, but I want it, I’ll buy it in France for the difference.”
Prices in best rooms Four Seasons with an area of 500 sq. m. start from 1 million rubles. per day., but for the delegation this is not a problem: especially, according to some reports, Saudi prince Al-Walid, the king's nephew, owns a share of this hotel chain.
Kommersant FM's interlocutors say that special conditions, in which the King of Saudi Arabia will live, cannot be called a whim: this, according to hotel business experts, is a guarantee of their complete safety.
Trouble started upon arrival. The King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who arrived in Moscow on a state visit, discovered a breakdown of his escalator when getting off the plane at the capital's Vnukovo airport.
The golden escalator recently accompanies the Saudi monarch during his official visits. Thus, on March 1, 2017, Indonesian observers paid special attention to this detail. They noted 1000 accompanying people in the king's retinue, and estimated the weight of his luggage at 500 tons. Two weeks later, reporting on the Saudi king’s luxurious trip to Japan, the RT television channel noted that the monarch’s visit was served by two golden escalators, 10 airplanes, and 500 limousines. At that time, 1,200 luxury hotel rooms were prepared to accommodate the royal retinue in Japan.
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. We can already say with confidence that in the Lubyanka area, Kuznetsky Bridge, as well as Manezhnaya Square, it will be impossible to find a free place in a top-level hotel. The important guests decided to pay special attention to the 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 quantities- 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 owner of one of the St. Petersburg hotels, such measures are mandatory, as they are part of the protocol requirements for accommodating people 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 all necessary measures have been taken in connection with his visit. 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 saudi king has already taken a 31-day trip to Asia. In order for the trip to be the way the king had planned for himself, he had 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.
WITH oriental luxury The King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is stationed in Moscow. MIR 24 correspondent Vladimir Seroukhov visited a fashionable hotel, which was completely purchased 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 monarch's first visit to Russia, and the luxury with which it is carried out is simply amazing. The delegation will travel around the city in cars of the most prestigious brands - top-end Mercedes, BMW, Jaguars and other luxury cars. The cost of each ranges from 6 to 10 million rubles - one might say, an apartment on wheels. There was even a story that the number of cars in the escort was equal to the number of letters in the king’s name, and it was quite complex - Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.
The dear guest himself stayed 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 will most likely feel cramped in one, even a luxury, room. He probably bought the whole floor for himself. By the way, the interiors of the Ritz were remodeled in the Arabic style; many brought their own carpets and furniture with them. The entire hotel per day will cost the king 14 million rubles per day, for 4 days (the length of his visit) - about 60.
However, the Ritz alone, of course, is not enough, so for the duration of the visit, all hotels in the center of Moscow are booked for accompanying persons - the Four Season, the National, and the Marriott.
It is estimated that hosting the retinue will cost an additional 160 million rubles. We add the price of the Ritz and we get that the delegation’s accommodation alone comes out to a quarter of a billion rubles.
Although this amount looks small compared to the multi-billion dollar contracts and investments that will be discussed in the Kremlin, which, by the way, the sheikhs, princes and ministers who will live near Red Square all these days have a wonderful view of.
It is believed that the king of Saudi Arabia descends from the Prophet Muhammad himself. The monarch arrived in Moscow wearing a keffiyeh, a scarf made of cotton or silk with a colored pattern, traditional for Eastern men.
King Salman's clothing is always the national loose shirt, ankle-length. It's called "tobe". And a long cloak - mishlakh, without which the king never goes out. The king's cloak is most often gold in color, but can be green or brown.
Interestingly, all Saudi Arabian officials are required to wear national dress during visits abroad. This was done in order to emphasize the national identity and introduce the world to 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 13th in size in the world.
Saudi Arabia is often called the land of the “two holy holy places.” There are two main cities for Muslims - Medina. By the way, Saudi Arabia is one of three modern states named after their rulers. IN in this case referring to the Saudi dynasty.
The Kingdom is a world leader in oil sales and production. Thus, only the largest field in the country - Gavar - can accommodate almost 5 million Olympic swimming pools. The country's oil reserves amount to 260 billion barrels.
It is profitable to take in Saudi Arabia. Banks issue them at only 2% per annum. Since the Koran prohibits usury, the specified percentage goes only to cover the operating expenses of the bank.
In Saudi Arabia, everything that is directly or indirectly related to witchcraft and magic is prohibited. This is considered a serious crime and can be punishable by death. The government takes the magical threat so seriously that it has even banned the Harry Potter books.
Widespread in Saudi Arabia. In 2015, the authorities held them every other day. In most cases, execution is carried out by cutting off the head with a scimitar. Diera Square in the center of Riyadh – famous place public beheadings, known locally as “chop-chop square.”
Meeting the Custodian of the Two Islamic Holy Places, as the kings of Saudi Arabia are often called, is, on the one hand, easy, but on the other, difficult. It’s easy because they always bring everything they need with them, including servants, but it’s difficult because 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 the rule. According to tradition, we can say that Salman ibn Abdul-Aziz al Saud brought with him a retinue of one and a half thousand people and everything necessary for a four-day visit, from carpets and 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 last 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 per day, and booked rooms at the nearby National and at the Marriott.
Fans of statistics have calculated that living in Moscow alone will cost Riyadh at least 250 million rubles. For the Saudi monarch this is quite a bit. At least because it summer rest in Moroccan Tangier this year cost his subjects $100 million.
In addition to furniture and carpets, King Salman also brought to Moscow a special gold-plated escalator, with which he travels around the world. The same one in whose operation there was some kind of malfunction on Wednesday at Vnukovo 2 airport. The escalator stopped halfway, so the monarch had to go down, as they say, under his own power. Naturally, Salman moves around Moscow in his own cars. From the fleet of vehicles that arrived in the Russian capital 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 planes that arrived in Moscow on October 4. Obviously there are many of them. It is known, for example, that in March King Salman flew on an official visit to Japan on 10 airliners, which brought almost five thousand tons of luggage.
When it comes to foreign travel, Salman is no different from his predecessors. King Fahd (1982-2005), for example, loved to vacation in Marbella, Spain. The number of his retinue sometimes reached two or three thousand people. In 2002 he flew to seaside resort on 7 planes: five carried the royal retinue of four hundred people, and the other two transported exclusively food, armored limousines and luggage. On average, King Fahd left for summer season in Marbella about 100 million dollars. However, in 2002 he set a record and left the Spaniards with 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 made decent money on the king’s visit, even regardless of the business contracts that are discussed during the visit.
