Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh
Riyadh, Jul 24: A 29-year-old Saudi prince died at a luxury London hotel after consuming a fatal combination of alcohol, party drugs and prescription medication, a UK coroner’s inquest has heard.
Prince Abdullah bin Fahad bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Jalawi Al Saud was found unresponsive in his room at the Marriott Hotel in Kensington on November 25. The Inner West London Coroner’s Court heard that he suffered a cardiac arrest caused by multi-drug ingestion.
The prince had checked into the hotel on November 19 for a week-long stay. CCTV footage showed him leaving the hotel for a cigarette on the evening before his death, which was the last time he was seen alive.
A hotel cleaner found the prince lying fully clothed on the bathroom floor the following day. Emergency services were alerted, but paramedics were unable to revive him and he was declared dead at the scene.
The inquest found no evidence of third-party involvement, with CCTV showing the prince had been alone during his final hours.
Toxicology tests revealed a blood alcohol level of 222mg per 100ml, nearly three times the legal drink-driving limit in England. Experts told the court that the alcohol concentration alone could have caused a coma.
Tests also detected high levels of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a substance commonly known as a party drug. Traces of cannabis, Xanax and other anti-anxiety medications were also found, though some were within therapeutic levels.
Medical experts concluded that the combined effect of the substances led to cardiac arrest.
The court was also informed that Prince Abdullah had previously undergone treatment for alcohol misuse and dependence on prescription medicines. He received detoxification treatment at the Priory Clinic in Roehampton in August 2025 and later received care at Rainford Hall Clinic in Merseyside.
Assistant Coroner Jean Harkin ruled that there was no evidence the prince intended to take his own life. There was no suicide note, no indication of suicidal thoughts and no involvement of another person.
Recording a verdict of death by misadventure, the coroner stated that the medical cause of death was multi-drug ingestion.
Following the inquest, the Saudi Royal Court confirmed Prince Abdullah’s death and announced that funeral prayers would be held at the VIP Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.