Meeting the Guardian of the two Islamic shrines, as the kings of Saudi Arabia are often called, on the one hand, is easy, and on the other, difficult. Easy, because they always bring everything they need with them, including servants, but difficult, since the 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 a rule. According to tradition, it can be said that Salman ibn Abdul-Aziz al Saud brought with him a 1,500 retinue and everything necessary for a four-day visit, from carpets with 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 a hotel Four Seasons Hotel Moscow, better known to Muscovites as the Moskva 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 a day, booked rooms at the nearby National and Marriott.

Fans of statistics have calculated that just living in Moscow will cost Riyadh at least 250 million rubles. For a Saudi monarch, this is quite a bit. If only because it summer rest in Moroccan Tangier this year cost his subjects $100 million.

In addition to furniture and carpets, King Salman brought to Moscow a special gilded escalator, with which he travels the world. The same one, in whose work on Wednesday at the airport "Vnukovo 2" there was some kind of failure. The escalator stopped halfway, so the monarch had to go down, as they say, on their own. Naturally, Salman moves around Moscow in his cars. According to the fleet that arrived in the capital of Russia 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 aircraft that arrived in Moscow on October 4. Obviously there are many. It is known, for example, that in March, King Salman flew on an official visit to Japan on 10 airliners, which brought almost half a thousand tons of luggage.

When it comes to foreign travel, Salman is no different from his predecessors. King Fahd (1982-2005), for example, liked to relax in the Spanish Marbella. The number of his retinue sometimes reached two or three thousand people. In 2002, he flew to seaside resort on 7 planes: in five the royal retinue of four hundred people traveled, and the other two transported exclusively food, armored limousines and luggage. On average, King Fahd left about $100 million in Marbella during the summer season. However, in 2002 he set a record and left the Spaniards 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 has made decent money on the visit of the king, even regardless of the business contracts that are discussed during the visit.

https://www.site/2017-10-06/podschitano_razmechenie_saudovskogo_korolya_so_svitoy_v_otelyah_moskvy_oboshlos_v_3_3_mln

Calculated: accommodation of the Saudi king with his entourage in Moscow hotels cost $3.3 million

Kremlin press service

Travel service OneTwoTrip calculated that the accommodation of the delegation of the king of Saudi Arabia in five-star hotels in Moscow cost 2.5-3.3 million dollars.

The king's delegation of 1,000 people stayed at the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, National, the report says. Between $2.2 million and $3.3 million was the cost of living in all rooms at the Four Seasons hotel, as well as in suites, standard and superior rooms at the Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, "National".

The cost of accommodation for three nights in only one Four Seasons, in which the rooms were bought out for the delegation in full, can be 738 thousand dollars, excluding price adjustments for group bookings. The hotel has 180 rooms: 139 rooms, 39 suites, 1 presidential suite and 1 royal suite. The cost of living per day in the last two is at least 1 million rubles, a night in a standard room, depending on the view from the window, from 35 to 60 thousand rubles, in a suite from 80 to 200 thousand rubles.

In addition, they suggested in the service, especially for the arrival of the king, the situation in the rooms was changed: they added carpets, changed the furniture.

81-year-old King of Saudi Arabia Salman Ben-Abdulaziz Al Saud arrived in Russia the day before. He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Kommersant, as a result of negotiations between the leaders of Russia and Saudi Arabia, agreements were reached on the purchase by Riyadh of S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems. In addition, a contract was signed to organize the production of Kalashnikov assault rifles in Saudi Arabia and a memorandum was signed on the purchase and localization of TOS-1A heavy flamethrower systems, Kornet-EM anti-tank missile systems and AGS-30 grenade launchers.

The king of Saudi Arabia is famous for his love of luxury. During a recent visit to Indonesia, he was accompanied by 1,000 people, and his luggage weighed about 500 tons. Salman Al Saud's visit to Japan was carried out on 10 planes. He brought with him 500 limousines and two golden escalators.

FROM oriental luxury King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is based in Moscow. The correspondent of "MIR 24" Vladimir Seroukhov visited a fashionable hotel, which was completely bought out 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 first visit of a monarch to Russia, and the luxury with which he passes is simply amazing. The delegation will move around the city in cars of the most prestigious brands - these are top-end Mercedes, BMW, Jaguars and other executive class cars. The cost of each ranges from 6 to 10 million rubles - one might say, an apartment on wheels. There was even a tale that the number of cars in the escort is equal to the number of letters in the name of the king, and it is quite complicated - Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.

The dear guest himself settled 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, most likely, will be cramped in one, albeit a luxury room. He probably bought the whole floor for himself. By the way, the interiors of the Ritz were redesigned in the Arabic style, many brought their own carpets and furniture with them. The whole hotel per day will cost the king 14 million rubles per day, for 4 days (his visit will last so long) - about 60.

However, one "Ritz", of course, is not enough, therefore, for the duration of the visit, all hotels in the center of Moscow are booked for the accompanying persons - the Four Season, the National, and the Marriott.

It is estimated that the placement of the suite will cost an additional 160 million rubles. We add the price of the Ritz and we get that the accommodation of the delegation alone comes out to a quarter of a billion rubles.

Although this amount looks small compared to the multibillion-dollar contracts and investments that will be discussed in the Kremlin, which, by the way, sheikhs, princes and ministers, who will live near Red Square all these days, have a beautiful view.

The King of Saudi Arabia is believed to be descended from the Prophet Muhammad himself. The monarch flew to Moscow wearing a keffiyeh, a scarf made of cotton or silk with a colored pattern, traditional for Eastern men.

King Salman's attire is always the national loose-fitting ankle-length shirt. It's called "tobe". And a long cloak - mishlah, without which the king never goes out. The king's cloak is most often gold in color, but sometimes green and brown.

Interestingly, all officials in Saudi Arabia are required to wear national dress when visiting abroad. This is done in order to emphasize the national identity and acquaint the world with 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 in 13th place in the world in terms of size.

Saudi Arabia is often referred to as the land of the "two holy places". There are two main cities for Muslims - and Medina. By the way, Saudi Arabia is one of the three modern states named after their rulers. In this case, we mean the Saudi dynasty.

The Kingdom is the world leader in the sale and production of oil. So, only the largest field in the country - Gavar is able to accommodate almost 5 million Olympic swimming pools. Oil reserves in the country amount to 260 billion barrels.

In Saudi Arabia, it is profitable to take. Banks issue them at only 2% per annum. Since the Qur'an forbids usury, this percentage only goes to cover the operating expenses of the bank.

In Saudi Arabia, everything that is directly or indirectly related to witchcraft and magic is banned. This is considered a serious crime and can be punished death penalty. The government takes the magical threat so seriously that it even banned the Harry Potter books.

Widespread in Saudi Arabia. In 2015, the authorities saw them off every other day. In most cases, the execution is carried out by cutting off the head with a scimitar. Diera Square in the center of Riyadh famous place public beheadings, locally known as "Chop-Chop Square".

On October 4, Business FM received information that during the visit of the King of Saudi Arabia and his retinue to Moscow, they would fill all available five-star rooms around Red Square and the Kremlin. One of the hotels is 100% booked.

The royal will stay in the capital until 7 October. During this time, several very important meetings should take place. Already now we can say with confidence that in the area of ​​Lubyanka, Kuznetsky Most, and Manezhnaya Square, you will not be able to find a free place in a top-level hotel. Important guests decided to pay special attention to Four Seasons, St. Regis and National. It was these objects that were considered the most worthy of receiving a delegation from Saudi Arabia. The work in hotels is in full swing, as you need to please everyone. In general, the Saudis arrived in in large numbers– about 1000 people. For the most important of them - the king - all rooms at the Ritz Carlton hotel were booked until October 7th.

According to Yunis Teymurkhanly, the general director and owner of one of the St. Petersburg hotels, such measures are mandatory, as they are part of the protocols for the accommodation of persons of this level. Important guests should get everything they expect. If the king felt that the hotel should be filled with his retinue for the duration of his stay, then so be it. Important guests - special rules. In practice, in most cases, guests of this level are placed 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 perceive transport accessibility and security in its own way, and therefore the choice may well be different. As happened in the case of a visit to Moscow. Speaking of hotels, which have become the choice of the delegation, their kitchens even exceed the capabilities of the 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 a large delegation, but also all those invited.

Already on October 4, one could notice that there were an unusually large number of traffic police officers on the roads of Moscow, which, most likely, was 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 for this period can be considered significantly complicated, but Moscow has long been accustomed to this. The capital city often receives distinguished guests, so it will work at the usual pace. The delegation is actually very large. There is another nuance, all the guests wished to stay exclusively in top-level hotels, the latter were happy about this.

The Ritz Carlton hotel on Booking.com indicates the cost of a room from 35 to 112 thousand rubles per night on October 8. In total, the hotel has 334 rooms.

It is worth recalling that in early 2017, the Saudi king had already taken a 31-day trip to Asia. In order for the trip to be as 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 age of the monarch is 81 years.

The retinue of the king of Saudi Arabia during his visit to Moscow will occupy all the free rooms of five-star hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square, including one of the hotels - completely. This was reported by Business FM on October 4.

The visit of the royal person will last from 4 to 7 October. Already now in the area of ​​Manezhnaya Square, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most there are no free rooms in five-star hotels such as Four Seasons, St. Regis and National - those in which the delegation from Saudi Arabia will stay. In total, the Saudi mission will number about a thousand people. And for the king himself, all the rooms of the Ritz Carlton hotel were purchased until October 7th.

For the first time, two additional questions were included in the survey of metropolitan travel agencies organized by BANKO following the results of the summer season, the answers to which made it possible to find out retail preferences in the field of MICE tourism and work with VIP clients.

According to the site Yunis Teymurkhanly, owner and general director of the Helvetia hotel in St. Petersburg, such measures are dictated by the requirements of protocols for the placement of persons of this level. “As a rule, figures of this magnitude stay at official residences on the territory of the visited states, where maximum security can be ensured. But the final choice of accommodation facility is determined by the protocol of the two countries. The monarch's delegation may have its own security and transport considerations. In addition, the dining options at the Four Seasons and the Ritz Carlton exceed those of a government residence that is typically provided to guests of this caliber. The king will probably invite politicians and journalists to his place. In this case, his own chefs can provide food not only for a large delegation, but also for guests,” the expert said.

On October 4, an unusually high density of traffic police officers could already be observed on the roads of Moscow, which is likely due to increased security measures. According to Vadim Prasov, vice-president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia, there will certainly be traffic problems in the center, but Moscow, as a capital city, is used to this. “The delegation is really large, and none of the status guests wants to live in “three rubles”. Hoteliers, of course, will not have any objections,” commented the expert.

On Booking.com, rooms at the Ritz Carlton hotel on October 8 can cost from 35 to 112 thousand rubles per night. The hotel has 334 rooms.

Recall that earlier this year, the Saudi king undertook a 31-day trip to Asia, in which he was accompanied by 459 tons of luggage, including two elevators and two Mercedes-Benz S600 cars, as well as a retinue of 1,500 people. The monarch is 81 years old.