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 a hotel 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 which some kind of malfunction occurred 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 the seaside resort on 7 planes: five carried the royal retinue of four hundred people, and the other two carried exclusively food, armored limousines and luggage. On average, King Fahd left about $100 million during the summer season in Marbella. 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.
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. Already now we can say with confidence that in the area of Lubyanka, Kuznetsky Most, and also Manezhnaya Square we will find a free place in the hotel top level will not work. 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 numbers - 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 the owner of one of the St. Petersburg hotels, such measures are mandatory, as they are part of the protocol requirements for accommodating persons 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 the official residences of the countries they are visiting. 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 as the king had planned for himself, it was necessary 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.
The retinue of the King of Saudi Arabia during his visit to Moscow will occupy all the available rooms of five-star hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square, including one of the hotels completely. Business FM reported this on October 4.
The royal visit will last from October 4 to 7. Already, in the area of Manezhnaya Square, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most there are no vacancies in five-star hotels such as Four Seasons, St. Regis and National - those where the delegation from Saudi Arabia will stay. In total, the Saudi mission will number about a thousand people. And for the king himself, all rooms at the Ritz Carlton hotel were purchased until October 7.
For the first time, the questionnaire for a survey of capital travel agencies organized by BANKO following the summer season included two additional questions, the answers to which made it possible to determine retail preferences in the field of MICE tourism and working with VIP clients.
As Yunis Teymurkhanly, the owner and general director of the St. Petersburg Helvetia Hotel, told the website, such measures are dictated by the requirements of the protocols for accommodating persons of this level. “As a rule, figures of this magnitude stay in 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 considerations and transport accessibility. In addition, the dining facilities at the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton hotels exceed those of a state residence typically afforded to guests of this caliber. The king will probably invite politicians and journalists. In this case, his own cooks 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 Moscow roads, which was probably due to increased security measures. According to Vadim Prasov, vice-president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia, traffic difficulties will probably arise in the center, but Moscow is like capital city I'm used to it. “The delegation is really large, and none of the high-status guests wants to live in three-ruble apartments.” Hoteliers, naturally, will not have any objections,” the expert commented.
On Booking.com, rooms at the Ritz Carlton hotel as of October 8 can cost from 35 to 112 thousand rubles per night. The hotel has 334 rooms.
Let us remember that earlier this year, the Saudi king undertook a 31-day trip to Asia, during 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.
https://www.site/2017-10-06/podschitano_razmechenie_saudovskogo_korolya_so_svitoy_v_otelyah_moskvy_oboshlos_v_3_3_mln
It is estimated that the accommodation of the Saudi king and his retinue 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 thousand people stayed at the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, National, the statement said. From 2.2 million to 3.3 million dollars was the cost of living in all rooms Hotel Four Seasons, as well as in suites, standard and superior rooms at the Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, National.
The cost of accommodation for three nights in just one Four Seasons, the rooms of which were purchased in full for the delegation, could be $738 thousand, 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, the service suggested that the furnishings in the rooms were changed especially for the king’s arrival: carpets were added, the furniture was changed.
The 81-year-old King of Saudi Arabia, Salman Ben-Abdel Aziz Al Saud, arrived in Russia the day before. He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. As Kommersant reports, following 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 concluded 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 thousand 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.
Salman Al Saud is the first Saudi monarch to visit Russia. They are preparing for his visit with all care. Special billboards with greetings even appeared at Vnukovo airport
King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdul Al Saud. Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
The Saudi king flies to Russia. Salman Al Saud will be the first Saudi monarch to set foot on our soil. Can we say that the arrival was delayed and what to expect from Saudi delegation?
For several days now, billboards with Russian text and Arabic script have been hanging near the Vnukovo airport: “We welcome the custodian of two Islamic shrines in Russia,” and in the background is a smiling King Salman Al Saud. In Russia, people have been waiting for the monarch. Previously, Putin met only with Crown Prince Mohammed in 2004 in Moscow and two years ago in Sochi. And then, finally, the king himself. Why only now?
Professor of the Department of International Economic Relations, Institute of Asian and African Countries, Moscow State University. Lomonosov“This is connected with many things, because when the Crown Prince was here, we agreed, say, to create a joint fund in the field of oil. There are very large funds involved; both sides must invest over $1 billion. Among other things, the king of Saudi Arabia understands perfectly well that it is necessary to negotiate with Russia on Syrian issues. The king must test the waters to see how far our ties with the same Iran go, and whether Iran will lay claim to some special role in Syria after the completion of the military operation against the Islamic State.”
Salman is 81 and rarely travels outside the country. According to Arab media, after suffering a stroke, the monarch suffered greatly. It is believed that the king suffers from Alzheimer's disease. However, Salman's condition does not change the status of the meeting.
associate professor of the department general history RSUH“The Queen of England visited us in 1994, but this is the first time the Saudi king is coming. This means everything will be widescreen. There will be a guard of honor, there will be a whole range of pompous protocol events. They can even give you a mini-tour. It all depends on the state of health of the king; it is not so much the guards who are important there as the doctors. Yes, he is of advanced age, plus he is a sick man. Ours, too, have probably prepared some kind of ward at the Central Clinical Hospital just in case, it’s just not advertised.”
All the rooms of the Ritz Hotel were purchased for the king.-Carlton until October 7th. It’s not just a delegation flying: the entire color of the country. For example, during a March visit to Japan, the king traveled to Tokyo on ten planes and transported 450 tons of luggage. He talks about the intricacies of the Saudi protocol former ambassador Russia in Saudi Arabia Andrey Baklanov:
Andrey Baklanov former Russian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia“The Saudis are distinguished by their particularly painstaking approach to preparing and conducting top-level visits. Everything must be planned out and then, according to this carefully thought-out scenario, implemented. They first send a large advance group to the country where the event will take place, which works in different areas of the program. Accompanies pretty a large number of family members of the ruling dynasty and officials - employees of ministries and departments, and business representatives, and simply people who perform technical services.”
The king’s visit will be such that one can only sympathize with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who will also arrive in Moscow.
