MOSCOW, October 3 – RIA Novosti. During the king's visit to Moscow Saudi Arabia his retinue will occupy all the available rooms in five-star hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square, including one of the hotels in its entirety, hotel representatives told RIA Novosti.

According to a source close to the organizers of the visit, in many rooms the furnishings will be changed to something more familiar to guests, in an oriental style. Moreover, for several high-ranking members of the delegation, their favorite carpets will be brought specially from Saudi Arabia.

There are already no vacancies in five-star hotels in the area of ​​Manezhnaya Square, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most. The RIA correspondent visited several hotels, including Four Seasons,St. Regis, "National" - those where the delegation from Saudi Arabia will stay. "The most early booking available from October 6,” RIA Novosti was told at the reception of one of the hotels.

In total, the Saudi delegation will number about a thousand people, a source told RIA Novosti. Most of the delegation will be accommodated in hotels in close proximity to the Kremlin.

One of these hotels, with about 200 rooms, will be fully occupied.

It is already impossible to rent a hotel room for any money on the dates of the king’s visit. The reservation department of RIA Novosti explained that the situation of a complete lack of rooms rarely occurs, and it is associated with the “check-in large groups". Now all rooms are sold out until October 8, the reservation department offered to check in for later dates.

The cost of a double room in the hotel starts from 41 thousand rubles per night. A room with a view of Manezhnaya Square costs 59 thousand, with a view of the Kremlin and Alexander Garden - 137 thousand. The most expensive and spacious rooms (about 500 square meters in area) cost about a million rubles per day (the price depends on the season and occupancy of the hotel). They are considered the most expensive hotel rooms in Russia.

“The hotel has been completely rented by the king’s entourage,” one of the hotel representatives told RIA Novosti. The hotel management had to cancel several events for these days - private banquets and weddings were planned at the hotel. In addition, pork dishes have been removed from the hotel menu.

Now there is increased security at the entrance to the hotel and around it; people are allowed into the hotel only upon presentation of a guest card.

In addition, a source close to the organizers of the visit said that in some rooms the stop will be changed from European to Oriental, and the Saudi delegation is also bringing its own carpets and furniture.

Michal Szmetz, general manager of one of the hotels in the Asian region, told RIA Novosti that replacing furniture in rooms or even plumbing fixtures is a common practice for wealthy guests, especially from the Middle East. “Carpets and low trestle beds are more comfortable for them. If necessary, we change the furniture at our own expense. The old furniture is sent to the warehouse, and in its place we install new furniture in the oriental style. After the departure of distinguished guests, of course, no one throws out the “oriental” furniture - it is also sent to the warehouse until new guests arrive,” said Shmets.

Also in Moscow, posters appeared with greetings from the “Russian-Saudi Investment Fund” addressed to “the custodian of the two Islamic shrines, His Majesty King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.” The poster is made in Russian and Arabic and is decorated with a portrait of the king.

Earlier, Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said that the visit of the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to Moscow will take place on October 5. A RIA Novosti source reported that the king will visit Moscow on October 4-7. According to him, a meeting between Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Russian President Vladimir Putin is planned, and a package of documents is being prepared for signing.

Before the meeting between the President of the Russian Federation and the King of Saudi Arabia, a Russian-Saudi investment forum will be held on October 5, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, told reporters. In addition, the week of Saudi culture is taking place in Moscow all week.

According to press reports, on the eve of the king's visit to Indonesia in March this year, 459 tons of various equipment were delivered to Jakarta from Saudi Arabia, including two Mercedes S600s and two electric elevators. The Saudi delegation numbered 800 people, including 10 ministers and 25 princes. 27 flights were made to deliver people and goods to Jakarta.

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

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 visits top level. 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.

Russian officials prepared an impressive reception for the 81-year-old monarch of Saudi Arabia, Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud, who arrived in Moscow the day before on a state visit. In the Russian capital these days, in the New Manege, the widely publicized Saudi Arabian Culture Week is taking place, an exhibition of national art of this country is opening, the whole city is covered with posters in Arabic, and on the way from Vnukovo-2 airport, the king was greeted by billboards with his own photographs.

Moscow welcomes the king on a scale that is rarely accorded to foreign leaders. The Saudi delegation, with its grandiose travel style, has taken over the entire Moscow Ritz-Carlton, reports The Washington Post. And this is not surprising, because the monarch of the richest Arab country is used to traveling with appropriate ceremonies: for example, for a visit to Japan this spring, the king and his delegation needed 10 planes, 500 tons of luggage and 1,200 rooms in best hotels. And to Indonesia, the king brought 1,500 accompanying people, including 25 princes, and 450 tons of things, in particular two Mercedes-Benz S600 cars and two escalators. Such a special personal ladder also came to Russia, but refused to work on Russian soil.

During the visit of the King of Saudi Arabia, all the available rooms in the most fashionable hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square were occupied by his retinue. In five-star hotels Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, St. Regis, "National" in the area of ​​Manezhnaya Square, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most there are no free places left - such a situation with a complete lack of rooms rarely occurs. All issues are sold out until October 7th.

A representative of one of the hotels said that the hotel management had to cancel several events that were planned for these days. Pork dishes have been removed from the hotel menu. And the furnishings in many rooms were changed to something more familiar to guests - in oriental style. Moreover, their favorite carpets were brought specially from Saudi Arabia for several high-ranking members of the delegation, RIA Novosti reports.

The cost of a double room in this hotel starts from 41 thousand rubles per night. A room with a view of Manezhnaya Square costs 59 thousand, with a view of the Kremlin and Alexander Garden - 137 thousand. The most expensive and spacious rooms (about 500 square meters in area) cost about a million rubles per day.

In total, the Saudi delegation numbers about a thousand people, and all of them had to be accommodated in hotels in close proximity to the Kremlin.

Not just a delegation, but the entire elite of Saudi Arabia arrived in Moscow. As former Russian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Andrei Baklanov told BFM, “The Saudis are distinguished by a particularly painstaking approach to preparing and conducting top-level visits.” “Everything must be planned out and then, according to this carefully thought-out scenario, carried out. They first send a large advance group to the country where the event will take place, which works in different areas of the program. Accompanying a fairly large number of family members of the ruling dynasty and officials - employees of ministries and departments, business representatives and just people who perform technical services,” says Baklanov.

The cost of accommodation for King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his retinue during his visit to Moscow from October 5 to 7 could be up to $3.3 million, according to a study conducted for RBC by specialists from the OneTwoTrip travel service.

Earlier, RIA Novosti reported that the Saudi king and a thousand people in his retinue will occupy all the available rooms in five-star hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square. They will stay at the Four Seasons (Moscow), Ritz Carlton, St. Regis Nikolskaya and National. In particular, the delegation completely rented the Four Seasons Hotel. The cost of the presidential suite alone is 1 million rubles.

“Depending on the accommodation, 1 thousand guests will need from 500 to 1 thousand rooms. Including accommodation in all Four Seasons rooms and suites at the Ritz Carlton, St. Regis and National provide about 326 rooms, that is, to accommodate the entire delegation, at least another 430 rooms of a different category are needed in these three hotels,” experts calculated.

If we take into account the cost of not only suites, but also standard and superior rooms, as well as a markup for group accommodation from 10 to 50%, then the total cost of accommodation for the Saudi delegation could range from $2.2 million to $3.3 million, experts say.

According to Kommersant, the furnishings in some rooms will be changed especially for the king’s arrival: carpets will be added, furniture will be changed. “The cost of such a transformation is difficult to calculate. We can talk about tens of thousands of dollars,” say OneTwoTrip experts.

According to Kommersant, Saudi prince Al-Waleed, nephew of the King of Saudi Arabia, owns a stake in the network Four hotels Seasons. “Without a doubt, this will make adjustments to the final price,” says the study received by RBC.

A slight drop in the ratings of specific hotels due to the inability of regular guests to check in for this period “will be more than compensated by income from the accommodation of delegations,” Vyacheslav Sapozhnikov, editor-in-chief of the industry portal Hotelier.PRO, told RBC. According to him, the reputation of hotels is a “long-lasting issue.”

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's visit to Moscow following the incident at Vnukovo-2 airport. When the king got off the plane and began to go down the escalator, it broke and the monarch had to go down on his own. As RBC Advisor to the Administrative Director of the President of Russia Elena Krylova, the Saudi Arabian delegation brought an escalator with them, but she could not clarify the cause of the breakdown.

During his visit, the King of Saudi Arabia held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin press service reported that increasing bilateral cooperation in the trade, economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian spheres will be discussed, and joint documents will also be signed.

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 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.