A Saudi prince who was found dead in a luxury London hotel last year died after suffering a cardiac arrest caused by a combination of drugs and alcohol, an inquest has heard.
Prince Abdullah bin Fahad bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Jalawi al Saud, 29, was discovered on the bathroom floor of his room at the Marriott Hotel in Kensington on November 25 after arriving for a week-long stay. A cleaner found him unresponsive before paramedics attended the scene, but he was pronounced dead despite emergency efforts.
A toxicology examination found he had a blood alcohol level of 222mg per 100ml of blood, nearly three times England’s legal drink-driving limit. The inquest heard that this level alone could have caused a coma. Tests also found a fatal concentration of Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), as well as traces of cannabis and anti-anxiety medications, including Xanax.
The court heard the prince had struggled with alcohol misuse and Xanax before his death. He had been admitted to the Priory Clinic in Roehampton several months earlier, where he underwent detoxification from alcohol, benzodiazepines and pregabalin. Consultant psychiatrist Dr Victoria Chamorro said: “He was assessed as having symptoms of low mood and anxiety on admission.
“When he was discharged he was considered not to be at risk of suicide. He was discharged with a friend but then failed to attend scheduled Zoom appointments. Nevertheless there was no concern for him. He engaged well and completed his treatment.” She also confirmed he had recovered from an upper respiratory tract infection before leaving the clinic.
The Saudi Royal Court later announced his death in an official statement, saying: “Prince Abdullah bin Fahd bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Musaid bin Jalawi Al Saud has passed away to the mercy of Almighty God, outside the Kingdom.” The statement added that funeral prayers would be held at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.Assistant Coroner Jean Harkin concluded there was no evidence the prince intended to end his life and recorded a verdict of death by misadventure, with the medical cause of death listed as multi-drug ingestion. She added: “I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the family of Abdullah.”