Ritz-Carlton Has Become a Gilded Cage for Saudi Royals<br />6, 2017<br />From the stately rows of palm trees on its 52-acre grounds to the grand double staircase to the glittering ballroom chandeliers, it is easy to see why the<br />six-year-old Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, has played host to billionaires, heads of state and members of the Saudi royal family.<br />In a shaky video that appears from its metadata to have been shot early Monday morning in the hotel’s Ballroom B, people can be seen<br />lying on mats covered with brightly colored blankets in floral motifs while guards in dark uniforms are visible in the background.<br />The hotel’s website said on Monday: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, the hotel’s internet<br />and telephone lines are currently disconnected until further notice." A spokesman for the hotel did not immediately respond to a request on Monday night for a comment about the detained guests.<br />Saudi Arabia finds itself in the midst of a crackdown on corruption<br />that began on Saturday night with the arrest of dozens of people, at least 11 of whom were princes, including the billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.<br />Ballroom B, where the video footage appears to have been taken, is just shy of 20,000 square feet,<br />and can be used as a banquet room seating 1,400 people or a reception accommodating 2,000 people.
