Riyadh’s ‘luxury prison’ is set to reopen on Feb 11

riyadh — Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton will reopen on February 11, the hotel said on Sunday, more than three months after it became a holding place of princes and ministers detained in an anticorruption purge.

The luxury hotel was closed for business since the unprecedented probe was launched on November 4 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

A hotel receptionist reached by phone confirmed that room bookings were available from noon on February 11. The Ritz-Carlton’s website had last month listed rooms as available from February 14. On Sunday it showed availability from February 11.

Many of the high-profile suspects, including billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, have been released in recent weeks in exchange for what officials have dubbed financial settlements.

Attorney-General Sheikh Saud Al Mojeb has said $107 billion has been recovered so far in the crackdown in various forms of assets handed over that included property, securities and cash. —