A Saudi prince died in a London hotel room from a cardiac arrest brought on by a combination of alcohol, GHB, and other substances, an inquest has found. Prince Abdullah bin Fahad bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Jalawi al Saud, 29, was discovered by a cleaner on November 25 last year in his room at the Marriott Hotel in Kensington.
An assistant coroner concluded his death was a tragic misadventure, stating there was no evidence he intended to end his life. The prince had checked into the hotel on November 19 for a week-long stay. The last confirmed sighting of him was on CCTV the evening before his discovery, leaving the hotel to smoke a cigarette alone.
Toxicology tests revealed Prince Abdullah had a blood alcohol level of 222mg per 100ml of blood, nearly three times England's legal drink-drive limit. He also had potentially fatal levels of GHB in his system, along with traces of cannabis and alprazolam (Xanax) at a recreational dose. Other anti-anxiety medications were present at therapeutic levels.
The court heard that Prince Abdullah had a history of alcohol misuse and had previously undergone detoxification treatment at the Priory Clinic in Roehampton in August of the previous year. He also received treatment at the Rainford Hall clinic in St Helens. He was diagnosed with an upper respiratory tract infection before leaving the clinic on October 14.
Medical examinations found no underlying acute or chronic illnesses. The assistant coroner noted no concerns raised by his treatment centers, no expressed suicidal thoughts, and no note found in his room. CCTV footage also showed no evidence of anyone else entering his room before his death. The medical cause of death was recorded as multi-drug ingestion.