A Saudi prince was discovered lying on the bathroom floor of his room at the Marriott Hotel after allegedly consuming a fatal combination of alcohol, drugs, and prescription medication in his luxury hotel in London. Blood tests placed his alcohol level at nearly three times what UK law allows for driving, one of several findings presented during the inquest into his death.
The hearing at Inner West London Coroner’s Court established that Prince Abdullah bin Fahad bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Jalawi Al Saud went into cardiac arrest after ingesting large amounts of alcohol and drugs.ย
What did the toxicology report find?
Toxicology tests showed Prince Abdullah had a blood alcohol concentration of 222 mg per 100 ml, nearly three times the legal drink-driving limit. The court heard that alcohol at this level alone could have caused a coma. Investigators also found potentially fatal levels of GHB in his system, along with traces of cannabis and the anti-anxiety medication Xanax. A post-mortem found no underlying illness, and medical evidence concluded the combination of substances led to a fatal cardiac arrest.
What happened at the hotel?
The prince had checked into the hotel on November 19 for what was meant to be a week-long stay. He was last seen on CCTV the evening before his death, stepping outside briefly for a cigarette before returning to his room alone. The following day, a hotel cleaner entered his fifth-floor room and discovered him lying fully clothed on the bathroom floor. Hotel staff alerted emergency services, and, despite efforts by paramedics to save him, he was pronounced dead at the scene on November 25 last year.
Abdullah’s drug treatment
The inquest heard that Prince Abdullah had been dealing with alcohol misuse and dependence on Xanax in the months before he died. He was admitted to the Priory Clinic in Roehampton in August 2025, where he was treated for dependence on alcohol, benzodiazepines, and pregabalin. Consultant psychiatrist Dr Victoria Chamorro told the court he had engaged well with treatment and completed it, though he later missed some follow-up appointments. After leaving, he received further care at Rainford Hall Clinic in Merseyside, where he was also treated for a respiratory infection before being discharged in October.
What did the coroner say?
Assistant coroner Jean Harkin said that there was no evidence Prince Abdullah had intended to take his own life. No note was found; he had not expressed suicidal thoughts, and CCTV confirmed he was alone in his final hours. Investigators also found no indication of anyone else’s involvement. Harkin recorded a verdict of death by misadventure, with the medical cause of death listed as multi-drug ingestion, and offered condolences to his family.
Saudi Royal Court’s announcement
The Saudi Royal Court publicly confirmed Prince Abdullah’s death on December 2, saying he had passed away outside the Kingdom. Funeral prayers were held at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, a venue commonly used for funerals of senior royal family members.
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