UK inquest rules Saudi prince’s death accidental after alcohol, drugs overdose

A UK coroner has ruled that Saudi Prince Abdullah bin Fahad bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Jalawi Al Saud died accidentally after consuming a combination of alcohol, Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and prescription medication while staying at a luxury hotel in London.

The 29-year-old prince was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of his room at the Marriott Hotel in Kensington on November 25, 2025, after a hotel cleaner entered the locked room. Paramedics attempted to revive him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

An inquest at the Inner West London Coroner’s Court concluded that the prince died from multi-drug ingestion, with Assistant Coroner Jean Harkin recording a verdict of death by misadventure, indicating the death was accidental.

Evidence presented during the hearing showed that Prince Abdullah had checked into the hotel on November 19 for a week-long stay and was last seen on CCTV the previous evening when he briefly stepped outside to smoke before returning to the hotel alone.

Investigators said the footage, along with other evidence, ruled out the involvement of any third party.

Toxicology tests revealed the prince had a blood alcohol concentration of 222 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, nearly three times England’s legal drink-driving limit. Experts told the court that the alcohol level alone could have induced a coma.

Medical examinations also detected high levels of GHB, commonly known as a party drug, as well as traces of cannabis, Xanax (alprazolam) and other anti-anxiety medications.

A post-mortem examination found no underlying acute or chronic medical condition, with medical experts concluding that the combined effects of alcohol and multiple drugs triggered a fatal cardiac arrest.

The inquest heard that Prince Abdullah had previously struggled with alcohol misuse and dependence on Xanax.

He reportedly underwent treatment at the Priory Clinic in Roehampton in August 2025, where he completed a detoxification programme for alcohol, benzodiazepines and pregabalin.

After leaving the clinic, he also received treatment at Rainford Hall Clinic in Merseyside before being discharged in October.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Victoria Chamorro told the court that the prince had been admitted with symptoms of anxiety and low mood but responded well to treatment and completed his rehabilitation programme.

She said he was assessed as not being at risk of suicide at the time of his discharge, although he later failed to attend scheduled online follow-up appointments.

Delivering her findings, Assistant Coroner Harkin said there was no evidence that the prince intended to end his life.

She noted that investigators found no suicide note, no indication of suicidal intent and no evidence that anyone else had entered the hotel room before his death.

The Saudi Royal Court announced Prince Abdullah’s death on December 2, saying he had died outside the Kingdom.

Funeral prayers were later held at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh and attended by members of the Saudi royal family and senior government officials.