Saudi Prince Abdullah dies in London after alleged alcohol, drug overdose
The case has drawn attention after toxicology findings revealed multiple substances in his body.
Prince Abdullah bin Fahad bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Jalawi Al Saud, 29, was found dead in the bathroom of his room at the Marriott Hotel in Kensington, west London. He had checked into the hotel on November 19, 2025, for a one-week stay.
CCTV footage showed the prince leaving the hotel to smoke a cigarette on the evening before his death. He was not seen again before hotel staff discovered him the following day.
A cleaner entered the locked fifth-floor room and found the prince fully clothed on the bathroom floor. Hotel security staff and paramedics tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Inner West London Coroner’s Court heard that toxicology tests found 222mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The level was almost three times the legal drink-driving limit of 80mg and was high enough to potentially cause a coma.
Investigators also found potentially fatal levels of Gamma-hydroxybutyrate, commonly known as GHB. Toxicology tests further detected cannabis, alprazolam, also known as Xanax, and other anti-anxiety medicines.
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The inquest heard that the prince had been struggling with alcohol and Xanax use before his death. Medical records showed he had sought professional treatment several months earlier.
In August 2025, he was admitted to the Priory Clinic in Roehampton for detox treatment. Doctors treated him for alcohol dependence, benzodiazepines and the anti-anxiety medicine pregabalin.
A consultant psychiatrist told the court that the prince responded well to treatment. He completed the detox programme without any physical side effects before leaving the clinic.
The inquest is examining the circumstances surrounding the prince’s death. Authorities have presented medical evidence as part of the investigation into what happened inside the hotel room.
The case highlights the serious risks linked to alcohol and drug misuse, even after medical treatment. The findings presented during the inquest will help explain the events that led to the prince’s death.
