An inquest in London has determined that a member of the Saudi royal family died after ingesting a fatal combination of alcohol and recreational drugs following months of substance abuse treatment at exclusive British clinics. Prince Abdullah bin Fahad, a member of the extended Saudi royal lineage through the Jalawi branch, aged 29, was discovered unresponsive in a bathroom at the Marriott Hotel in Kensington on Nov. 25, 2025.
Assistant Coroner Jean Harkin delivered a verdict of death by misadventure at Inner West London Coroner’s Court, stating she did not believe the prince had intended to take his own life. Post-mortem examination established that cardiac arrest triggered by multi-drug ingestion was the medical cause of death.
Treatment at Elite Facilities
Before his death, the prince underwent extensive rehabilitation. He entered the Priory Clinic in Roehampton, southwest London, as an inpatient in August 2025, where weekly costs can reach £35,000. Treatment there focused on eliminating his dependence on alcohol, benzodiazepines and pregabalin, an anti-anxiety medication.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Chamorro testified that detox had “proceeded without physical side effects.” She characterized the prince as supportive and kind toward others. Though he showed symptoms of low mood and anxiety upon admission, he was not deemed a suicide risk when discharged. He departed the facility with a friend but missed subsequent Zoom appointments, though Dr. Chamorro indicated his treatment had progressed successfully, with his recovery proceeding as expected and his full treatment course completed without raising any alarms.
After leaving the Priory, the prince received care at a rehabilitation facility in St. Helens, Merseyside—Rainford Hall—where weekly private care is priced at £7,000. During that stay, he was treated for an upper respiratory tract infection and subsequently recovered, departing the facility on Oct. 14.
Fatal Substance Levels in System
Toxicology testing revealed alarming concentrations of multiple substances. The prince’s blood alcohol content measured 222mg per 100ml of blood—nearly triple England’s 80mg legal drink-drive threshold. The inquest heard this level alone could potentially induce a coma.
Additionally, potentially fatal quantities of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), known as a “party drug,” were detected. Cannabis traces were also present, along with non-prescribed quantities of alprazolam (the drug marketed as Xanax) and additional benzodiazepines at levels consistent with personal use. The court heard he had been struggling with dependencies involving alcohol and alprazolam.
Final Days at Kensington Hotel
The prince, a descendant of King Salman’s great-great-grandfather, had reserved a room at the Marriott Hotel, which charges £600 per night, checking in on Nov. 19, 2025, with plans for a seven-day reservation. CCTV footage captured his last confirmed sighting on the evening of Nov. 24, 2025, when he went outdoors briefly for a cigarette and then re-entered the building by himself. A cleaner discovered his fully clothed body on the bathroom floor of his locked fifth-floor room the following day.
Emergency personnel and hotel security arrived at the room, and efforts were made to resuscitate him, but he was declared deceased on site.
Post-mortem examination found no acute or chronic illnesses, determining his cardiac arrest stemmed directly from the drug and alcohol combination. In reaching her conclusion, Harkin observed that documentation from the Priory and Rainford Hall showed his treatment had not raised red flags, that he had never expressed suicidal intentions to staff or others, and that investigators discovered no suicide note in his hotel room. Surveillance video documenting his solitary return to the hotel the evening prior to his death eliminated the possibility of foul play. Harkin offered her condolences to the prince’s family.
On December 2, the Saudi Royal Court released a formal declaration regarding his passing, stating he had died while abroad. The prince was remembered by acquaintances as someone who maintained a low profile within the extended royal family while discreetly supporting philanthropic work. A funeral prayer was held at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh—a venue that typically hosts services for prominent figures—with Saudi media reporting that a large number of princes and officials attended to reflect the family’s unity.