It’s a game of thobes in Beverly Hills.
A Saudi royal and his ex-wife are in court over the fate of a massive 18-bedroom compound. Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is suing ex-wife Fahdah Husain Abdulrahman Al-Athel over the 2.3-acre estate, which includes two mansions. The lawsuit, filed in a Delaware court, seeks to stop Al-Athel from selling the property and collect all the proceeds, according to Bloomberg.
The couple bought the massive estate in 2011 through a Delaware entity for $16.8 million, and the prince reportedly sunk $41 million worth of work into it. That included new “audio-visual systems” and $1.3 million worth of lighting, furnishings and accessories.
The couple divorced in 2016 and Prince Faisal — a son of King Abdullah, who died in 2015 — wants to recover his investment.
He also accused his ex-wife of being “grossly negligent in failing to maintain the property,” and for failing to pay taxes on it, which damaged its value.
The Beverly Park Homeowners Association also placed a $14,450 lien on the property in early 2017, citing five months of unpaid dues. That came out to $2,500-$2,800 per month, according to property records.
Hilton & Hyland has a listing for the property at $20 million.
Agent David Kramer said in a listing the property is 29,000 square feet over 3 acres. Kramer said each of the two homes opens with a “grand two-story foyer,” and that a plan exists to convert the property into a single-family residence.
There’s little public info about Al-Athel, but Prince Faisal’s most recent government post in Saudi Arabia was as chief of the Saudi Red Crescent, a position he left in 2016.
They aren’t the only Saudi royals active in Los Angeles.
The Beverly Hills estate of late Saudi Prince Saud al-Faisal and his widow Princess Johara bint Faisal hit the market in March for $110 million.
Another Saudi prince is in the center of a suit over square footage at a Burbank office space. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Fahd is the absentee landlord of the property. A tenant said the property manager fudged the square footage of the property on its lease and is overcharging it rent. [Bloomberg] – Dennis Lynch