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A Peek Inside a Saudi Prince's $485 Million Flying Palace

BY Cliff KuangFri Jun 5, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Steam room? Check. Concert hall? Check. Garage for Rolls? Check.

Custom Airbus A380

It's a long flight from Saudi Arabia to Le Cap d'Antibes or Monaco or London--what's a Saudi prince drowning in petro-dollars to do? Buy a custom flying palace naturally, so that no moment passes without the comforts of home.

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud spent $485 million on the custom Airbus A380, with interior and amenities designed by British firm Design Q. Now, courtesy of the Daily Mail--which previously brought you a sneak peak at Obama's limo--we've been treated to a tour of the prince's flying mansion.

The plane usually seats 600, but lots of room had to be cleared for various perks. Naturally, there's an on-board garage, so that the prince can be driven right to the threshold of of the airplane's elevator. After arrival, he can retire to his master suite--one of five with king-size beds, and computer generated prayer mats which always face Mecca (one must always be humble); up to 20 extra-guests have to make due in sleepers that are the equivalent of first class.

But the real insanity begins elsewhere on the plane's three floors: There's a concert hall that seats ten and has a baby grand piano; a boardroom with a holographic projector; and a full-size steamroom. The most entertaining perk is a "Wellbeing Room" which has a floor upon which is projected an enormous image of what the plane is flying over--thus creating a "magic carpet" effect.

Related: How the Rich Guys Fly: Sneak Peek at SWISS's New First Class Cabin

[Via Gizmodo]

Topics:

Design, how the rich guys fly, Luxury, Saudi Arabia, Airplane Interiors, Design Q, interior design, Innovation, Technology, London, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Saudi Arabia, Monaco, Barack Obama


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Recent Comments | 3 Total

June 5, 2009 at 6:53pm by John Singh

haa.. Why Not, its not like its hard earned money for the Prince... the funny thing about the world is that people who are self-made are humble (for example Warren Buffet and Bill Gates who have donated their entire wealth to charity) and then you have people like this Price who are extreamly spoilt and have not value or appreciation for wealth and are an ego quest to be the greatest by means of material conquests...