Saudi prince's NY apartment on sale for US$48.5m

New York

A LUXURIOUS New York apartment, reportedly the property of Saudi royalty and furnished with bullet-proof panic rooms and a sushi island bar, is on the market for an eye-watering US$48.5 million.

The palatial pad, which has three storeys and two inbuilt saltwater aquariums, offers a tantalising glimpse into custom-made luxury on offer in New York's cut-throat property market.

US media named the owner as Saudi Prince Nawaf bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. The Wall Street Journal said that the prince was the principal of the corporation listed as the apartment's owner.

The 20-room apartment takes up 10,500 square feet and has four bedrooms and 10 bathrooms on Manhattan's Upper West Side, according to the listing from Douglas Elliman. It comes with a jacuzzi, gym, venting cigar room, billiards room, massage and treatment room, steam room and pedicure tub, the listing said.

Described as "one-of-a-kind" with an "opulent" finish, it commands stunning views of the Hudson River and has a dining room that can seat 16. Alcohol may be illegal in Saudi Arabia, but the lounge boasts a marble-topped bar which, according to the listing, "invites one to cozy up and enjoy a cocktail as the sun sets". There is another full bar downstairs to service the hot tub.

The master suite includes a spa bath and steam shower, private sitting room, grooming room and twin powder rooms. The apartment's heat, air conditioning, lights and music can all be controlled remotely by the touch of a tablet or smart phone.

The triplex is in the 31-storey Heritage building at tycoon Donald Trump's eponymous Trump Place just steps from Riverside Park. Douglas Elliman refused to comment on the owner but The Wall Street Journal quoted a rival agent as saying that he rarely used the apartment, and was therefore selling up. AFP