Saudi royals end feud over 'plaything' Beverly Hills estate

California

TWO Saudi royals at loggerheads over an 18-bedroom Beverly Hills compound put their disputes over the property and its potential sale behind them.

Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and his ex-wife, Fahdah Husain Abdulrahman Al-Athel, agreed to settle a 3-year-old lawsuit in Delaware Chancery Court over who should pay for renovations, court filings show.

The terms of the settlement are confidential, but a judge concluded the accord was "fair, reasonable and adequate, and in the best interests" of the warring royals, according to the filing Tuesday (Feb 1). A trial date in the case had been set for March.

The couple, who got married in 2001, bought the more than 27,000-square-foot structure in California, located at 76 Beverly Park Lane, in October 2011 for US$16.8 million through a Delaware company. The pair were divorced in 2016.

The property has 2 separate mansions on 2.3 acres, and includes 28 bathrooms. The neighbours in the gated community include actor Mark Wahlberg, Platinum Equity fund chief executive officer Tom Gores and ex-San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds.

Prince Faisal accused his former wife of failing to properly maintain the property and pay taxes on it. He also demanded the return of a US$41 million loan designated for renovations. The couple also clashed over who had the right to sell the compound, according to court filings. It's currently listed for sale for about US$20 million.

The princess's lawyer argued in court in 2020 the property's deterioration is the fault of her ex-husband, whom he described as one of the world's wealthiest men.

The prince ignored the compound's condition, allowing utilities to be shut off, creating a wildfire hazard by neglecting landscaping and racking up thousands of dollars in fines from the local homeowners' association.

That group includes the "creme de la creme of American corporate society", and they are unhappy with the royals for buying the compound "as a plaything" and then letting it go to "hell in a handbasket", said Steven Caponi, the princess's attorney at the time, according to a transcript.

Prince Faisal is the son of the late Saudi King Abdullah and has previously been detained by Saudi officials without any charges being made public, according to the advocacy group Human Rights Watch. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has overseen a widespread crackdown to suppress domestic dissent, detaining many of his family members alongside businessmen, activists and writers and stripping some royals of their wealth. BLOOMBERG