For years, news of the Arab Playboys have frequented headlines but disappeared quickly, dissolving into the magnitude of more ‘relevant’ news. But the death of Prince Rashid bin Hassan on 19 September has reminded the world of the excessive lifestyle of the oil-rich Royals of the Middle East. Prince Rashid, who died of a heart attack and lived a life amply accessorised with racehorses, fast cars, and beautiful women, was a persistent drug abuser and sex addict.

In light of their playboy lifestyles periodically hitting the news, here are 10 things the world media knows about the charming and filthy rich Arab playboys:

1. Every summer, a flock of Arab playboys make their way over to London to escape the intense heat of the Middle East – and spend a ridiculous amount of money on Western debaucheries.
2. An annual summer ritual, the influx of the millionaires into London is noted by the appearance of  ridiculously customised luxury cars which are parked outside London’s landmarks.Think gold-plated Range Rovers.
3. The cars are flown from the playboys’ country of origin –  Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait – to London for the summer at cost of around R400 000.
4. The noise and irritation of their cars have got a lot of Londoners in trouble – one elderly woman was accused of keying a car after it had sped up and down Sloane Road and upset her.
5. Most of them are aged between 21 and 25, and go to London to let their hair down, because life back home is actually very strict and quite dull. If it is raining a lot they’ll get bored and head to the South of France after a couple of weeks.
6. A lot of them stay in investment properties that they own, or else they take suites at the big hotels. The Dorchester is very popular because there is a car park out the front.
7. They are very sheltered. They are not really paranoid, but they are private. They don’t want anyone to know who they are or what they are doing. They give a lot of one-word answers. They are happy for people to look at their cars, but they wouldn’t tell just anyone their name.
8. Majed Abdulaziz Al-Saud was reportedly accused of attempting to force an employee to give him oral sex, before more reports of him sexually accosting five women surfaced.
9. This was just weeks after Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar’s ruling family fled the U.S. after being accused of drag racing his yellow Ferrari through LA while staying at the Beverly Wilshire hotel.
10. The men are not the only ones who have spending problems: Princess Maha bint Mohammed bin Ahmad al-Sudairi, sister-in-law of the late King Abdullah, reportedly attempted to flee Paris’s five-star Shangri-La Hotel, where she and her retinue had occupied 41 rooms for five months—leaving behind a bill of more than $7 million.

I wonder how a reality show on them would go down.

[source: thedailybeast]