Flying palace: An artist's impression of what the £300 million
customised Superjumbo will look like and a few of the luxuries on board
The plane will even boast a dedicated prayer area, in which computer-generated mats move to point towards Mecca.
The Western-educated prince, 57, is known as the Warren Buffett of the
Middle East because of his reputation as a shrewd investor. He also owns
7 per cent of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation.
The new airliner joins Prince Alwaleed’s stable of private jets,
including a modified Boeing 747 and an Airbus 321. He is also the proud
owner of a 280ft superyacht, 5KR, formerly owned by Donald Trump, which
featured in the Bond film, Never Say Never Again.
Business class: The plane's boardroom features a table which functions
as a giant touchscreen and (right) a white spiral staircase winds around
the lift which travels three floors and also drops onto the tarmac to
act as the prince's private entrance
A dazzling main spiral staircase as well as a lift which will travel the
plane's three floors and lower onto the tarmac to act as the Prince's
private entrance
A Concert Hall featuring a grand piano, accoustic panelling and seating
for an audience of ten. Big name entertainers are expected to perform.
A Hamam steam room lined with marble only two millimetres thick to keep the weight down as well as a sensory area for treatments
A magnificent Wellbeing room for guests featuring a giant screen on the floor allowing them to see what they are flying over
A full size boardroom featuring a large perspex table which doubles as a huge touchscreen
A total of five luxury suites as well as a prayer room with electronic mats which automatically turn to face mecca
Ample parking space for a Rolls Royce
Night flight: The opulent jet will boast no fewer than four luxury
suites as well as a prayer room with electronic mats that automatically
turn to face mecca while (right) the stunning Well being room for guests
will feature a giant screen on the floor allowing them to see what they
are flying over
Giant of the skies: The Airbus A380 is the world's largest airliner and
has been designed to carry over 600 passengers. The basic cost is £135
million but Prince Alwaleed's plane is expected to top £300million
Airbus will deliver the extravagant toy to the prince in the New Year, a spokesman confirmed.
The prince is the first person to buy one of the luxury jumbos, estimated to have cost £240million.
The spokesman said: ‘This is the most up-to-date model you can get and
the largest civil aircraft ever. It’s huge – half again as big as a
747.’
The Airbus will be delivered to the prince ‘green’ – a basic shell ready to be furnished to the client’s desires.
Design Q, the company working on the interior, says the A380 is ‘not
only the most luxurious aircraft in existence, but also reflects the
cultural values and status of its owner’.
The plane boasts the equivalent of three tennis courts’ worth of floor
space, while the lowest cargo deck also has ample parking room.
A grand white spiral staircase will greet guests in the entrance hall.
On arrival a lift drops to the runway and a red carpet unfurls, with
downlights to ‘give the impression of turning up at the Oscars’,
according to Design Q.
The belly of the A380 has been turned into a relaxation zone, including a
Turkish bath lined with marble only 2mm thick to keep the weight down.
Next door is a wellbeing room, with the floor and walls turned into a giant screen showing the ground below.
Guests can stand on a ‘magic carpet’ and watch the journey, a scented breeze blowing into the room.
There are also about 20 ‘sleepers’ – the equivalent of First Class seats – a boardroom and a concert hall.
As the largest stakeholder in News Corp outside the Murdoch Family,
Prince Alalweed was interviewed on the deck of his yacht in Cannes by
the BBC following the phone tapping scandal.
Looking relaxed in a pair of shorts and sunglasses he famously declared
that News Corp's then chief executive Rebekah Brooks 'has to go', which
many believe effectively ended Brooks's career at the company.
A spokesman for Design Q, the Worcestershire-based company who will be
carrying out the customisation of the plane, told the Independent the
plane would be 'not only the most luxurious aircraft in existence, but
also reflects the cultural values and status of its owner.
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