Paris store sues Saudi princess over unpaid bills

A luxury clothes store is suing a Saudi princess in the Paris courts for 89,000 euros (126,000 dollars) in unpaid bills, the shop's lawyer said Thursday.

At least one other store told AFP it was also waiting for payment of 70,000 euros, and according to media reports, the princess owes several million euros to a string of upmarket stores around the French capital.

Maha Al Sudairi, wife of Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz, had not paid the bill, which dated back more than a year, said Jacky Benazerah, the lawyer for Key Largo.

And at least one other store, a Paris jeweller, was also going to court, he added.

Although the store had started civil proceedings in the Paris courts to seize assets, but Sudairi could still claim diplomatic immunity thanks to her husband's ministerial status, said Benazerah.

The Paris court where the case has been filed refused to comment on the case. AFP could not reach Sudairi for comment Thursday evening.

Several media reports said the princess, who is based at the luxury George V hotel, owned by her nephew Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, had refused to pay bills due to several upmarket Paris stores, some due for more than a year.

The sums due amounted to several million euros, said reports.

Management at the George V refused to confirm whether or not she was there.

Jacky Giami, who runs the Key Largo, in Paris' posh 16th arrondissement, told AFP that the princess' daughter and her entourage came by the shop at the beginning of May and and chose a substantial amount of goods.

Jamila Boushaba, manager of a luxury lingerie shop "Aux caprices de Lily", told AFP the princess had run up a slate of 70,000 euros.

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READERS' COMMENTS

That is crazy
Posted by Amira, ottawa, canada on Sunday 14 June 2009 at 09:36 UAE time


how can someone spend that much money on clothes when the number of people dying from hunger is on the rise amid the financial crisis. That is crazy, look at Bill gates and what he did with his money by opening up charities and helping the needy, while miss princess here is waisting million of euros on clothes.

How come the shop gave so much credit
Posted by jac on Saturday 13 June 2009 at 06:32 UAE time


It is strange that the stores involved allowed someone to walk out with such high value merchandise without paying for it. I think the shops deserve it for their callousness. In the greed to genereate sales revenue, a lot of dealers - especially car dealer etc allow people to take merchandise away without any surety. Later on when the clients do not pay up - they cry and go to court. They should have avoided it in the first place

stuped
Posted by faddy, madrid, spain on Saturday 13 June 2009 at 06:13 UAE time


The shop owners are stuped and like to show off that they had a princess shopping in their store, if a midle class to do it ,they will not allow him, this is a good lesson. you will not get your money .

Great progress
Posted by Geriant, Dubai, UAE on Friday 12 June 2009 at 13:54 UAE time

This is wonderful news, because it shows how the kingdom has matured and become more sophisticated.. In the old days the problem wasn't unpaid bills, it was shoplifting in Harrods.

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