World's 10th richest man imprisoned in Saudi Arabia's Ritz-Carlton

Almost 50 Saudi royals and officials arrested as part of an anti-corruption purge are staying at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh.

Among them is the 10th richest man in the world, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, whose fortune is estimated at $10bn (£7.6bn).

The princes, military officials and ministers were arrested by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's anti-corruption committee as he cracks down on the establishment during his first six months in office.

The committee estimates that $100bn has been misspent through embezzlement and corruption in recent decades.

Construction tycoon Bakr Bin Laden, billionaire Saleh Kamal and Waleed al-Ibrahim, owner of the influential Arab satellite network MBC, are also reportedly in detention at the hotel, according to Australian media.

Guests staying at the Ritz-Carlton were taken in buses to other hotels, to make room for the high-profile detainees, The Guardian reported.

"By dawn on Sunday, more than 30 of Saudi Arabia's most senior figures, among them blood relatives of senior rulers, were locked inside the hotel, accused of corruption," the report read.

A senior official told the newspaper that Crown Prince Salman "couldn't have put them in the jail," as he relies on their loyalty to secure his reign. "And he would have known that. So this was the most dignified solution he could find."

Over 208 people have been called in for questioning as part of the sweeping probe, the Attorney General said on Thursday (9 November). A total of 201 people remain in detention.

"The potential scale of corrupt practices which have been uncovered is very large," he said, adding that investigations had revealed that at least $100bn has been misused through corruption and embezzlement over several decades.

An estimated 1,700 bank accounts have been frozen belonging to individuals. So far company and business accounts remain untouched.