King Mohammed of Morocco, one of the world’s richest monarchs, has bought a mansion by the Eiffel Tower from the Saudi royal family for a figure said to be over €80 million.
Mohammed, 57, whose entourage likes him to be called “the king of the poor”, negotiated the sale of the 12-bedroom town house by the Champ de Mars directly with Khalid bin Sultan, a former Saudi defence minister and member of the ruling house of Saud.
The king’s purchase of the house, complete with gardens, pool, spa and games room, was confirmed by Paris property agents after it was leaked in African media, prompting sarcasm from critics of the Moroccan regime. In Morocco, which ranks 121st in the United Nations’ human development index, 10