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Saudi King Salman’s Golden Escalator Awkwardly Breaks In Russia

Saudi King Salman’s Golden Escalator Awkwardly Breaks In Russia

He stood still for 20 seconds before walking down the stairs

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

When you have enough money to step out onto your very own golden escalator then you know you're living the good life. However, when tons of people come to see you descend these holy stairs, they expect to see you do just that, while waving to the plebs below.

Spare a thought, then, for Saudi Arabia's King Salman, who had a fairly awkward arrival into Russia when he disembarked his plane and got 'stuck' on his golden escalator.

Credit: BBC

The 81-year-old is obviously frail in his old age and needs the escalator because walking down the stairs appears quite difficult. Even so, you can't help but cringe at the painfully awkward moment when the mechanism stops midway.

Clearly money can't buy everything - certainly not a working escalator. People on social media weren't very sympathetic to his troubles, however.

One person wrote: "Meanwhile people are starving all over the world - and he has a gold elevator on the plane. How abhorrent is that?"

Another added: "Some die of hunger while others have golden escalators and don't even know how to spend their money anymore."

King Salman apparently waited at that spot for about 20 seconds before eventually walking down the steps to be greeted by Russian delegates, including President Vladimir Putin. The golden escalator wasn't the only thing the King brought with him - he also came with his own carpets, along with a 1,500-strong entourage for the four-day visit.

King Salman
King Salman

Credit: PA

It's the first time a member of the Saudi monarchy has travelled to Russia, with Mr Putin heralding it as a 'landmark event'. According to the Independent, the pair aimed to heal their relationship after years of bitter opposition surrounding the Syrian civil war.

While a golden escalator is pretty fly, it's not the first time King Salman has shown off his extreme wealth. The Daily Mail reported in 2014 that he spent £18 million ($23m) on renting three islands in the Maldives for nearly a month. The monarch also allegedly brought a floating hospital (a floating fucking hospital!), a luxury yacht and more than 100 bodyguards.

The booking meant everyone else's existing reservation had to be cancelled, leading to plenty of negative reviews.

Regardless of his extravagance, King Salman was the person behind the recent decree allowing women the right to drive in Saudi Arabia. The change will come into place in June of next year and was announced on state television and in a simultaneous media event in Washington.

Credit: BBC, The Independent, Daily Mail

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Saudi Arabia, vladimir putin, Russia