London’s Les Ambassadeurs Casino Takes Saudi Sheikh to Court Over £4M Debt
A wealthy Saudi sheikh is being sued by London's upscale Les Ambassadeurs Casino, which has long been associated with the world of celebrities and nobles, for allegedly unpaid marks totaling £4 million (US$5.3 million).
According to The Daily Mail, the private club claims that Sheikh Hassan Enany, a self-described philanthropist and businessman, neglected to settle the line of credit after a gambling session in 2018.
“Les A.” as it is affectionately known by its elite clientele, was able to retrieve £200K (US$266K) from the sheikh after his initial check bounced, but since then, nada, and he has been conspicuously absent from the club, which costs more than $30K a year for premium membership.
Bond's Casino
In 2021, the venue obtained a judgment against Hassan. The Mail reports that the case will return to the UK High Court in early November 2025 with the intention of upholding or extending the previous ruling.
Perhaps the most well-known feature of Les A. is the casino at the start of the first James Bond movie, "Dr. No." At the chemin de fer tables, a tuxedoed Sean Connery utters the timeless lines, "Bond, James Bond," for the first time on screen.
Sheikh Enany, an 82-year-old former Saudi diplomat in London, joined Les Ambassadeurs in the 1990s. According to his company website, he has made "important contributions to the national development of Saudi Arabia," including funding the Hassan Enany Mosque in Jeddah.
According to the yacht database SuperYachtFan, he is the owner of the 200-foot vessel "Il Vagabondo," which is estimated to be worth £15 million (US$20 million). Additionally, he owns a palace in Marbella, Spain, which supports the casino's assertion that he has enough assets to pay off the loan.
Enforcement that is aggressive
Les Ambassadeurs has a track record of vigorously pursuing their debts against defiant millionaires and sheikhs.
Sheikh Salah Hamdan Albluewi, a Saudi national, was sued by the casino in 2020 for an outstanding debt of £2 million (US$2.6 million), but the High Court denied the casino's attempt to freeze his assets in the UK.
In 2021, the club successfully sued Chinese billionaire Songbo Yu for over £10 million (US$13.3) and unsuccessfully requested a global freezing order.
It's understandable why Les A. is so keen to pursue these debts in court given the slump in London's VIP gaming market; according to Endole estimates, Enany's disputed £4 million represents almost 10% of the club's 2024 annual earnings.
