The Saudi magnate celebrated his 50th birthday in 1985 at his estate Al Baraka, with 400 guests, a diamond-collared lion, and a performance by Shirley Bassey.
Adnan Khashoggi, the Saudi billionaire who was one of the richest men in the world for many years, turned Benahavís into the epicentre of luxury and exclusivity during the 1980s. His estate Al Baraka, located in the hills of this municipality in the province of Málaga, was the setting for parties that are still remembered as the most dazzling on the Costa del Sol. The most famous, his 50th birthday in July 1985, gathered 400 guests from the international high society, although some reports raise the number to 1,500 when counting companions, artists, and service staff.
That night, Rolls-Royces began to arrive in the late afternoon, followed by an endless line of Mercedes, Ferraris, and limousines making their way up the road to Al Baraka. At the entrance, a ceremonial honour guard of young men in uniform with ceremonial swords welcomed the guests. Inside, the halls were adorned with red and gold velvets and thousands of flowers. Trays of caviar and seafood were served without pause, French champagne flowed like water, and Shirley Bassey was tuning her voice to sing 'Happy Birthday' to the host. Among the attendees was a lion cub wearing a diamond collar.
The Private Kingdom of Al Baraka
Khashoggi acquired Al Baraka in the late 1970s, a estate of nearly one thousand hectares purchased from the Roussel family, related to the Onassis family. Today, that land houses the exclusive urbanisation of La Zagaleta, but at that time it was a private kingdom designed to impress. The mansion, inspired by Arabic and Mediterranean styles, was set among gardens, artificial lakes, and forests. It featured a helipad, stables, a hunting ground, large banquet halls, guest suites, and an almost palatial organisation. Several hundred employees worked to ensure everything ran smoothly: chefs, gardeners, drivers, security personnel, waiters, hostesses, and assistants capable of catering a banquet for hundreds of people with just a few hours' notice.
The estate never slept during the summer. Guests arrived by helicopter or in long caravans of luxury cars and could stay for several days enjoying a hospitality few had known. Discretion was absolute. There were no mobile phones or social networks, and this absence of cameras turned the gatherings into an almost mythical territory. Only photographers stationed at the entrance of the estate occasionally managed to capture the arrival of a star.
A Parade of Stars and Aristocrats
Some of the most famous faces on the planet paraded through the gardens of Al Baraka. Sean Connery was a regular, favoured also by his friendship with Alfonso de Hohenlohe and his long stays in Marbella. Elizabeth Taylor visited the estate several times, as did George Hamilton. Brooke Shields and Farrah Fawcett brought the sparkle of Hollywood. Ryan O'Neal joined some of those evenings, while Shirley Bassey provided music for the grand celebrations. European aristocracy found in those parties a meeting point with oil money: Alfonso de Hohenlohe, Jaime de Mora y Aragón, Gunilla von Bismarck, Pitita Ridruejo, the Dukes of Kent, and Lorenzo Queipo de Llano were some of the names that frequently appeared in social chronicles.
Khashoggi had found the perfect stage to showcase a fortune that seemed inexhaustible. Considered for years one of the richest men in the world due to his role as an intermediary in multimillion-dollar international arms sales, he lived in a state of permanent excess. 'The Economist' estimated that to maintain that lifestyle, at least an expenditure close to 200,000 euros daily was needed. This figure was affordable for the magnate's pocket. He owned about twenty-five residences in various countries, three private Boeing 747s, a fleet of Rolls-Royces, Ferraris, and Mercedes, collections of jewels, watches, and artworks, and the Nabila, an 86-metre yacht considered at the time the largest and most sophisticated in the world. Interestingly, the vessel would later end up in the hands of Donald Trump.
The Legacy of a Golden Era on the Costa del Sol
That celebration for Adnan Khashoggi's fiftieth birthday was legendary and is part of the history of luxury in Marbella. The number of guests was secondary. What mattered was who was there: a constellation of stars, sheikhs, aristocrats, diplomats, and Arab magnates shared a night that summarised like no other the splendour of 1980s Marbella. Those who were not invited became outcasts of the exclusive high society of the Costa del Sol, which presented itself to all as the pinnacle of social success on a global scale. For the residents of the province of Málaga, those parties represented a showcase of unattainable luxury, but also a source of pride: the world looked to Benahavís as the place where the impossible became reality, even if just for one night.
Today, the land of Al Baraka houses La Zagaleta, one of the most exclusive urbanisations in Europe, where luxury is still present but without the pomp of those evenings. The figure of Khashoggi, who passed away in 2017, remains linked to the history of the Costa del Sol as the symbol of a golden era that is unlikely to be repeated.
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