Sharjah prince death: UAE blanks alleged 'drug orgy', as region pays tribute to Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, a 'great philosopher'
The 39-year-old son of the ruler of Sharjah, UAE died in unexplained circumstances in London on Monday, July 1.
Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi's death is being treated as unexplained by the police, according to the BBC.
London's Metropolitan Police said they received a report of "a sudden death at a residential property in Knightsbridge" and that the post-mortem examination carried out Tuesday proved inconclusive.
Funeral prayers were held Wednesday in UAE as the nation observed three days of mourning. Tens of thousands of mourners attended the funeral.
A fashion designer, Qasimi established his eponymous label, Qasimi, in 2008 and it featured at London Fashion Week. The label released a statement saying Qasimi died "unexpectedly".
"The design world has lost a great philosopher and artist and we ask that the privacy of the family, team and brand are respected at this difficult time," the label said in a statement.
The press across the Arabian peninsula made no mention about circumstances surrounding the death as they reported the official three-day mourning period and the events of the funeral, focussing more on the outpouring of affection for Qasimi.
"Born on April 6, 1980, Qasimi was a lover of culture, knowledge—and everything art. After all, he grew up in a home surrounded with science, heritage and literature, and his father—His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah—has always been a champion of the arts," wrote theKhaleej Times.
While Gulf News said: "He moved to Central Saint Martins, winning a place on the college’s prestigious BA Womenswear course, and launching his label Qasimi Homme several years later in 2008. Now stocked internationally, the designer had shown as part of London and Paris Fashion Weeks, and won accolades for his smart, sensitive exploration of socio-political subjects—particularly those pertaining to the Middle East—in his collections."
Most of the Western mainstream media are also being measured about their reporting on circumstances surrounding Qasimi death.
The BBC report stated police are awaiting results of further tests and that no date has yet been set for the inquest.
The Guardian and CNN, spoke more of his achievements as a designer, and socio-political activism through them in the Arab world.
However, a couple of London-based tabloids took a different tone and offered some alleged details about the circumstances.
The Sun reported that there were "a quantity of Class A drugs" found at a party in the Qasimi's Knightsbridge penthouse.
According to the tabloid's source: “There had apparently been a party where some guests were taking drugs and having sex. It is suspected that Qasimi may have died suddenly as a result of taking drugs. As well as the police inquiry, an urgent internal probe has been ordered and staff have been ordered to keep quiet.”
Qasimi's older brother died of a heroin overdose in 1999 when he was 24. That also happened in the U.K., in East Grinstead, where the family own a country estate.
Another London-based tabloid, the Daily Mail, claimed workers for Qasimi Homme menswear brand told them the Qasimi "regularly hosted parties complete with high-class prostitutes."
"One staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Mail Online: 'He enjoyed meth because it allows you to have sex for longer. It was the worst kept secret in the office, he had a real soft spot for that drug,'" the tabloid wrote.