Bahraini Royal Drops $22 Million on Beverly Hills Spec Mansion

Last year, an all-new Beverly Hills mansion sold for an impressive $22.5 million, just a few notches below the original $24 million ask. As it turns out, the previously unidentified spendy buyer was Her Excellency Sheikha Noor Al Khalifa, a well-known fashion designer and member of Bahrain’s royal family.

Al Khalifa, 37, is the daughter of renowned painter Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and she appears to have inherited her father’s creative streak. After growing up in Bahrain, Al Khalifa moved to Washington D.C. to attend Marymount University, graduating with a degree in fashion design. Soon after, she and her cousin co-founded luxury womenswear line Noon by Noor, which has been worn by Jennifer Lopez, Bella Hadid and Katy Perry.

It’s worth noting that Al Khalifa is a granddaughter of Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, who ruled Bahrain as Prime Minister for 50 years, until his death in 2020. She’s also a second cousin of Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the current King of Bahrain.

Reminiscent of a European-style contemporary villa, the Beverly Hills mansion is described in the listing as a “quintessential home for Southern California lifestyle.” That means the place is primed for indoor-outdoor living and entertaining, with walls of disappearing glass doors that spill out to the backyard. An elegant terrace flaunts an outdoor kitchen, a wooden deck hosts a fire-pit and ample space for al fresco dining, and there’s also a raised infinity-edge pool set above a grassy lawn. Though steeply sloped, the backyard is nicely terraced with layers of olive groves and native plantings.

Developed on speculation, the half-acre estate was a collaboration between design firms Harrison Design Group and Colab House, and was built by noted developer Holland Ashrafnia. The property is located in prime Beverly Hills, just a quick jog from the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel and Polo Lounge. From the street, a long driveway hikes the hill on its way up to a motorcourt and detached two-car garage.

The house itself lords high above the roadway out front. Featuring three full floors of living space and more than 10,000 square feet, the manor offers state-of-the-art smart-home tech and organic rift white oak woodwork throughout, per the listing. Well-scaled public rooms include formal living and dining rooms, plus an open kitchen with Wolf and SubZero appliances. Downstairs, the subterranean lower level is a separate resort unto itself, with two ensuite bedrooms ideal for guests or staff, a wine cellar, sauna, screening room and a huge gym with several flatscreen TVs.

A large chunk of the mansion’s penthouse level is taken up by the master suite, which is decked out with a fireplace, private balcony, spa-style bath with dual vanities and dual closets. There are four additional “family” bedrooms scattered around the home, all of them with ensuite full bathrooms. Naturally, the entire property is walled and gated, and equipped with a high-tech surveillance and security system.

Since 2006, when she was a 21-year-old college student, Al Khalifa has owned a lavish condo penthouse in Washington D.C.’s historic Georgetown neighborhood. But her main residence remains a stylish seven-bedroom villa in Riffa, Bahrain, which was photographed for Vogue Arabia in 2018.