A Saudi general died of a broken neck after being tortured at a hotel during an 'anti-corruption' crackdown, a report has claimed.

Princes, tycoons and ministers were held in early November at Riyadh's luxury Ritz-Carlton as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman looked to consolidate his grip on power.

It has now been claimed that at least 17 detainees were hospitalised after facing abuse, while a Saudi general later died in custody with what witnesses said appeared to be a broken neck.

Many of the 381 suspects remain under military surveillance and some have been forced to wear ankle bracelets that track their movements, The New York Times said.

The government has rejected the abuse claims as 'completely untrue'.

In November, a source told DailyMail.com that detainees were being strung up by their feet and beaten by a firm of American mercenaries named as 'Blackwater', which now no longer exists. The company's successor strongly denied even being in Saudi Arabia and says it does not engage in torture.

Princes, tycoons and ministers were held in early November Riyadh's luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (pictured) looked to consolidate his grip on power

Imprisoned in luxury: Saudi authorities detained hundreds of top businessmen and royals in November and held them for several months at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton in a sweeping anti-corruption probe.

The latest revelations came ahead of a high-profile visit to the United States by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi officials did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment, but the New York Times quoted the government rejecting the abuse claims as 'completely untrue'.

Officials have said they are in the process of recovering $107 billion (87 billion euros) seized in the crackdown, in the form of property, securities and cash, handed over by the suspects in exchange for their freedom.

The detainees included billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, former National Guard chief Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, construction magnate Bakr bin Laden and media mogul Waleed al-Ibrahim of the regional MBC cable network.

Some of those held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel were deprived of sleep, roughed up, interrogated with their heads covered and pressured to hand over large assets, the report said, citing relatives and associates of detainees.

Major General Ali al-Qahtani, a top aide to a son of the late King Abdullah, was among those held.

Some of those held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel were deprived of sleep, roughed up, interrogated with their heads covered and pressured to hand over large assets, the New York Times report said, citing relatives and associates of detainees

He later died in custody, his corpse bearing signs of torture, according to witnesses quoted by the newspaper.

Critics have labelled Prince Mohammed's campaign a shakedown and power grab, but authorities insist the purge targeted endemic corruption as the country prepares for a post-oil era.

The government on Sunday said Saudi King Salman had ordered the creation of specialised anti-corruption units in the public prosecutor's office to investigate and prosecute graft cases.

Officials have not made public the charges against suspects detained at the Ritz-Carlton.

Prince Mohammed is set to visit the US next week for the first time since becoming heir to the throne last June.

The tour is aimed partly at courting foreign investors.