It’s worth noting that in some extended or deleted storyboard concepts, Saluk’s death was portrayed differently, but the final released film shows his demise via self-inflicted Midas touch.

During the final confrontation, Saluk uses the golden hand to turn objects to gold. In a struggle, Aladdin tricks him into touching his own head with the Hand of Midas. Saluk is immediately transformed into a solid gold statue, which then shatters after falling from a great height (or is left as a broken golden figure, depending on the shot). This makes his death a direct result of his own greed and the artifact’s curse.

In Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), (the leader of the Forty Thieves) meets his end during the film’s climax. After betraying Cassim (Aladdin’s father) and seizing the Hand of Midas, Saluk is ultimately defeated by Aladdin. However, the exact cause of his death is the magical power of the Hand of Midas itself.