Top 10 Richest Sheikh in the World and Their Net Worth

In this article, RNN has gathered the top 10 richest Sheikh in the world. And you’re probably wondering why must these men are so wealthy, lol. These people are incredibly rich.

Sheikh is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a tribe or a royal family member. It is also commonly used to refer to a Muslim religious scholar. The term can be literally translated to “Elder”.

In the Muslim parts of the Horn of Africa, “sheikh” is often used as a noble title. In Somali society, it is reserved as an honorific for senior Muslim leaders and clerics (waded), and is often abbreviated to “Sh”.

The title of sheikh is often held by royalty in the Middle East, but it can mean so much more. In Arabic, sheikh means man of old age, a title that is not easily earned. Only the most revered and respected Muslims can earn this honourable title, and that means a sheikh is a male over the age of 40.

Because of the large oil reserves and the number of wealthy families, some Sheikhs in the region are extremely wealthy, they are also ranked as some of the world’s richest billionaires.

In most of the Arab nations, members of the Gulf Royal Houses use the terms, sheikh and sheikha, so many royals make the list of wealthiest sheikhs.

The wealth of some royal families in the Arab peninsula is so secretly guarded. It is possible that some of the world’s richest sheikhs are even richer than estimated.

These are the list of Top 10 Richest Sheikhs in the world.

1. Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – $18 billion

King of Saudi Arabia

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s net worth is estimated at $18 billion. He is the Richest and number one on the top list of Richest Sheikhs in the world.

Abdulaziz was born on 31 December 1935 and is reported to be the 25th son of King Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman ibn Faisal ibn Turki ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al Saud, the first monarch and founder of Saudi Arabia.

King Salman was raised in the Murabba Palace (Arabic Qasr al Murabba ) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He received his early education at the Prince’s School in the capital city of Riyadh, a school established by King Abdulaziz specifically to provide education for his children. He studied religion and modern science.

Salman was often a mediator in settling royal conflicts among the extended Al Saud family – estimated at 4,000 princes. He was a prominent figure in the royal council, which allowed him to select which prince would be responsible for the Kingdom.

2. Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan – $15 billion

Emir of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates

Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s net worth is estimated at $15 billion, he made his fortune from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority

Late Emir Nahyan was born on 7 September 1948 at Qasr Al-Muwaiji, Al Ain, in Abu Dhabi and died on 13 May 2022. He was the second president of the United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi’s ruler.

He succeeded his father as the ruler of Abu Dhabi on 2 November 2004, and the Federal Supreme Council elected him as president of the UAE the following day.

As ruler of Abu Dhabi, he attracted cultural and academic centres to Abu Dhabi, helping establish the Louvre Abu Dhabi, New York University Abu Dhabi, and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. He also established Etihad Airways.

3. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – $4 billion

Emir Sheikh of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s net worth is estimated to be $4 billion making him one of the Top 3 Richest Sheikh in the world. He made his fortune from Dubai Inc. and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

Al Maktoum was born on 15 July 1949, he is the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as the ruler of Dubai. He is the third son of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, former vice president of the UAE and ruler of Dubai. Mohammed succeeded his brother Maktoum as vice president and ruler following the latter’s death in 2006.

4. Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair – $3.7 billion

The United Arab Emirates

Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair’s net worth is estimated to be $3.7 billion. He made his fortune from Mashreqbank and Al Ghurair Investment.

Al Ghurair is a member of a prominent Emirati business family. His brother Saif Ahmad Al Ghurair (1924-2019), was a fellow billionaire and head of the Al Ghurair Group. In 1967, Ghurair founded Mashreqbank. In October 2019 he stepped down as Chairman but remained as a board member. Under the Jenan brand, his company Al Ghurair Food sold pasta.

His construction company was involved in building the Dubai Metro. It is also the constructor of the exterior cladding of the world´s tallest building, Burj Khalifa. Ghurair was considered to be the richest person in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the 809th richest in the world as of 17 February 2021. According to Forbes, Al Ghurair has a net worth of $3.1 billion as of January 2022.

5. Majid Al Futtaim – $3.3 billion

United Arab Emirates

Majid Al Futtaim’s net worth is estimated to be $3.3 billion making him one of the Top 5 Richest Sheikh. He made his fortune from his Hotel and Malls which are referred to as MAF Holdings.

The Late Majid Al Futtaim was born in 1934 and died on 17 December 2021. He was an Emirati billionaire businessman, and the founder and owner of the Majid Al Futtaim Group, an Emirati real estate and retail conglomerate, with projects in Asia and Africa.

Al Ghurair foods claim to have the biggest pasta factory in the Middle East. Its pasta products are sold under the jenan brand, his construction company did the exterior cladding of Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building and helped build Dubai Metro. His brother Saif Ahmed Al Ghurair who passed away in August 2019, was also a billionaire. Saif was the founder of the Al Ghurair group.

6. Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani – $2.1 billion

Emir of Qatar

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s net worth is estimated to be $2.1 billion. He made his fortune from Qatar Investment Authority.

Al Thani was born on 3 June 1980 in Doha, Qatar. He is the fourth son of the previous Emir, Hamad bin Khalifa. He has been the ruler of Qatar since 2013 when his father abdicated the throne. Tamim had been the heir apparent since 2003 when his older brother Sheikh Jassim renounced his claim to the throne.

Sheikh Tamim was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Qatar Armed Forces upon graduation from Sandhurst. He became the heir apparent to the Qatar throne on 5 August 2003, when his elder brother Sheikh Jassim renounced his claim to the title. Since then he was groomed to take over the rule, working in top security and economics posts. On 5 August 2003, he was appointed deputy commander-in-chief of Qatar’s armed forces.

Tamim heads the Qatar Investment Authority board of directors. Under his leadership, the fund has invested billions in British businesses. It owns large stakes in Barclays Bank, Sainsbury’s, and Harrods. The fund also owns a share of Europe’s fourth tallest building, the Shard.

7. Suhail Salim Bahwan – $2.1 billion

Oman

Suhail Salim Bahwan’s net worth is estimated to be $2.1 billion. He made his fortune from the Suhail Bahwan Group.

Bahwan was born in 1938/39. He was a businessman, founder and chairman of Suhail Bahwan Group, one of the largest Conglomerates in Oman.

Bahwan began as a small-scale trader in Sur, with one dhow, inherited from his father, doing business between Oman and India. In 1965, he moved to the capital, Muscat and opened a shop in the Muttrah Souq with his brother Saud, named Suhail & Saud Bahwan, initially they traded in construction equipment and fishing nets.

In April 2022, the French prosecutor’s office in Nanterre issued an international arrest warrant for Bahwan, along with former Renault CEO, Carlos Ghosn following an investigation into whether they helped divert funds from carmaker Renault to its former chair and chief executive for personal use.

8. Abdulla Al Futtaim – $2.1 billion

United Arab Emirates

Abdulla Al Futtaim’s net worth is estimated to be $2.1 billion. He made his fortune from the Al Futtaim Group.

Al Futtaim was born in January 1940. Abdulla Al Futtaim owns the conglomerate Al Futtaim Group, in 1955, the group became the exclusive distributor in the UAE of Toyota, which has the leading share of the auto market with nearly 30%. Al Futtaim also has the license to operate Hertz, Ikea, Toys “R” Us and Zara in the UAE.

The retailer anchor its malls, which include Dubai Festival City and Cairo Festival City. His cousin Majid Al Futtaim is also a billionaire. He is the owner of the megayacht Radiant, originally commissioned by Boris Berezovsky, which is 360 feet and as of 2013, it ranked as the seventh most expensive luxury asset acquisition of all time, according to a study by Wealth-X.

9. Hussain Sajwani – $1.4 billion

United Arab Emirates

Hussain Sajwani’s net worth is estimated to be $1.4 billion. He made his fortune from Damac Properties and Dico Group.

Sajwani was born in 1953, He is an Emirati billionaire businessman and the founder of the property development company, DAMAC Properties, and his private investment company, DICO Group. Hussain Sajwani is the eldest of five children, both his parents were entrepreneurs. His father was a trader at a local souk shop, selling watches, Parker pens, shirts and goods imported from China.

In October 2011, DAMAC Properties launched its hospitality division, DAMAC Maison Hotels & Resorts. In 2015, the company was publicly-listed with shares traded on the Dubai Financial Market.

Some of the projects developed by DAMAC Properties include a golf course designed by Tiger Woods and managed by The Trump Organization, luxury apartments with interiors by Italian fashion houses Versace, Fendi, and Roberto Cavalli as well as brands such as Paramount Hotels and Resorts in partnership with Paramount Pictures.

10. Kutayba Alghanim – $1.3 billion

Kuwait

Kutayba Alghanim’s net worth is estimated to be $1.3 billion. He made his fortune from Alghanim Industries.

Alghanim was born in 1973 in Kuwait, He has lived, studied and worked around the world including in the Middle East, Europe and the US. He brings a global outlook on business whilst showcasing a deep understanding of the ethos and history of GCC and more broadly, the MENA region.

In a business career spanning over 20 years, beginning as an M&A Analyst with Morgan Stanley, Omar has brought a unique skill set to his role as CEO of Alghanim Industries and Chairman of Gulf Bank.

Omar also sits on the Leadership Council for Harvard Kennedy School’s Centre for Public Leadership (2018-present), Harvard Business School’s Board of Dean’s Advisors (2018-present), and Harvard Business School’s MENA Advisory Board (2015-present).

As of 2021, he was working on a project for the Family Business Network (FBN), sitting on its board and chairing its Gulf chapter. He was also on the board of the NGO INJAZ Al-Arab, after co-founding the organization in 2002. Around 2021, he formed the impact investment fund Yakoa in London.

Richest Sheikh in the World (Infographics)