Top 10 Richest Arabs In The World 2013
Arab tycoons are amongst the wealthiest individuals and the Forbes 2013 list of richest Arabs in the world features people from such countries across the globe. All of these people are successful in different fields, ranging from the construction and industrial sector to banking, finance, and energy. As per 2013 statistics, the list comprises a mix of individuals and families. Let us get to know who made it to the top 10 list.
#1: Prince Al-Waleed – The Richest Arab In The World InYear 2013
| Full Name | Al-Waleed bin Talal |
| Date Of Birth | 7 March, 1955 |
| CEO, Founder and Owner | Kingdom Holding Company |
| Children | 2 Children (Khalid and Reem) from first Wife Dalal Bint Saud |
| Wives | 3, but divorced all |
Prince Al-Waleed is an investor, businessman, and member of the royal family in Saudi Arabia. Forbes listed him as the 26th world’s richest person in the same year. Prince Al-Waleed is estimated to be worth $20 billion. However, he claims that his fortune is worth more than this, adding up to around $29.6 billion. When Twitter went public, Al-Waleed invested $300 million in the company’s shares. Besides being an investor, he is the CEO of the Kingdom Holding Company. This business has interests in banking/financial services, real estate, hotels, entertainment, internet, and technology sectors.
#2: Olayan Family – The Richest Arabs Family
The Olayan Group is the second richest family in the world and one of the most respected companies in the Gulf. The company was founded in 1957 by Suleiman Olayan, who was an orphan from humble beginnings. Suleiman rose against all odds to develop one of the most successful companies in Saudi Arabia. The Olayan Group now owns stakes in more than 50 companies across the globe. The multi-billion-dollar investment company is estimated to be worth about $13 billion.
#3: Mohammed Al Amoudi
Mohammed Al Amoudi is not only the third richest personality in the Arab world but also ranks at 63rd place in the Forbes list of top 100 billionaires. He is a citizen of Saudi Arabia but has investments in other countries as well. In fact, Al Amoudi is the largest foreign investor in Ethiopia and Sweden. In October 2013, he signed an $800 million dollar deal with an Italian firm to build what will be the largest steel factory in Ethiopia, should the project become successful. Al Amoudi has many businesses that deal with oil, mining, agriculture, hotels, medical services, finance, operations, and maintenance. All companies are part of his two conglomerates, Corral Petroleum Holdings, and MIDROC. His fortune is worth around $12.3 billion.
#4: Sawiris Family
The Sawiris family comes in fourth place on the list of wealthiest Arabs in 2013. They are also the richest family in all of Egypt. Their multi-billion dollar family estate is approximated to be about $11.2 billion. Sawiris family owns and runs Orascom Construction Industries, which provides more than 100,000 jobs to the Egyptians. In addition, some of the Sawiris family members have invested in Egypt’s telecommunication, technology, and tourism industries.
#5: Nasser Al-Kharafi and Family
Nasser Al-Kharafi and his family operate one of the largest trading firms in the Middle East. He was born on 17th June 1943 in Kuwait City Kuwait. Nasser was listed at number 77 on Forbes’s top 100-billionaire list for 2013. The Kuwaiti-born business mogul is the chairperson of the MAK group. His company is mostly in real estate and is claimed to be worth about $10.4 billion. He was found dead in a hotel room, on 17th April 2011 due to cardiac arrest in Cairo, Egypt. Along with the relatives, many friends Kuwaiti politicians, and Businessmen also lamented the death. He also had stakes in the fast food chain like K FC, Pizza Hut, Hardees, etc. His elder brother, Jassem Al-Kharafi is a speaker of the Kuwaiti Parliament and his sister was a rector. The Al- Kharafi family was placed in 29th position on the Forbes list of richest people in the world.
#6: Bin Laden Family
The Bin Laden family is ranked as the sixth richest family amongst Arabs. They own Saudi Binladin Group, which is a multinational construction conglomerate based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This is also the largest construction firm in the world. Over the years, it has been a considerable source of wealth for the Bin Laden family. The company has won major construction tenders for Mecca, with exclusive rights in the building of most religious buildings in the region. It has also sealed a deal to construct Prince Al-Waleed’s Kingdom Tower King along with the expansion of the King Abdul Aziz International airport in Jeddah. The family estate of the Bin Ladens is worth around $8.1 billion as of 2013.
#7: Mohammed Al Jaber
Mohammed Al Jaber is an Arab entrepreneur and the founder of the Jadawel International Construction & Development Company. This 55-year-old is a resident of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was born in 1959. He is married with 3 children, one of them is a co-investor in his MBI al Jaber Foundation which was founded in 2002. He owns more than 60 luxury hotels and resorts scattered across the Middle East and Europe. At an estimated $7 billion, Al Jaber is the seventh richest individual in the Arab world. In 2008, he was dragged to court by Standard Bank due to debt default which resulted in a personal loss of $1.6 Billion.
#8: Saudi Khouri
Being the richest, Saudi Khouri is the founder of the Consolidated Contractors International Company, which is one of the largest construction firms in the Middle East. Besides being a major shareholder in the Arab Palestinian company, the side is also the governor of the Arab Monetary Fund. Her construction company has built many major landmarks including the Abu Gharib prison and the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Forest listed Saudi Khouri’s fortune to be worth about $6.5billion.
#9: Abdulaziz Al Ghurair
Abdulaziz Al Ghurair is the CEO of Mashreqbank. This is the fourth largest bank by asset value in the United Arab Emirates. It was amongst the first banks to introduce the use of ATM machines in the country. Abdulaziz is estimated to be worth about $6.4 billion, placing him in ninth place amongst the wealthiest Arabs in 2013.
#10: Kanoo Family
With an approximate value of $6.25 billion worth of assets, Kanoo Group is one of the wealthiest family businesses in Bahrain. It boasts of having more than 4000 staff and a further 6000 in other joint ventures. The company has been around for more than 120 years and is famed for being one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the Persian Gulf region.
Amazing Findings
According to Forbes Magazine rankings for the top 100 richest Arabs in the year 2013, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and UAE dominate the list with the most names. Countries that have produced multimillionaires on the list include Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Jordan, Syria, Sudan, and Oman. It is interesting to note that Forbes compiled data for shares listed only on the stock markets across the Arab World. If privately held assets were to be factored into the equation, most of the wealthy Arabs are probably a lot more than the figures quoted above.
