Arabian Business brings you a guide to the 10 richest royals in the world, according to Forbes.
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IN PICS: Richest royals in the world
Omann
Net worth: $1.1 billionn
Assumed the throne in 1970 after overthrowing his father, who had kept the prince under house arrest for six years. His fortune is up this year, thanks to an oil surplus. The divorced sultan has donated millions to restore Oman's mosques. (Getty Images)
9: Prince Albert IIn
Monacon
Net worth: $1.4 billionn
Took over 700-year Grimaldi-family reign of Monaco in 2005. Inherited a fortune that includes real estate, art, antique cars, stamps and a stake in Monte Carlo’s casino. An environmentalist, Prince Albert drives a hybrid car and has pushed for CO2 reduction. (Getty Images)
8: King Mohammed VIn
Moroccon
Net worth: $1.5 billionn
Ascended to the throne in 1999. Wealth derives from phosphate mining, agriculture and stake in Morocco’s largest public company ONA. Morocco’s economic growth has slowed to two percent in the face of a serious drought, putting a serious dent in the royal fortune. (Getty Images)
7: Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thanin
Qatarn
Net worth: $2 billionn
Became ruler after deposing his father in a bloodless coup in 1995. Sheikh Hamad spearheaded the development of Qatar’s vast oil and natural gas reserves. A graduate of Britain’s Sandhurst Military Academy, Sheikh Hamad also oversaw the modernisation of Qatar’s armed forces. (Getty Images)
6: Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtensteinn
Liechtensteinn
Net worth: $5 billionn
Heads the tiny Alpine principality. His family’s bank, LGT, its most valuable asset, is the focus of a tax scandal. Other holdings include an estimated 20,000 hectares of land in Austria, several 17th-century palaces in central Vienna, and a 400-year-old art collection. (Getty Images)
5: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum n
Dubain
Net worth: $18 billionn
Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed is a majority shareholder of Dubai Holding, a conglomerate with stakes in HSBC Holdings and Sony, as well as real estate holdings, including New York’s Essex House Hotel. A formidable figure in horse racing, he owns a 3,800-acre farm in Kentucky and bought Australia’s Ingham stud farm for reported $460 million. (Getty Images)
4: Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiahn
Brunein
Net worth: $20 billionn
Crowned 40 years ago after his father’s voluntary abdication, the 29th sultan of Brunei is heir to an unbroken 600-year-old Muslim dynasty. The sultan’s wealth is based on oil and gas reserves. (Getty Images)
3: King Abdullah bin Abdul Azizn
Saudi Arabian
Net worth: $21 billionn
Ascended to the throne in August 2005. Saudi Arabia is now earning approximately $1 billion a day from oil exports, helping boost the royal family’s fortune. (Getty Images)
2: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyann
United Arab Emiratesn
Net worth: $23 billionn
President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi. UAE is home to one-tenth of world’s oil reserves while his real estate is also becoming more valuable, as property values rose 100 percent from 2005 to 2007. (Getty Images)
1. King Bhumibol Adulyade n
Thailandn
Net worth: $35 billionn
The world’s longest-reigning monarch owns the Crown Property Bureau, which includes 3,493 acres in Bangkok. He also owns stakes in the publicly listed Siam Cement and Siam Commercial Bank.
