Back when we were in Dubai Forbes‘ annual list of richest royals was always a big deal (see Richest Royals).
Somehow it fell through the cracks this July, but luckily I just thought of it today (what with it being the UAE’s National Day today).
So here’s the article: “The World’s Richest Royals.”
Key quote:
No surprise then that Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum fared the worst. His fortune dropped $7.5 billion this year as his Dubai Holding crumbled under a $12 billion debt burden. This comes on the heels of last year’s loss of $6 billion, making him the biggest loser on Forbes’ annual list of the world’s 15 richest royals two years in a row.
To boot, Dubai had to ask for another handout from fellow emirate Abu Dhabi in December, to the tune of $10 billion. Abu Dhabi’s ruler, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, though not as heavily indebted, also saw his fortune shrink for the second year in a row, down $3 billion as result of last year’s 40% decline in oil export earnings as well as double-digit declines in real estate and stock markets. He falls down a notch to No.4 on the list.
Here’s the list:
1 ) King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Thailand
Fortune: $30 billion (unchanged)
2 ) Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Brunei
Fortune: $20 billion (unchanged)
3 ) King Abdullah bin Abul Aziz, Saudi Arabia
Fortune: $18 billion (up)
4 ) Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, United Arab Emirates
Fortune: $15 billion (down)
5 ) Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai
Fortune: $4.5 billion (down)
6 ) Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein, Liechtenstein
Fortune: $3.5 billion (unchanged)
7 ) King Mohammed IV, Morocco
Fortune: $2.5 billion (unchanged)
8 ) Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar
Fortune: $2.4 billion (up)
9 ) Prince Albert II, Monaco
Fortune: $1 billion (unchanged)
10 ) Prince Karim Al Husseini, Aga Khan
Fortune: $800 million (unchanged)
