10. Mohammed Hussein Ali Al Amoudi
Country of Citizenship: Saudi Arabia/Ethiopia
Religious Sect: Sunni
Ethnicity: Black
Net Worth: $13.5 billion
Industry: Oil, construction, mining, agriculture, hotels, hospitals, finance
Source: Corral Petroleum Holdings, MIDROC
9. Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Country of Citizenship: Kuwait
Religious Sect: Sunni
Ethnicity: Arab
Official Capacity: Emir of Kuwait
Duration in Power: 7 years
Low Estimate: $0.4 billion
High Estimate: $14 billion
Industry: Politics, resource extraction
Source: Kuwait natural resources
Significance: Political control over the world’s no.4 oil exporter
8. Aliko Dangote
Country of Citizenship: Nigeria
Religious Sect: Sunni
Ethnicity: Black
Net Worth: $16.1 billion
Industry: Sugar, cement, flour, salt, steel, oil & gas
Source: Dangote Group
Significance: Africa’s richest man, monopolistic control of essential materials in Nigeria, the continent’s most populous nation
7. Alisher Usmanov
Country of Citizenship: Russia
Religious Sect: Non-practising (in progress of conversion to Judaism)
Ethnicity: Jewish
Net Worth: $17.6 billion
Industry: Mining, lumbering, investments
Source: Metalloinvest
Significance: Russia’s richest citizen, U.K. richest resident
6. Abdul Taib bin Mahmud
Country of Citizenship: Malaysia
Religious Sect: Sunni
Ethnicity: Melanau
Official Capacity: Chief Minister of Sarawak
Duration in Power: 32 years
Low Estimate: $15 billion
High Estimate: $21 billion
Industry: Politics, resource extraction
Source: Sarawak natural resources
Significance: Long-term head of Malaysia’s biggest and most resourceful state
5. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud
Country of Citizenship: Saudi Arabia
Religious Sect: Sunni
Ethnicity: Arab
Official Capacity: Prince of Saudi Arabia
Low Estimate: $20 billion
Self-declared Net Worth: $29 billion
Industry: Politics, investments
Source: Kingdom Holdings
Significance: Nephew of Saudi King Abdullah, Middle East’s most successful investor
4. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
Country of Citizenship: Brunei
Religious Sect: Sunni
Ethnicity: Malay
Official Capacity: Sultan of Brunei
Duration in Power: 46 years
Low Estimate: $20 billion
High Estimate: $38 billion
Industry: Politics, resource extraction
Source: Brunei natural resources
Significance: Political control over Southeast Asia’s no.3 oil producer
3. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Country of Citizenship: United Arab Emirates
Religious Sect: Sunni
Ethnicity: Arab
Official Capacity: Prime Minister of UAE, Emir of Dubai
Duration in Power: 7 years
Low Estimate: $5 billion
High Estimate: $40 billion
Industry: Politics, resource extraction, investments
Source: Dubai natural resources and commercial assets
Significance: Political control over Middle East most expensive city
2. Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Country of Citizenship: United Arab Emirates
Religious Sect: Sunni
Ethnicity: Arab
Official Capacity: President of UAE, Emir of Abu Dhabi
Duration in Power: 8 years
Low Estimate: $15 billion
High Estimate: $47 billion
Industry: Politics, resource extraction
Source: Abu Dhabi natural resources
Significance: Political control over the world’s no.3 oil exporter
1. King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
Country of Citizenship: Saudi Arabia
Religious Sect: Sunni
Ethnicity: Arab
Official Capacity: King of Saudi Arabia
Duration in Power: 8 years
Low Estimate: $18 billion
High Estimate: $63 billion
Industry: Politics, resource extraction
Source: Saudi natural resources
Significance: Political control over the world’s no.1 oil exporter