Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
Seven Emiratis and one entrepreneur based in the UAE have appeared on the latest global billionaires ranking published by Forbes on Wednesday.
The annual list included a record 3,428 billionaires worldwide, around 400 more than in 2025, with their combined wealth totalling $20.1 trillion, up $4 trillion from the previous year.
According to Forbes, the surge reflects the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, strong stock markets, and favourable fiscal policies.
The US leads the ranking with a record 989 billionaires, including 15 of the 20 richest people in the world.
China, including Hong Kong, ranks second with 610, followed by India with 229.
The rankings were calculated using stock prices and exchange rates as of March 1.
At the top of the global list is Elon Musk with a net worth of $839 billion, followed by Larry Page ($257 billion), Sergey Brin ($237 billion), Jeff Bezos ($224 billion), and Mark Zuckerberg ($222 billion).
UAE Billionaires
Dubai property developer Hussain Sajwani ranked as the richest billionaire in the UAE, placing 190th globally with a net worth of $15.3 billion. Sajwani is the chairman of DAMAC Properties, the luxury real estate developer he founded in 2002.
Messaging platform founder Pavel Durov ranked 623rd with $6.6 billion. The Russian-born entrepreneur founded and owns Telegram, which has more than 1 billion monthly active users worldwide and is headquartered in Dubai.
Abdulla Al Futtaim and family ranked 891st with $4.8 billion. The family controls the diversified Al-Futtaim Group conglomerate, which operates across sectors including automotive, retail and real estate, and is currently run by his son Omar Al Futtaim.
Banking magnate Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair and family ranked 954th with $4.5 billion. Al Ghurair founded Mashreq Bank in 1967 and stepped down as chairman in 2019.
Real estate entrepreneur Waleed Mohammad Al Zaabi ranked 1,251st with $3.4 billion. He is the founder of Tiger Group, a UAE-based developer with offices in Dubai and Sharjah.
Mohamed Alabbar ranked 1,406th with $3 billion. He founded Emaar Properties, the Dubai developer behind landmarks including the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower.
Hussain Binghatti Aljbori ranked 1,676th with $2.5 billion. He founded Dubai-based luxury developer Binghatti Developers, known for its distinctive residential towers.
At 26, Abbas Sajwani is the youngest billionaire on the UAE list, ranking 2,177th with $1.9 billion. Sajwani is the founder of AHS Properties, a Dubai-based luxury real estate developer.
