The Arab world is home to some of the wealthiest families in history. Many Arab families, known for their immense fortunes, luxurious lifestyles, and deep cultural roots, have emerged as global symbols of power and influence.
Their fortunes, however, extend far beyond the modern oil boom, rooted instead in centuries of trade, entrepreneurship, and innovation that shaped the region’s economic foundations.
Bloomberg has issued an annual report on the World’s Richest Families 2025, stating that the 25 richest families are collectively $358.7 billion richer than a year ago, with a combined fortune totalling $2.9 trillion.
Their wealth surged due to rising stock prices and demand for goods like metals and pet food, the report stated.
The report mentions three of the wealthiest families in the Arab world: the UAE’s Al Nayhan, Saudi Arabia’s Al Saud, and Qatar’s Al Thani.
Al Nahyan family
The ruling Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, is ranked the second-wealthiest family in the world with a net worth of $335.9 billion, the report stated.
Abu Dhabi ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is also the country’s president. The family has presided over the area for decades, even before oil transformed the economy and the royals’ finances, the report stated.
National security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon oversees personal and sovereign assets worth a combined $1.5 trillion and has invested heavily in artificial intelligence.
Al Saud family
The Al Saud family of Saudi Arabia has been ranked third on Bloomberg’s World’s Richest Families 2025 list, with an estimated net worth of $213.6 billion.
The 93-year-old ruling dynasty has built its vast collective fortune largely on the kingdom’s massive oil reserves. Bloomberg noted that the higher valuation this year reflects revised estimates of historical inflows as well as reduced spending by family members.
With around 15,000 extended relatives, the total wealth under the family’s influence is believed to be even greater. Many royals have generated income by brokering government contracts and land deals or by establishing businesses that provide services to state-owned entities, including Saudi Aramco.
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), now manages assets worth about $1 trillion, while Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is reported to control assets exceeding $1 billion personally.
Al Thani
The Al Thani family, which has ruled Qatar since the mid-19th century, is ranked fourth in Bloomberg’s World’s Richest Families 2025 list, with an estimated net worth of $199.5 billion.
While oil was discovered around 1940, it was the strategic development of Qatar’s vast offshore gas reserves that fundamentally transformed the country’s economy and propelled the ruling family into the top tier of global wealth.
Members of the Al Thani family occupy key political positions and wield extensive influence over Qatar’s domestic economy, with business interests spanning hotels, insurance firms and construction companies.
They also own high-value foreign assets, including luxury properties in London’s Mayfair, stud farms, private banks and the fashion house Valentino.
