How does the heir to the throne of the Arab Emirates live? The richest sheikhs of the East

In Arabic, the term sheikh means a well-born adult man who has enormous wealth and is highly respected in society among believers. Only the most revered and respected Muslims can earn this honorary title, and it is usually the case that the sheikh is a man over 40 years of age. However, daughters and wives of sheikhs may often also be called by this title. Muslims who earn the title of Sheikh are often diligent students of the religion of Islam, they are well versed in the teachings of the Qur'an, and they live according to the Sunnah, which is the way of life outlined to Muslims by the Prophet Muhammad himself. A person can also be appointed as a sheikh if ​​he has completed his studies at a university of Islamic studies and can lecture to students. Due to the large oil reserves and the number of wealthy families in the Middle East, some sheikhs in the region are extremely wealthy - some sheikhs in the Middle East are estimated to be the world's richest billionaires. In most Arab countries, royal houses use the term sheikha to refer to wealthy members of the royal family. Usually in the Arab world the wealth of one or another sheikh is hidden, but we have compiled a list of the richest sheikhs based on known information on the Internet. Islam is the second largest religion in the world, second only to Christianity, and is the fastest growing religion in the world. Islam is most widely used in Asia. More than 1 billion people in Asia identify as Muslims, most of these people live in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia. There are more than 500 million Muslims in Africa and the Middle East.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, worth $2 billion. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is the current ruler of Qatar, he became the Emir of the State of Qatar after his father Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who abdicated the throne in 2013. This made Tamim bin Hamad the youngest reigning monarch in the world.
Sheikh Faisal bin Qasim al-Thani, worth $2.2 billion. Sheikh Faisal bin Qasim al-Thani became successful almost in spite of his family name, not because of it. His title Sheikh has no relation to political position. He is a distant relative of the ruling Al Thani family in Qatar.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, worth $2.4 billion. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani was the Emir of Qatar from 1995 to 2013. During his reign, the country produced approximately 85 million tons of natural gas, which made Qatar the richest country in the world per capita. He abdicated the throne last year to allow his son to succeed him. Sheikh Hamad himself came to power after a bloodless coup, taking the throne of his father.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, worth $4.5 billion. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and is also the constitutional monarch of Dubai. As of 2010, his investment company Dubai Holding owed banks $12 billion. As Crown Prince of Dubai, he named his yacht - the third largest in the world - "Dubai". He is a horse racing enthusiast and is reputed to be the biggest spender on horse racing bets.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, worth $4.9 billion. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the half-brother of the country's president. Sheikh Mansour is the chairman of Al Jazeera Sports Company, which owns football, handball, volleyball and basketball teams in Abu Dhabi. He also owns the English football club Manchester City. He is Chairman of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Investment Company.
Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Ali Al Amoudi, worth $14.3 billion. Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Ali Al Amoudi is the 63rd richest person in the world. He lives in two countries: Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia. He is also the second richest Saudi citizen and the richest black person. His title of Sheikh is given for his wealth and achievements, because he is not a member of any royal family. He is believed to be not only the largest foreign investor in Ethiopia, but also in Sweden. Mohammed Hussein earned his wealth through oil, mining and agricultural assets.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, worth $18 billion. According to experts, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan's personal capital is about $18 billion. However, the Al Nahyan family has a total net worth of about $150 billion. Sheikh Khalifa is the current Emir of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates. He officially took over the presidency in 2004. But he actually acted as president since 1990, due to the poor health of his father, being the crown prince. The tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, is named after him.

Today we will talk about the richest and wisest rulers of the East. Their fortune amounts to billions of dollars. What are they? They are called "sheikhs of the United Arab Emirates." What do they do in everyday life? How many wives do they have? We bring to your attention the most interesting information about Arab sheikhs, as well as the top 10 of their favorite activities. We hope that the information presented below will provide complete answers to all your questions about the life of the eastern rulers.

Magic stories or real life?

A large number of people believe that an Arab sheikh is a man who does nothing, but at the same time bathes in luxury and wealth, and he is surrounded by the most beautiful women on the planet. They live in the most beautiful palaces, in which there are a huge number of servants and assistants. Let's find out if this is really true? But first of all, let's define the concept itself.

Sheikh - what does this word mean?

This concept has several meanings. Let's list them all. So, a sheikh is:

1. clan elder or leader;
2. a respectable and respected person;
3. leader of a nomadic tribe;
4. mentor;
5. major scientist;
6. may be part of the name.

Having analyzed all the variants of the meaning of the word, we come to the conclusion that an Arab sheikh is the ruler of the emirates, a respected and respectable person. An interesting fact is that this title is inherited or awarded to the most worthy Muslim. He must comply with the following rules: be a highly moral person; not to commit actions incompatible with the foundations of the Koran, and also to know well and be able to correctly interpret its contents.

Legends and myths?

The life of sheikhs has always aroused great interest among ordinary people. Perhaps this also happened because any information was carefully hidden from prying eyes. Sheikhs do not like to give interviews or talk about their private lives. That is why there are so many different legends about them. Let's remember the most common ones:

• The candies can be eaten directly with the wrappers, which are made of the highest standard gold.
• They spend not millions, but billions of dollars on their weddings.
• The main source of income is oil.
• These people don't do anything.

Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan

He was the first president of the United Arab Emirates. Thanks to the efforts of this man, global changes for the better began to occur in the country. He took up construction and landscaping. Agriculture, medicine, and education began to develop. He wisely ruled his state for more than thirty years. How did the Arab sheikh live? He cared about the prosperity of his country and his subjects.

The time when the Bedouins lived in poverty and hunger is irrevocably gone. The income from the sale of oil was so huge that it made it possible not only to improve the people's well-being, but also to make the sheikhs themselves billionaires.

• In UAE restaurants, visitors could try tea to which gold was added. Its price was 15 dollars, if translated into Russian rubles, it is approximately 800-900 rubles.
• Arab Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum (the current ruler) has the most expensive yacht in the world. Even a helicopter can land on its deck, and there are several swimming pools.
• Clothes for sheikhs are made only from the most expensive and exclusive materials.
• The most expensive passport in the world costs half a million dollars. It belongs to a sheikh named Khalif. The passport is made of leather, precious stones and gold. An interesting fact is that the dimensions of this document are one and a half meters by meter.
• One of the sheikhs named Raduzhny has a huge collection of unique cars, painted in different colors of the rainbow. Each of them corresponds to a specific day of the week.
• The license plates on the sheikhs' cars consist of two digits. The machines themselves are made of gold or platinum.
• Breeding Arabian horses is considered one of the most popular activities among sheikhs. Huge amounts of money are spent for these animals. They build luxurious stables, spacious and equipped with all the necessary items.
• The first ruler of the United Arab Emirates raised nineteen children who, today, occupy high government positions or are engaged in business.

Top 10 favorite activities

It's time to find out what Arab sheikhs like to do in their free time. We have compiled a list of the most popular entertainment for you.

• In tenth place are professional photography classes.
• Ninth - snorkeling or diving.
• Eighth - jumping from heights.
• Seventh - motorcycle racing.
• Sixth - mountaineering.
• Fifth - falconry.
• Fourth - skydiving.
• Third - equestrian competitions.
• The second is camel racing.
• The first is horse breeding.

Wise rulers of the East

They live in magnificent palaces. They are surrounded by good furniture, luxurious carpets and luxury items. Many personal items are made of pure gold: phones, laptops, etc. But at the same time, the Arab sheikh (photo below) is a highly educated and intelligent person who understands different areas of life: politics, science, economics, culture, etc. d. They send their children to study at the most prestigious institutions in the world.

Sheikhs not only take care of themselves and their loved ones, but also of their subjects. They spend huge sums of money on charity, building hospitals, schools and other necessary cultural and artistic institutions. But this is not all that sheikhs do for their subjects. An interesting fact is known that the President of the UAE paid off the loan debts of those citizens of his country who did not have the opportunity to do so.

Arab sheikhs and their wives

One of the most common opinions about the life of the rulers of the East is that they can take a large number of beautiful women as wives. Let's see if this is actually true. It is possible that some sheikhs maintain harems, but there is no official information about this.

The main religion of the East is Islam, according to which a sheikh, as well as rich and noble Muslims, can have four wives. Huge amounts of money are spent on weddings. For Arab Sheikh Mohammed ibn Rashid al-Maktoum, the festive celebration cost a fantastic amount - about sixty million dollars. This wedding is considered one of the most expensive in the world. Surely readers will be interested to know about the number of guests at this memorable event. This figure is also impressive - twenty thousand.

The sheikh gives each wife a built palace along with servants. In addition, huge amounts of money are spent on clothes and jewelry; when women go out, they shimmer and sparkle like Christmas tree decorations.

Conclusion

Sheikhs of the United Arab Emirates are smart and educated people who like to surround themselves with expensive things. They do everything to ensure that their country prospers and the people living in it are satisfied and happy. Thus, many legends about the life of Arab sheikhs have no basis. They lead a modern lifestyle, and their areas of activity are very diverse. Today they rely on sports, tourism and science, investing their fortunes in them.

The word “sheikh” brings to mind oriental fairy tales, and the life of real sheikhs, in fact, is that same fairy tale in which untold wealth is combined with beauty, family ties, ancient traditions and advanced technologies. In this issue you will find the richest sheikhs in the world.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

$18 billion

It’s hard to imagine, but 18 billion is nothing compared to other capital that Al Nahyan is involved with. For example, the total fortune of his family is estimated at 150 billion dollars, and the capitalization of the investment fund, whose curator is the sheikh, exceeds 875 billion.

Al Nahyan is a great man in every sense, he is the Emir of Abu Dhabi and the President of the United Arab Emirates. He became head of state 13 years ago, but has ruled the UAE since 1990, since his father retired. The sheikh is valued very highly in his native country, literally: the world's most skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa, is named in his honor.

David Cameron and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Elizabeth II, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prince Philip.

Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum

$18 billion

The 34-year-old heir to the throne of the Emirate of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan, is a socialite no worse than Prince Harry. He is rich, travels a lot, and runs Instagram. And he also knows how to do good. Patronage of the autism center, large donations to charity - this is also Hamdan.

The third important aspect of the life of the heir to the throne is extreme entertainment. The sheikh's Instagram is constantly updated with reports of jumps from heights, demonstrations of himself in the pilot's seat of a jet plane or a Formula 1 car. But Hamdan’s talent manifested itself most clearly in equestrian sports: the prince won gold at the Asian Olympic Games.

Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Ali al-Amoudi

$4.1 billion

He is a sheikh not by birthright, but by merit - he received the title for his achievements and wealth. As the second richest man in Saudi Arabia, Ali al-Amoudi splits his time between Arabia and Ethiopia, where he was born and raised. He made money in oil, building oil refineries in West Africa, and also in growing everything from vegetables and fruits to coffee. The sheikh's businesses supply coffee to Starbucks and tea to Lipton, among other things.

Ali al-Amoudi also owns a chain of hotels and a hospital. He is seriously involved not only in African and eastern countries: the sheikh invests in the economies of Western countries, in particular in Sweden. They also wrote that the arrival of the Swedish brand H&M in Ethiopia, where labor is very cheap, took place thanks to Ali al-Amoudi. The personal life of a billionaire is simple - married, no children.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan

$4.9 billion

The smiling Sheikh Mansour, 46, is a member of the Emirates' ruling family and the half-brother of the president, Sheikh Khalifa. It is not surprising that he found a job in government - Mansur holds the post of prime minister of the country. In addition to government affairs, the sheikh is involved in the oil industry - he manages the International Petroleum Investment Company of Abu Dhabi. He also loves sports very much and does not spare money on it: the company, the head of which is Mansur, contains local teams for handball, football, volleyball and so on.

But this is all a small thing compared to Manchester City, yes, that very legendary British football team. Mansur is her owner. Some say that this is a toy for the sheikh, others say that he is extremely serious. One thing is clear: Mansur does not skimp on expenses. After all, why worry about money for a man who becomes half a billion richer every time oil prices rise one dollar?

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

$4.5 billion

A person who has set the goal of turning the Emirates into an investment, social, cultural paradise can be satisfied with what he has already done for this. The Emirates airline, the Jumeirah Group tourism holding, and many transnational projects are the work of Sheikh Mohammed. And, in fact, the Burj Khalifa hotel is also the sheikh’s idea.

In addition to work, he knows a lot about entertainment - he is fond of horse racing, makes huge bets, and owns an incredible size yacht "Dubai". Apparently, the ability to take everything from life was inherited by his son, Sheikh Hamdan, whom we discussed at the very beginning. Well, the fact that Hamdan is four times richer than his father is not important. One family after all.




Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum and Elizabeth II.

Typically a "sheikh" is a man over 40 years of age, and the wives and daughters of sheikhs may also be referred to by this title. Muslims who earn the title of Sheikh are required to be well versed in the teachings of the Koran, diligently study Islam and live according to the canons outlined for them by the Prophet Muhammad himself. A person can be a sheikh if ​​he has completed his studies at a university of Islamic studies. This also includes lecturing to students. Since Islam is the second largest religion in the world, second only to Christianity, the title of Sheikh is respected and popular among the population of countries where more than 1 billion people practice this religion.

5 enviable eastern bachelors Oil reserves determine the number of rich families in the Middle East. Some sheikhs in this region are extremely wealthy and billionaires. In most Arab countries, the term "sheikh" is used by royal houses to designate wealthy members of the royal family.

Traditionally in the Arab world, it is customary to hide the size of the fortunes of sheikhs, but based on public information, it is possible to compile a list of the richest... Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani - net worth $2 billion

The sheikh is the current ruler of Qatar, he became emir after his father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who abdicated the throne in 2013. Thus, Tamim bin Hamad became the youngest reigning monarch in the world.

Sheikh Faisal bin Qasim al-Thani - net worth $2.2 billion

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - net worth $4.5 billion

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani - net worth $2.4 billion

The Sheikh was the Emir of Qatar from 1995 to 2013. During his reign, natural gas production amounted to about 85 million tons. And this made Qatar the richest country in the world by per capita income. He later abdicated the throne to allow his son to succeed the throne. Sheikh Hamad himself took the throne of his father, coming to power after a bloodless coup.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan - net worth $4.9 billion

Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and half-brother of the country's president. The sheikh is the chairman of Al Jazeera Sports Company, which owns handball, football, basketball and volleyball teams in Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Mansour also owns the English football club Manchester City and is the chairman of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Investment Company.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan - net worth $18 billion

The Al Nahyan family has a total capital estimated at about $150 billion. Sheikh Khalifa is the current Emir of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE. He officially became president in 2004, but has effectively served as president since 1990 due to his father's ill health. The Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, is named after him.

What do we imagine when we hear the word “sheikh”? Luxury and fabulous wealth with shades of the East. In life... everything is like that.

Yes, there will be no words here about how difficult and difficult life is for poor sheikhs.

SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN

His personal fortune is quite modest - only 18 billion US dollars. But the total fortune of his family is 150 billion, still the same US dollars, impressive right? But that's not all! The capitalization of the investment fund, whose curator is the sheikh, exceeds 875 billion. Now this is really extremely cool.

In addition to the fact that the sheikh is rich, he is also just the emir of Abu Dhabi and the president of the United Arab Emirates (the Burj Khalifa itself is named after him), like his father, who has already retired.

But a person is not happy with wealth alone (in fact, only with it) - the sheikh is loved in his country and is revered as an intelligent and far-sighted leader.

HAMDAN BIN MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL-MAKTOUM

The young (34 years old) heir to the Emirate of Dubai also has 18 billion dollars in his account (well, he has something to strive for, right?), but that is not what makes him remarkable.

His social life is rich in the good sense of the word - the prince spends huge sums on donations and patronizes the autism center.

Hamdan also loves extreme sports and travel, he posts reports about all his adventures here.

SHEIKH MOHAMMED HUSSEIN ALI AL-AMOUDI

Mohammed, by the way, was not born a sheikh, but earned this title thanks to his merits. He is the second richest man in Saudi Arabia and lives in two countries - Saudi Arabia itself and Ethiopia, which is his homeland.

Of course, the basis of his wealth is oil (who would have thought, huh?), but in addition, the sheikh was engaged in growing almost everything (4.20) - from vegetables to coffee and tea (and coffee (beans, if you didn’t understand), by the way, he even supplies Starbucks, and tea to Lipton). Well, and so on to the little things - the sheikh owns hotels, hospitals, does business in Europe and simply enjoys life.

Well, how could it be otherwise?

SHEIKH MANSOUR BIN ZAYED AL-NAHYAN

The Prime Minister of the UAE and part-time half-brother of Sheikh Khalifa is also not a poor man. His capital is almost 5 billion US dollars. In addition to politics, of course, he is involved in oil (and you thought not?), but that is not what makes him interesting.

This smiling guy simply loves sports. He invests money in virtually all areas of sports in his country and he also owns Manchester City... yes, that same football team (not United, don’t confuse the guys). Someone thinks that this is self-indulgence and he doesn’t need a football team at all, but even if this is so, he can afford it - after all, with such and such finances.

SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL-MAKTOUM

Remember I mentioned the father of the current UAE President? Well, actually, here he is. Of course, he is poorer than his son (net worth some 4.5 billion dollars), but for some reason I don’t think the sheikh is upset about this.

Mohammed, by the way, is also an entertainer - the idea of ​​​​the Burj Khalifa belongs to him. He also owns the Emirates airline, the tourism holding Jumeirah Group and many transnational projects. The sheikh also loves horse racing and betting. Which is not surprising - what else could he be interested in?