How Many Billionaires in Saudi Arabia?
Understand the state of extreme wealth in Saudi Arabia. Discover how it's quantified and the core economic drivers behind its accumulation.
The presence of ultra-high-net-worth individuals in Saudi Arabia draws attention, reflecting the nation’s economic landscape and its position in the world economy. Examining the number of billionaires residing in the Kingdom provides insight into the concentration of substantial private capital within its borders.
Current Billionaire Count
According to Forbes’ 2025 World’s Billionaires list, 15 Saudi individuals are recognized as billionaires. This marks a return for Saudi Arabia to Forbes’ list after a seven-year hiatus, indicating shifts in the region’s economic visibility. The collective net worth of these 15 Saudi billionaires is estimated to be $55.8 billion.
This figure positions Saudi Arabia as the Arab country with the highest number of billionaires. Of the 15 individuals, 14 are new additions to the list, largely due to their stakes in companies that have recently undergone initial public offerings (IPOs) on the Saudi stock market. The only individual who has returned to the list after the hiatus is Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who remains the wealthiest Saudi on the list with an estimated fortune of $16.5 billion.
How Billionaire Wealth is Measured
Financial publications and research firms employ specific methodologies to estimate the wealth of billionaires, which involves valuing a diverse range of assets. Net worth calculations sum up the total value of an individual’s assets, such as cash, investments, and property, and then subtract their total liabilities, including debts and loans. For publicly traded companies, the valuation of shares held by individuals is determined by multiplying the number of shares by their most recent closing price.
Valuing private company holdings presents a greater challenge due to less public disclosure. Analysts rely on comparing the private company’s revenue with price-to-sales or price-to-earnings ratios of similar publicly traded companies, often applying a liquidity discount of around 10% for difficulty in selling private assets quickly. Additional assets like real estate, art collections, and yachts are also considered in these comprehensive wealth assessments. These varying methodologies, along with different cut-off dates for data collection, can lead to slight discrepancies in reported numbers across different wealth tracking organizations.
Primary Wealth Origins
The economic prosperity that has generated significant wealth in Saudi Arabia historically stems from its vast petroleum resources. The nation possesses some of the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and oil exports have traditionally constituted a substantial portion of government revenue and the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This foundational wealth has enabled extensive investments across various sectors.
Beyond oil, the Saudi economy has diversified, with wealth increasingly originating from other key areas. Significant investments have been made in the petrochemical industry, large-scale infrastructure projects, and real estate development. The growth of the private sector, supported by initiatives like Vision 2030, has fostered wealth creation through successful businesses in industries such as healthcare, retail, finance, and various manufacturing sectors. Many prominent families and entrepreneurs have accumulated fortunes through holdings in these diversified national and international corporations, reflecting a broader economic transformation.