Saudi b’naires returned to Forbes World’s b’naire list for the first time since 2017, following a wave of IPOs and growing market transparency in the Kingdom. Some 15 Saudis made it to the list this year — up from 10 in 2017 — with a combined net worth of USD 55.8 bn.

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Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is the only returnee, topping the list as the richest Saudi with an estimated net worth of USD 16.5 bn — thanks to his 78.1% stake in the Kingdom Holding Company. The remaining 14 are all newcomers, including Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group founder Sulaiman Al Habib, and heirs of family fortunes such as the Al Muhaidib brothers who expanded their late father’s conglomerate to build a diversified regional holding.

BACKGROUND- Forbes had stopped listing Saudi b’naires due to concerns about lack of transparency, following the November 2017 roundup of prominent figures on the back of corruption allegations.

What changed? A surge in stock exchange listings and the increased availability of reliable financial data, along with the rise in foreign investment and the public offering of more state-owned companies, have increased transparency in the local market. A well-regulated economic environment was also cited by Forbes as enough to bring Saudi b’naires back to the list.

REGIONALLY- Saudi Arabia was the b’naire hot spot among Arab nations, accounting for 43.4% of all Arab b’naire wealth, according to Arab News. The UAE and Egypt followed with five b’naires each, led by Hussain Sajwani (USD 10.2 bn) in the UAE and Nassef Sawiris (USD 9.6 bn) in Egypt. The Mena region now counts 38 b’naires across nine countries, with a total fortune of USD 128.4 bn — more than double last year’s figure.

Here’s the full Saudi b’naire gallery:

  • Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal (128th) – USD 16.5 bn
  • Sulaiman Al Habib (227th) – USD 10.9 bn
  • Emad Al Muhaidib (948th)– USD 3.8 bn
  • Sulaiman Al Muhaidib (1015th) – USD 3.6 bn
  • Essam Al Muhaidib (1015th) – USD 3.6 bn
  • Mohammad Abunayyan (1141st) – USD 3.2 bn
  • Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al Rajhi (1462nd) – USD 2.5 bn
  • Abdullah Al Othaim (1462nd) – USD 2.5 bn
  • Abdullah Amer Al Nahdi (1573rd) – USD 2.3 bn
  • Waleed bin Ibrahim al Ibrahim (2356th) – USD 1.4 bn
  • Yousuf Mohammad Jamjoom (2623rd)– USD 1.2 bn
  • Khalid Abdul Rahman Saleh Al Rajhi (2623rd) – USD 1.2 bn
  • Hamad Ali Al Sagri (2790th) – USD 1.1 bn
  • Ammar Soliman Fakeeh (2933rd) – USD 1 bn
  • Mazen Soliman Fakeeh (2933rd) – USD 1 bn
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