The wealthiest families in the Arab world have seen mixed fortunes over the past ten months.
The Sawiris family remains the richest with $11.6 billion, despite a $1 billion decline since March 2024. These top five families represent 71.4% of the Arab region’s total wealth of $44.8 billion, reflecting diverse impacts of global markets and strategic decisions.
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According to Forbes, here are the five richest Arab families for 2025 as of January 3, 2025.
1. The Sawiris Family (Egypt) — Net worth: $11.6 bn
Egypt’s wealthiest family, comprising billionaire brothers Nassef and Naguib Sawiris, experienced a $1 billion decline in their combined wealth over the past ten months. The family’s net worth now stands at $11.6 billion.
Nassef Sawiris, the executive chair of Amsterdam-based OCI Global, has seen his wealth drop by $1 billion since March 8, 2024, to $7.8 billion. OCI Global’s share price declined significantly, losing 55.3% of its value and reaching $11.5 (€11.2) by January 3, 2025. The company faced challenges following a fatal accident involving a subcontractor at its Beaumont Clean Ammonia site in October 2024.
Despite OCI’s struggles, Nassef benefited from a 23.6% rise in Adidas’s share price, where he owns a 6% stake. His diverse roles include supervisory director at Adidas AG, chairman of Aston Villa FC, and positions at JOE & THE JUICE and J.P. Morgan International Council. In December 2023, Nassef’s NNS Group announced plans to relocate to Abu Dhabi, pending regulatory approval.
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2. The Mansour Family (Egypt) — Net worth: $5.8 bn
The Mansour family retained their combined wealth of $5.8 billion over the past ten months., with a net worth of $3.3 billion, heads Man Capital LLP, the family’s London-based investment arm. The Mansour Group, founded in 1952, is the exclusive distributor of General Motors vehicles and Caterpillar equipment in several countries.
Mohamed’s brothers, Youssef and Yasseen, also contributed to the family’s wealth. Youssef, with a net worth of $1.3 billion, founded and chaired Mantrac, while Yasseen, worth $1.2 billion, leads Palm Hills Developments and McDonald’s Egypt.
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3. The Mikati Family (Lebanon) — Net worth: $5.6 bn
Najib Mikati, Lebanon’s Prime Minister, and his brother Taha maintained their wealth at $2.8 billion each, despite the country’s ongoing political and economic challenges. The brothers co-founded M1 Group, a family-owned holding company with interests in telecom, real estate, aircraft financing, and other sectors.
Najib Mikati’s political career spans decades, with three terms as Lebanon’s Prime Minister. The brothers initially gained wealth through Investcom, a telecom company they founded during Lebanon’s civil war, which MTN Group acquired in 2009 for $3.6 billion.
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4. The Hariri Family (Lebanon) — Net worth: $4.8 bn
The Hariri family saw a $100 million increase in their combined net worth over the past ten months, rising to $4.8 billion by January 2025. The wealthiest among the Hariri siblings, Bahaa, now worth $2.1 billion, oversees investments through the Horizon Group and Globe Express Services.
Ayman Hariri, with a net worth of $1.4 billion, invests in technology startups through Red Sea Ventures. His portfolio includes investments in Nest, which was later acquired by Google. Fahed Hariri’s wealth increased to $1.3 billion, driven by his real estate investments in New York, Paris, and Monte Carlo.
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5. Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair & Family (UAE) — Net worth: $4.2 bn
The Al Ghurair family’s net worth grew by $300 million in ten months, reaching $4.2 billion. Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair, founder of Mashreq Bank, saw his wealth rise alongside an 11.9% increase in the bank’s share price, which reached $59.1 (AED 217) by January 3, 2025.
Mashreq Bank, established in 1967, operates across multiple countries and reported assets of $69.3 billion (AED 254.4 billion) as of September 30, 2024. The family’s philanthropic efforts continue through the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, established in 2015.
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