Arab Billionaires: 2025 Winners and Losers

The Biggest Arab Billionaires: Winners and Losers of 2025

BY THE ARAB TODAY Apr 28, 2026

The Biggest Arab Billionaires: Winners and Losers of 2025

Volatile markets and geopolitical tensions shaped 2025, significantly altering the fortunes of Arab billionaires. Here’s a look at the year’s biggest winners and losers.

Table of Contents

Top gainers

Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani

Increase: $1.3 billion
Net Worth: $5.2 billion
Citizenship: Qatari

Al Thani served as Qatar’s prime minister from 2007 to 2013 and as foreign minister from 1992 to 2013. A cousin of the current Emir, he is also related to the founder of modern Qatar in 1971. Through Paramount Services Holdings, he owns a 3% stake in Deutsche Bank, his largest publicly listed investment. Since March 7, 2025, Deutsche Bank’s share price has climbed 39.5%, reaching $35.7 by November 17, while its net profit surged 75% year-on-year to $6.5 billion in the first nine months of 2025.

Othman Benjelloun & family

Increase: $300 million
Net Worth: $1.9 billion
Citizenship: Moroccan

Benjelloun, Morocco’s wealthiest individual, chairs and leads Bank of Africa BMCE Group, which operates in 32 countries, including 20 across Africa. As of June 2025, the group employs around 15,000 people and serves 6.6 million customers. In the first half of 2025, its consolidated net banking income grew 8% year-on-year to $1.1 billion, driven by solid core performance—net interest income rose 8% and fee income increased 2.3%—along with a sharp 54.2% jump in market-related revenues. Through his holding company, FinanceCom, he also owns a stake in the Moroccan arm of French telecom major Orange.

Top losers

Mohammad Abunayyan

Decrease: $1.1 billion
Net Worth: $2.1 billion
Citizenship: Saudi

Abunayyan is the founder and chairman of ACWA Power, a Saudi firm focused on power generation and water desalination. He established the company in 2004 and listed it on the Saudi Exchange in 2021. He currently holds a direct 3.5% stake, while the Public Investment Fund owns 44.2%. ACWA Power’s share price fell 37.5% between March 6 and November 17, 2025, dropping to $57, as the company reported third-quarter revenues of $442.5 million, down 5% year-on-year for the July–September period.

Abunayyan also chairs Vision Invest, a Saudi holding company with stakes in both listed and private businesses. Additionally, he owns 8% of Abdullah Abunayyan Trading Company, which itself holds a 50% stake in Vision Invest.

Nassef Sawiris

Decrease: $1.1 billion
Net Worth: $8.5 billion
Citizenship: Egyptian

Sawiris, Egypt’s richest individual, saw his net worth drop by $1.1 billion over eight months, reaching $8.5 billion as of November 17, 2025. He serves as executive chair of OCI Global, one of the world’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producers, with operations in Texas and Iowa and a listing on Euronext Amsterdam. The company’s share price declined 19.4% from March 7, 2025, to $4 by November 17, valuing it at a market capitalization of $839.5 million. In 2024, ADNOC acquired OCI’s stake in Fertiglobe for $3.62 billion.

His portfolio also includes nearly a 6% stake in German sportswear giant adidas, whose share price has fallen 32.3% since March 7, 2025, to $185.7 by November 17, reducing its market value to $33.4 billion. Sawiris has also been a co-owner of Aston Villa since 2018, alongside Fortress Investment Group cofounder Wes Edens.

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