Five leading construction and engineering billionaires from the Middle East have earned spots on the Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2026, with their combined wealth reaching $17.9 billion. Their inclusion reflects the region’s rising impact on the global construction, infrastructure, and engineering industries.
Here’s a closer look at the five billionaires whose fortunes stem from major investments and leadership in the construction and engineering sector, according to Forbes data released on March 1, 2026.
1.Nassef Sawiris
Net worth: $9.6B
Age: 65
Residence: Egypt
Citzenship: Egyptian
Industry: Construction & Engineering
Nassef Sawiris, the wealthiest individual in Egypt, is the youngest son of renowned construction tycoon Onsi Sawiris and one of the three billionaire Sawiris brothers, alongside Naguib Sawiris and Samih Sawiris.
He manages a diversified global business empire that spans construction, fertilisers, and strategic international investments. Sawiris serves as the executive chairman of OCI N.V., one of the world’s leading nitrogen fertiliser producers, with large-scale manufacturing operations in Texas and Iowa. The company is publicly listed on Euronext Amsterdam.
His investment portfolio also includes significant interests in Orascom Construction, which expanded into the United States in 2012 through the acquisition of construction and contracting firm Weitz.
Outside the industrial sector, Sawiris owns nearly a 6% stake in Adidas and has built a presence in the sports industry as well. In partnership with Wes Edens of Fortress Investment Group, he acquired Aston Villa F.C., which competes in the English Premier League.
In 2020, Sawiris further expanded his sports investments by purchasing a 5% stake in Madison Square Garden Sports, the New York-listed owner of the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.
A graduate of University of Chicago, Sawiris donated $24 million in 2019 to support Egyptian students and help fund an executive education initiative at the university.
2.Ravi Pillai
Net worth: $4.2B
Age: 72
Residence: UAE
Citzenship: Indian
Industry: Construction & Engineering
Ravi Pillai, founder of the RP Group, built his billion-dollar empire from modest beginnings in Kerala, India, where he was raised in a farming family. Today, he is regarded as one of the most influential Indian entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
After the failure of his early construction business in Kerala, Pillai relocated to Saudi Arabia in search of new opportunities. In 1978, with the backing of a well-connected local partner, he launched a new construction company that later evolved into the RP Group.
Headquartered in Dubai, the conglomerate has since expanded into a wide range of industries, including construction, hospitality, education, trading, travel, and tourism, operating through several companies across the Gulf region and beyond.
A major portion of Pillai’s wealth was generated through large-scale construction and infrastructure projects across the Middle East, where the group established a strong reputation in the sector.
Leveraging his success in the Gulf, Pillai also made substantial investments in India, with interests spanning banking, luxury hotels, and real estate developments. The RP Group is additionally recognised as one of the largest employers of Indian expatriates in the Middle East.
3.Dhruv Sawhney
Net worth: $1.6B
Age: 81
Residence: UAE
Citzenship: Indian
Industry: Construction & Engineering
Dhruv Sawhney, a Cambridge-educated engineer and Wharton graduate, transformed a struggling family enterprise into a diversified industrial group. Early in his career, he joined his uncle’s ailing engineering and sugar business and successfully revived it. He later consolidated it with his father’s sugar interests, creating Triveni Engineering & Industries, which has grown into one of India’s leading integrated sugar producers, with additional operations in liquor production and power transmission equipment.
Under Sawhney’s leadership, the group diversified its portfolio to include industrial gears, power-transmission systems, and water and wastewater treatment solutions. He also owns Triveni Turbine, a publicly listed company that manufactures industrial steam turbines.
Today, the next generation of the family is actively involved in the business. His elder son, Tarun Sawhney, runs Triveni Engineering & Industries, while his younger son, Nikhil Sawhney, leads Triveni Turbine.
4.Ayman Hariri
Net Worth: $1.4B
Age: 47
Residence: France
Citzenship: Lebanese
Industry: Construction & Engineering
Ayman Hariri is a Lebanese entrepreneur and investor belonging to one of the Middle East’s most influential political and business dynasties. He is the son of the late Rafic Hariri, who served as Lebanon’s prime minister before his assassination in 2005.
Hariri inherited a stake in Saudi Oger, the family’s Saudi-based construction conglomerate. However, in 2014, he sold his share to his brother, Saad Hariri, as he began shifting his focus toward technology and venture capital investments.
In 2017, Hariri further streamlined his holdings by selling his 42% stake in GroupeMed — a family investment firm with interests in banking and real estate — in a deal valued at approximately $535 million.
Expanding beyond the construction sector, Hariri established a strong presence in the technology industry through Red Sea Ventures, a New York-based venture capital firm that has invested in several high-profile startups, including Nest Labs, which was later acquired by Google.
Hariri is also known as the co-founder and former CEO of Vero, an ad-free social media platform launched in 2015 that enables users to share photos, music, and videos while offering greater privacy and content control.
5.Fahed Hariri
Net Worth: $1.1 B
Age: 45
Residence: UK
Citzenship: Lebanese
Industry: Construction & Engineering
Fahed Hariri, the youngest son of the late Rafic Hariri, sold his stake in the family-owned Saudi construction firm Saudi Oger to his brother Saad Hariri in 2012. Saad Hariri later served as Lebanon’s prime minister until January 2020.
After exiting the construction business, Fahed Hariri shifted his focus toward global real estate investments, using the proceeds from the deal to acquire high-value properties in cities such as New York, Paris, and Monte Carlo.
In addition to his international property portfolio, Hariri has invested in several Lebanese banking institutions and remains active in Beirut’s real estate market. He is involved in residential development projects in the Lebanese capital, further strengthening his presence in the property and investment sector.
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