Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud topped the list of the world's wealthiest Arabs, which includes 47 billionaires and a record number of new entries this year.
Fourteen new individuals and families joined the annual 50-name Rich List, published by Arabian Business magazine in its December 2, 2007 issue.
Among the most prominent newcomers are MBC chairman and Saudi businessman Sheikh Walid Al-Ibrahim (2.3 billion U.S. dollars), Lebanese businessman Essam Fares (2.4 billion), Egyptian businessman Mohamed Shafiq Gabr (2.2 billion), U.A.E-based Palestinian businessman Omar Ayesh (2.1 billion), the Kuwaiti Al-Ghanem family (1.9 billion), and Kuwaiti businessman Tareq Sultan (1.7 billion).
Four Egyptians made the list. In addition to Gabr, the group included Fayez Saroufim (1.5 billion), Ahmed Ezz (1 billion), and Talaat Mustafa (800 million).
The three Syrians included in the 2007 list are Saeb Nahass (1 billion), Nabil Al-Kozbari (800 million), and Moafaq Al-Qadah (700 million).
Saudi businessman and chairman of Saad Group, Maan Al-Sanea, leaped 33 places forward with an 8.6 billion dollar increase in his wealth to rank fifth.
The Saudi families of Bin Laden and Al-Olayan, the Emirati Gargash, and the Kuwaiti Al-Shaya held onto their places.
The head of the U.A.E. Federal National Council, Abdul-Aziz Al-Ghurair (8 billion,) came eighth, and the Egyptian Sawiris family (6.2 billion) came tenth after both moved two places forward.
Emirati businessman Majid Al-Futtaim (4.3 billion), who is the agent for Toyota and Honda, and the owner of City Center shopping malls, advanced three spots.
The Saudi Al-Zamil family (2.8 billion) progressed seven places, the Emirati Al-Rostamani (2.1 billion) nine places, the Palestinian Shuman (1.8 billion) 12 places, and the Kuwaiti Boodai (1.85 billion) three places.
Palestinian businessman Munib Masri (1.62 billion) moved four places forward, and former Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati (2.4 billion) moved up two spots.
The first on the list is Al-Walid bin Talal (29.5 billion), the second the Saudi Al-Rajhi family (24 billion), the third the Lebanese Al-Hariri family (17.5 billion), and the third the Kuwaiti Nasser Al-Kharafi (12 billion).
(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid).
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