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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →According to Forbes Middle East’s 2026 Arab-billionaire list, the five highest-ranked UAE entries are Hussain Sajwani, Abdulla Al Futtaim & family, Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair & family, Waleed Mohammad Al Zaabi, and Mohamed Alabbar. Forbes estimates their fortunes at $15.3 billion, $4.8 billion, $4.5 billion, $3.4 billion, and $3 billion, respectively, using wealth calculations dated March 1, 2026. These are estimates—not audited statements of personal cash or liquid assets.
Who are the five richest Emiratis in Forbes Middle East’s 2026 ranking?
The ranking below orders the UAE entries in Forbes Middle East’s 2026 list of Arab billionaires. It is not a ranking of every billionaire who lives in the UAE, regardless of nationality or origin.
| UAE rank | Person or family | Estimated net worth | Principal reported business context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hussain Sajwani | $15.3 billion | Real estate; DAMAC Properties |
| 2 | Abdulla Al Futtaim & family | $4.8 billion | Automotive, retail, and property interests |
| 3 | Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair & family | $4.5 billion | Diversified interests; Mashreqbank founder |
| 4 | Waleed Mohammad Al Zaabi | $3.4 billion | Real estate; Tiger Group |
| 5 | Mohamed Alabbar | $3 billion | Diversified interests, including Emaar Properties and Americana Restaurants |
Forbes Middle East says its 2026 Arab-billionaire calculations use March 1, 2026 values. The publication lists seven UAE billionaires with a combined estimated net worth of $35.4 billion; these five are the highest-ranked UAE entries. Forbes Middle East’s 2026 Arab-billionaire list links to the individual profiles for the figures and business descriptions.
How did they build their fortunes?
1. Hussain Sajwani: DAMAC real estate
Forbes Middle East estimates Sajwani’s net worth at $15.3 billion in 2026. He founded Dubai-based DAMAC Properties in 2002 and is its chairman. Forbes also notes that he worked in food services earlier in his career and has announced plans for U.S. data-center investment; announced plans should not be read as completed investment. In Forbes Middle East’s feature, Sajwani put the role of infrastructure this way: “To grow, you need infrastructure.”
2. Abdulla Al Futtaim & family: automotive and retail
Forbes Middle East’s 2026 estimate for Abdulla Al Futtaim & family is $4.8 billion. The Al-Futtaim conglomerate is owned by Abdulla and run by his son Omar, who is vice chairman and CEO. Forbes points to the group’s UAE Toyota distributorship, dating to 1955, as well as its retail licenses.
3. Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair & family: banking and diversified businesses
Forbes Middle East estimates the Al Ghurair family fortune at $4.5 billion in 2026. Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair founded Mashreqbank in 1967 and stepped down as its chairman in 2019. The family holding company has interests spanning food, construction, mobility, asset management, and real estate.
4. Waleed Mohammad Al Zaabi: Tiger Group
Forbes Middle East puts Al Zaabi’s estimated net worth at $3.4 billion in 2026. He founded and owns Tiger Group, which started as a construction firm and later moved into real estate development. Forbes also describes the group’s expansion into hospitality, manufacturing, agriculture, and education.
5. Mohamed Alabbar: real estate and other ventures
Forbes Middle East estimates Alabbar’s net worth at $3 billion in 2026. He founded Emaar Properties, but Forbes reports that much of his fortune comes from a 33% stake in publicly traded Americana Restaurants. His other reported interests include Eagle Hills, Noon, and Zand Bank.
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What does “richest Emiratis” mean here?
In this article, “Emirati” refers to the UAE entries in Forbes Middle East’s Arab-billionaire ranking. The phrase can be confused with “richest people living in the UAE.” Forbes publishes a separate residents list: its 2026 edition covers 17 billionaires from five countries of origin. A resident ranking and a UAE-entry ranking have different scopes, so their lists should not be treated as interchangeable.
The distinction matters for wealth figures, too. Forbes groups family wealth for Al Futtaim and Al Ghurair rather than presenting those entries as individual-only fortunes. The published amounts are estimates based on Forbes’ methodology and valuation date; the cited profiles do not establish how much of any fortune is held in cash or can readily be sold.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What changed from the 2025 UAE top five?
The names changed: Waleed Mohammad Al Zaabi appears in the 2026 five in place of Hussain Binghatti Aljbori. Forbes’ 2025 feature listed Sajwani, Al Futtaim & family, Al Ghurair & family, Binghatti Aljbori, and Alabbar. In the 2026 Arab-billionaire list, Al Zaabi ranks #13 among Arab billionaires, Alabbar #14, and Binghatti #16, placing Al Zaabi in the current UAE top five and Binghatti outside it.
Use year and publisher when comparing wealth estimates. Forbes’ 2025 materials have differing date labels: the overall Arab ranking says it used stock prices and exchange rates from March 7, 2025, while the feature page separately labels its figures as of May 1, 2025. Aletihad’s April 4, 2025 report also gave figures that differed from some of the Forbes magazine table’s estimates. Those differences are a reason to attribute a number to a particular publisher and date, not to blend estimates into a single figure.
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