According to Forbes, the company generated $8.8 billion in revenues and $600 million in profits in 2017, making it easy to see how Al Futtaim and his family acquired his billionaire status. Determining a net worth is not an exact science because not all financial information is publicly available. However, by using a few key methods and resources, a net worth estimate can be created that creates a research-based estimate. Ravi Pillai is an Indian-born entrepreneur whose RP Group has executed massive construction projects across the Gulf. From hospitals and hotels to entire industrial zones, his company is a major contractor for governments and private developers alike. His companies play a critical role in global food and energy supply chains.
- B. Ravi Pillai is one of the most successful self-made Indian entrepreneurs.
- His net worth is set to increase by $3 billion in 2024 due to his investments in other businesses such as education, hotels, and healthcare.
- Pavel Durov is a Russian entrepreneur who founded the social media platform VKontakte (VK), often referred to as the “Russian Facebook,” and Telegram, the highly popular encrypted messaging app.
Top 10 Richest People in the United Arab Emirates (2025 Update)
Thus, by January 2025, Durov will reach $15.5 billion, allowing him to enter the list of the richest people in Dubai. His emphasis on freedom, personal and digital, has placed him as an influential player in the technology industry across the world. With an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion, Varkey is not only a prominent richest man in dubai businessman but also a philanthropist. His charitable contributions include support for initiatives that enhance educational reform and access to schooling in underprivileged communities globally. Pavel Durov is a Russian entrepreneur who founded the social media platform VKontakte (VK), often referred to as the “Russian Facebook,” and Telegram, the highly popular encrypted messaging app. Durov’s career in technology has earned him a significant fortune, estimated at $15.5 billion in 2025.
Top 20 Richest People in Dubai in 2025 : An Inside Look at Dubai’s Elite
As of July 1, 2025, she is worth an estimated $107 billion and is the world’s 17th richest person. Her fortune lies in her ownership stake in retailer Walmart, which she inherited from her late father. Her brothers Rob, Jim and John (d. 2005) also inherited stakes in Walmart from their father. John’s widow Christy Walton and their son Lukas Walton inherited John’s shares and both rank on Forbes’ billionaires list. In 2000, he merged an online bank he cofounded, X.com, with a similar outfit cofounded by Peter Thiel to form PayPal, which eBay bought in 2002 for $1.4 billion. In 2004 he joined Tesla as an investor and chairman, a year after it was founded; he was later granted the cofounder title.
Teaching Kids to Save Money: Fun, Real-L…
His philanthropic contributions include support for education and healthcare. Saif Al Ghurair is the chairman of Al Ghurair Group, a family-owned conglomerate that has operations in manufacturing, real estate, and trading. The group is one of the largest diversified companies in the UAE, with investments in the construction and retail sectors. Al Ghurair has also invested heavily in the banking sector, making significant contributions to Dubai’s financial services. Starting humbly as a management trainee in 1978, he grew and led the group through major developments and into involvement with big projects throughout the UAE.
More from Forbes Australia
In 2018, as the CEO of DICO International, he signed an international hospitality partnership with the famous global fashion house Roberto Cavalli Group to re-design the AYKON Hotels. In June 2021, Hussain Sajwani resigned as the Chairman of DAMAC Properties and agreed to privatize the company. One of the wealthiest people in Dubai is Abdulla Futtaim, who has a net worth of $2.5 billion. Being the owner of the Al Futtaim Group, he has operational authority over a variety of businesses in the UAE’s IKEA, automobile, and electronics stores. He is well known for being one of the major Toyota and Lexus auto distributors in the UAE.
- Sunny Varkey is a philanthropist and entrepreneur who made his fortune through the GEMS Education Group.
- According to estimates, his net worth is predicted to be $4.5 billion as of the year 2025, which places him among the wealthiest individuals in Dubai.
- Along with the RP group, He runs 5-star hotels like The Raviz Ashtamudi, The Raviz Kovalam, and The Raviz Kadavu.
- Pillai’s wealth can be traced to his decision to abandon his native India for the United Arab Emirates after his Kerala-based construction business was forced to close down after labor strikes.
- While he was still a student at the University of Cochin, he established a chit fund in Kollam.
He is also the CEO of the Landmark Group which operates in the entertainment and retail industries. There are around 1000 stores of Landmark Group across the Middle East, Persian Gulf Region, and India. Sunny Varkey is a philanthropist and entrepreneur who made his fortune through the GEMS Education Group. His net worth is set to increase by $3 billion in 2024 due to his investments in other businesses such as education, hotels, and healthcare. Yusuffali M.A owns Lulu Group which is one of the Middle East’s leading retail chains.
In the list of the top ten richest people in Dubai, Abdullah Al Futtaim ranked seventh. He specialized in retail and real estate operations in the automotive industry. In UAE 2025, Majid Al Futtaim is now the 4th richest person in Dubai with a net worth of $6.2 billion. Futtaim Group is privately run a company that invests in real estate, entertainment, and car distribution.
The formal establishment of GEMS Education was in 2000, offering varying curricula with a worldwide scope. He is also the chairman of the Varkey Group and has established the Varkey Foundation for improving education across the globe. Dubai has officially entered the list of the world’s top 20 cities for wealth, due to continue rise of investments, businesses and high-net-world individuals. Thus, Top 30 richest people in Dubai have showcased several success stories for emerging entrepreneurs and have played a key role in economic development of the country.
He started his journey in finance at Abu Dhabi Gas Industries, later moved on to a catering venture, and eventually established the DAMAC Properties in 2002. So why does Dubai have so many rich people, if not for the clichéd glamorous lifestyle? We’re going to answer these questions and take a look at the richest people in Dubai, including their net worth and the secret to their obscene wealth.
Musk, who became CEO of Tesla in 2008, took the company public in 2010. Musk was also the world’s richest person for most of 2022—until December 2022. Musk became the world’s richest person again on June 8, 2023 and held onto the number one spot for the remainder of 2023. Hussain Sahwani is an Emirati billionaire businessman and the CEO of DAMAC Properties, which is a real estate development company.
Pillai’s wealth can be traced to his decision to abandon his native India for the United Arab Emirates after his Kerala-based construction business was forced to close down after labor strikes. Al Habtoor is still making plenty of business moves to promote even more wealth and has notably become interested in a $3 billion Central European real estate investment. This European interest dovetails with Al Habtoor’s interest in international affairs. His canadian nationality is the reason begind him being listed as the richest person in canada according to several sources.
Hussain Binghatti Aljbori is the founder and former chairman of Dubai’s luxury real estate developer, Binghatti Properties. He launched the company in 2008 and has grown it into one of the leading property developers in the UAE, which he controls entirely (he owns 100%). Sunny Varkey is the creator and administrative chairman of the global advisory and educational management, GEMS Education. This is the largest private Kindergarten-to-12 school in the world with the number of 80 schools in all countries. He is a chairman of an umbrella business organization and the founder and trustee of the Varkey Foundations.
But not many people know that he dared to expand his family business to establish his own legacy in an unknown land. Even though the Gulf War of 1990 almost took over his entrepreneurial dream, he was resilient enough to return to the land and mark his territory forever. With that, he started progressing upward in his career and became a part of the Dubai Plaza Hotel.
