The title of sheikh is often held by royalty in the Middle East, but it can mean so much more. In Arabic, the term sheikh means man of old age, and it’s a title that is not easily earned. Only the most revered and respected Muslims can earn this honourable title. Muslims who earn the term sheikh have often diligently studied the religion of Islam, are well versed in the teaching of the Qur’an and live according to Sunnah, which is the way of life designated to Muslims by Muhammad.
A person can be designated a sheikh if that person has completed undergraduate university studies in Islamic studies and is also trained to give lectures. Because of the large oil reserves and the number of wealthy families in the Middle East, some sheikhs in the region are extremely wealthy – some sheikhs in the Middle East are ranked as some of the world’s richest billionaires.
Here are the top 10 richest sheikhs in the world.
| Rank | Name | Net Worth |
| 1. | Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan | $30 billion |
| 2. | Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum | $14 billion |
| 3. | Mohammed Al Amoudi | $8.3 billion |
| 4. | Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair | $7.5 billion |
| 5. | Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair | $6 billion |
| 6. | Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Kabeer | $6 billion |
| 7. | Mohammed bin Salman | $5 billion |
| 8. | Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani | $2 billion |
| 9. | Aishwarya Al Alsaud | $820 million |
| 10. | Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani | $800 million |
