MENA’s Billionaires Increase by 19 in 2025

The Middle East and North Africa added 19 billionaires in 2025, bringing the regional total to 91, a 26% year-on-year increase, according to Swiss investment bank UBS. The shift consolidates the region’s standing among the fastest-growing globally by net worth at the very top tier.

Saudi Arabia led the additions with 13 new billionaires, lifting its total from 6 in 2024 to 19 in 2025. Reported combined wealth in the Kingdom rose 113.2% to USD 81 billion. The United Arab Emirates recorded steadier expansion, adding one new billionaire to reach 19 in total, while combined wealth increased 21.6% to USD 168.7 billion.

In Egypt, the number of billionaires remained unchanged at 4, but their combined wealth rose 14% to USD 17 billion. Lebanon held at 2 billionaires, with combined wealth up 10.7% to USD 37.3 billion. UBS’s figures place the region’s gains within a broader uptick across key Middle Eastern markets, even where headline counts were stable.