Their fortune is thought to be around 16 times bigger than that of the British Royal Family.
There is often debate about how wealthy the British Royal Family really is, especially when their fortune is compared to the richest people in the world. Forbes estimates their total wealth at around £69 billion, a figure that includes valuable estates, historic properties and the strength of the monarchy as a global brand.
A large share of this comes from the Duchy of Cornwall and the Duchy of Lancaster, two major portfolios of land, commercial buildings and investments. The Duchy of Lancaster alone has net assets of around £652.8 million, which includes well-known London landmarks like the Savoy Hotel and Somerset House.
King Charles also has his own personal wealth, estimated at £559.6 million, putting him among the richest individuals in the UK.
But even with these huge sums, the British monarchy is far from the richest Royal Family in the world.
In fact, there is one family whose wealth is so large that it easily surpasses the combined fortunes of Elon Musk and Bill Gates.
That family is the House of Saud, the ruling Royal Family of Saudi Arabia, with an estimated net worth of £1.1 trillion.
For comparison, Forbes says Musk’s wealth has recently surged to around $677 billion (£510 billion), driven largely by the soaring value of SpaceX, while Gates is estimated to be worth $104 billion (£77 billion) in 2025.
Even together, their fortunes fall well short of the vast wealth controlled by the Saudi monarchy.
The difference is so large that the House of Saud’s fortune is thought to be around 16 times bigger than that of the British Royal Family.
Much of this incredible wealth comes from Saudi Arabia’s huge oil reserves, which have transformed the region’s ruling families over the past century.
Although Middle Eastern monarchies once held little authority under the Ottoman Empire, their power and wealth expanded rapidly after its collapse following World War I.
Today, royal families across the Gulf, including those in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, enjoy lifestyles that few in the world can match.
The Saudi Royal Family includes around 15,000 members, though most of the wealth is held by roughly 2,000 individuals.
King Salman has led the family since 2015, while his son, Mohammed bin Salman, serves as Prime Minister and is widely seen as the country’s de facto ruler.
Over the last few years, Mohammed bin Salman has made some expensive purchases.
Among them was France’s Chateau Louis XIV for £235 million and Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi painting for £349.6 million. He also purchased a £392 million yacht.
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