

In most of the Arab nations, members of the Gulf Royal Houses use the terms sheikh and sheikha, so many royals make the list of richest sheikhs.īecause the wealth of some royal families in the Arab peninsula is so secretly guarded it is possible that some of the world’s richest sheikhs are even richer than estimated, but with information available publicly, these are the richest sheikhs in the world.ĭue to the cultural impact of Arab civilization, and especially through the spread of Islam, the word has gained currency as a religious term or general honorific in many other parts of the world as well, notably in Muslim cultures in Africa and Asia.ġ1) Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani – Net worth: $1.2 billionīorn in Doha, Qatar in 1948. There are over 500 million Muslims in Africa and the Middle East.īecause 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. Over 1 billion people in Asia recognize themselves as Muslim most of these people live in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

Islam is the second largest religion in the world, surpassed only by Christianity, and it’s also the fastest growing. 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. 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.

However, women can earn the title shaykhah or sheikha.ĭaughters and wives of sheikhs can often hold this title. Only the most revered and respected Muslims can earn this honorable title, and that generally means that a sheikh is a male over the age of 40. In Arabic, the term sheikh means man of old age, and it’s a title that is not easily earned. The title of sheikh is often held by royalty in the Middle East, but it can mean so much more.
