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How rich is the Saudi Royal Family?

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How rich is the Saudi Royal Family?

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  1. They're filthy rich!

    Wish I was too...

    With the great demand for oil all over the world, what makes you think that they don't have the gold?


  2. More money than you could ever count in a life time.

    It would be fun to try too, but who wants to spend all there days just counting....

  3. They are extremely filthy rich.... not even the british royal family's wealth can be compared to the vast & immense wealth of the ruling Al Saud Family.

  4. The sharing of family wealth has been a critical component in maintaining the semblance of a united front within the royal family. An essential part of family wealth is the Kingdom in its entirety, which the Al Saud view as a totally owned family asset. Whether through the co-mingling of personal & state funds from lucrative government positions, huge land allocations, direct allotments of crude oil to sell in the open market, segmental controls in the economy, special preferences for the award of major contracts, outright cash handouts, and astronomical monthly allowances, - all billed to the national exchequer - all told, the financial impact may have exceeded 40% of the Kingdom's annual budget during the reign of King Fahd. Over decades of oil revenue-generated expansion, estimates of royal receipts have varied, ranging as low as an unlikely $50 billion and as high as over $1 trillion.[citation needed] Be it what it may, wealth-sharing of this sort has allowed many of the senior princes & princesses to accumulate largely unauditable wealth and, in turn, pay out, in cash or kind, to lesser royals and commoners, and thereby gaining political influence through their own largesse.

    During periods of high oil prices as were the late 70s, early 80s, and immediately after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, national income has outpaced the developmental needs & social obligations of the Saudi government and the effects of royal skimming were diminished. From the mid 80s through the 90s, when international crude oil prices dropped to the teens and below, the subsequent shortfall in income, and the availability of surprisingly limited financial reserves (when compared to such countries as Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates which continued to grow during crude price droughts because of dividends generated from years of prudent investments) may have contributed to growing national discontent with the Al Saud and planted the seeds for the growth of Al-Qaeda sympathizers in the Kingdom. According to well-publicized but unsubstantiated reports, King Abdullah has intentions to reduce the Al Saud share of the budget, an act which may sow discontent within the royal family, but would be popular with the Kingdom's citizenry.

  5. Over decades of oil revenue-generated expansion, estimates of royal receipts have varied, ranging as low as an unlikely $50 billion and as high as over $1 trillion.

    Taken from wikipedia. Citation is needed.

  6. Extremely Rich $$$  The King Fahd & Prince Alwaleed are two of the richest men in the world and the House of Saud is the richest royal family in the world.

  7. The Saudi royal family's wealth is so large that no reliable estimate is available. However, when King Abdullah's predecessor, his half-brother King Fahd, died two years ago, his fortune was said to be worth £30billion. An essential part of family wealth is the Kingdom in its entirety, which the Al Saud view as a totally owned family asset and these include:

    - co-mingling of personal & state funds from lucrative government positions

    - huge land allocations

    - direct allotments of crude oil to sell in the open market

    - segmental controls in the economy

    - special preferences for the award of major contracts

    - outright cash handouts

    - astronomical monthly allowances

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