Saudi Prince Alwaleed's diversified investment strategy: how to build a $16.5 billion empire

An Investment Empire Spanning 18 Sectors

With a fortune valued at $16.5 billion USD, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud established himself in 2025 as the richest in Saudi Arabia and the entire Arab world. His approach reveals much more than simple wealth accumulation – it is a thoughtful, multi-sector investment philosophy that spans 45 years of asset management.

The key to this prosperity lies in Kingdom Holding Company, the group he founded, in which he holds 78.13% of the shares, representing approximately $6.4 billion USD in value. As of the end of 2024, Kingdom Holding’s portfolio amounts to $19 billion USD and features remarkable diversification: financial services, entertainment, aviation, energy, artificial intelligence, education, and healthcare.

Return to the Forbes List After Seven Years of Absence

In 2017, Prince Alwaleed appeared on Forbes’ billionaire list with a fortune of $18.7 billion USD. However, between 2018 and 2024, his name disappeared from the list after Forbes ceased tracking Saudi billionaires. His return in 2025 marks a turning point: not only does he rejoin the list, but he also ranks first among the 15 Saudi billionaires on the current list, occupying the 128th position worldwide.

This prestigious position is no accident. Born in 1955, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud is a descendant of Saudi Arabia’s founding king, Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Lebanon’s first prime minister. This dynastic legacy provided him with initial connections and resources, but it is his strategic vision that transformed this inheritance into a modern commercial empire.

Technology and Digital Giants

The prince’s interest in technology constitutes a strategic portion of his investments. Kingdom Holding is the second-largest shareholder in the social network X (formerly Twitter) and in xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company. Last year, the group increased its investment in xAI to $800 million USD through Series B and C funding rounds.

As early as 2022, the prince supported Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and continues to make bold technological bets. With the announcement of the merger between X and xAI in March 2024, valuing the new entity at $125 billion USD, the prince anticipates his investment could reach between $4 and $5 billion USD in the near future.

Beyond this alliance with Musk, Kingdom Holding invests heavily in global digital platforms: Meta, Uber, Didi, and Lyft are among its holdings.

Hospitality: Nearly One-Third of the Portfolio

The hospitality sector accounts for approximately 31% of investment assets. Kingdom Holding owns 23.7% of Four Seasons, stemming from a long-standing partnership with Bill Gates. This stake has seen adjustments: it was previously 47.5% before the prince sold half to Gates for $2.21 billion USD in 2021.

The group also owns 6.8% of Accor, the French hotel giant that manages over 40 prestigious brands including Fairmont, Raffles, and Sofitel. These assets reflect confidence in the luxury and international tourism markets.

Real Estate and Architectural Monuments

Representing 25.9% of the portfolio, real estate demonstrates the investor’s grand ambitions. Iconic projects include the Kingdom Centre in Riyadh and the Jeddah Tower, which is planned to surpass 1,000 meters in height and become the tallest building in the world. The total value of contracts for these projects amounts to $1.9 billion USD. The group also controls 35.74% of Jeddah Economic Company.

Aviation, Finance, and Related Sectors

In aviation, Kingdom Holding dominates with 37.2% of Flynas, the low-cost airline operating 61 aircraft. An initial public offering on the Saudi market (Tadawul) is planned for this year, aiming to raise at least $2 billion USD.

On the financial side, the prince’s historic investment in Citigroup since 1991—initially $800 million USD—reached a peak value of $10 billion USD in 2005. Currently, Kingdom Holding owns 1.06% of Citigroup and controls 16.2% of Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF), worth approximately $1.8 billion USD.

Health and Education: Future Expansion Sectors

Healthcare accounts for about 2.2% of investments, with a 4.9% stake in Dallah Health and management of Kingdom Hospital as well as private clinics. Education, meanwhile, sees Kingdom Holding controlling 89.8% of the Kingdom School System, which experienced a 14% increase in student numbers last year – a clear sign of the group’s confidence in this sector’s potential.

A Fortune Shaped by Diversification

Prince Alwaleed’s trajectory illustrates that sustainable wealth does not come from a single source but from a carefully balanced investment strategy. In 2022, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) even acquired 16.9% of Kingdom Holding for $1.6 billion USD, confirming the perceived value of its portfolio.

His assets extend beyond Kingdom Holding: the media group Rotana, a 1.5% stake in Snap Inc. (the parent company of Snapchat), as well as substantial national real estate portfolios, complete his empire. This multi-sector approach places Prince Alwaleed among the most recognized investors in the Arab world and the Middle East.