Nine Indian expatriates living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have featured on the Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2026, with their combined wealth estimated at USD 49.9 billion.
The ranking highlights the strong presence of Indian-origin entrepreneurs in the Gulf, particularly in sectors such as retail, construction, real estate, education and healthcare.
Vinod Adani leads UAE-based Indian billionaires
The wealthiest among them is Vinod Adani, ranked 121st globally with an estimated net worth of USD 20.8 billion.
Adani, the elder brother of Indian industrialist Gautam Adani, is associated with several overseas investment firms linked to the Adani Group, an Indian conglomerate with interests in infrastructure, logistics, energy and ports.
Retail entrepreneurs among top ranks
Retail tycoon M A Yusuff Ali, chairman and managing director of the Lulu Group, ranks 720th globally with an estimated fortune of USD 5.8 billion.
Renuka Jagtiani, chairperson of the Landmark Group, follows at 749th globally with a net worth of USD 5.6 billion. The retail group operates thousands of stores across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Construction and property fortunes
Construction magnate Ravi Pillai, founder of the RP Group, ranks 1,011th globally with an estimated USD 4.2 billion fortune.
Real estate entrepreneur P N C Menon, founder of Sobha Group, ranks 1,108th globally with a net worth of USD 3.9 billion.
Another figure in the property and hospitality sector is Kabir Mulchandani, founder of Dubai-based FIVE Holdings, ranked 1,913th globally with an estimated fortune of USD 2.2 billion.
Education, healthcare and industry
Education entrepreneur Sunny Varkey, founder of GEMS Education, ranks 1,074th globally with an estimated net worth of USD 4 billion.
Healthcare entrepreneur Shamsheer Vayalil, founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings, ranks 2,274th globally with a fortune estimated at USD 1.8 billion.
Industrialist Dhruv Sawhney, chairman and managing director of Triveni Engineering & Industries, appears 2,481st globally with a net worth of USD 1.6 billion.
Billionaire wealth continues to surge worldwide
Globally, the 2026 Forbes World’s Billionaires list recorded 3,428 billionaires, the highest number since the ranking began in 1987.
Together, they hold an estimated USD 20.1 trillion in wealth, up sharply from USD 16.1 trillion in 2025.
At the top of the global ranking is Elon Musk, whose fortune is estimated at USD 839 billion, making him the richest person ever recorded on the Forbes list. His wealth surged largely due to the rising value of Tesla and SpaceX.
He is followed by Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg, who round out the top five richest people in the world.
