One of the yachts over 85 meters in length, almost rivaling the football field. Previous owner registered in the name of Donald Trump, the tycoon from the United States, who never cave in from the list of Forbes richest people.
The sound of the engine jet ski up to the bow, to a new owner who was relaxing on the beach. He is Al-Walid bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz bin al-Saud, a prince of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. "I'm enjoying the holidays," he told ABC news. "Son and daughter accompanied me. They're busy playing a jet ski, just like other families. "
Not known exactly how many al-Walid redeem the luxury ship. He stopped at the Riviera subscriptions for more than 30 years. Money seemed never be a problem. "Wealth is a blessing," he said. "If not wasted, there's nothing wrong with getting rich." For members of another Saudi royal, the prince's words always resonate.
Forbes noted, at least until the first quarter of 2011, the prince's net worth reached $ 19.4 billion (equivalent to Rp127, 3 trillion). He was ordained as the 19th richest man universal. Property line of his palace and was valued at approximately U.S. $ 3 billion. In addition, he had a collection of jewelry with a value of no less than U.S. $ 730 million.
A number of the world's top company logo, where he invested shares, lined up in his office in Riyadh. For example, Citicorp, Motorola, Apple, Disney, Time Warner, and NewsCorp. Sure, it's only some, because he seemed invisible to stop investing.
When the fasting month of arriving, he seemed Legawa held an iftar, and dinner along with hundreds of invitations. The event took place in open spaces, with a carpet which serves as a cushion and 'table'. On either side of the throne was a telephone and satellite television, in order to monitor the latest development of political and economic world.
At the end of the event, he will receive a variety of funding requests submitted by mail. At least, he poured money of U.S. $ 1.5 million (Rp12, 8 billion) in response to the proposal of the invitation. (See more complete "Al-Walid, Warren Buffett Arabian Peninsula")
Other Arab prince had a special way how to enjoy wealth. Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, for example. The man was 63 years came from the royal family of Abu Dhabi. He had a collection of 200 cars, with a total value of U.S. $ 20 million (Rp170, 9 billion).
That includes Mercedes 500 SEL bercatkan seven colors of the rainbow. That's why he's nicknamed the Rainbow Sheikh. To save his vehicle, he built a pyramid-shaped garage. "We never once did to save money in the bank. We always spend the money we get," he told the Discovery Channel.
He had never stopped to attract attention. For example, he worked on the project to carve his own name on an island. In Al Futaisi sand, thus the name of the island, Hamad print his name on the 3-kilometer stretch. About 800 feet high letters. That word, which is the same as the name suggests - Hamad - then drained of water. That said, carving a name that could be staring at from space.
That was not the first time he has madness on something "big", or "the almighty". Suppose, in the early 1980s, he had assembled the world's largest truck. His model was the Dodge Power Wagon artificial production of the United States. Truck designs have a size eight times larger than regular size Dodge. He weighed 50 tons. In it, there are four bedrooms. In the truck bed, there is a helipad. Amazingly, the vehicle can be operated.
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Hamad Walid and only a fraction of the hundreds of famous Arab royal princes wallowing in wealth. Also on the list: Mohammed bin Issa al-Jabir, Muhammad al-Amudi, Issam al-Zahid, and the Bin Laden family, to mention a few names. In 2010 alone, as reported by the Arabian Business website, the wealth of 50 richest people in the Arab world reached U.S. $ 245 billion (around Rp 2,000 trillion).
Not all the purse containing the money from oil, commodities are Arab lands, in which Saudi Arabia alone accounts for 20 percent of world oil reserves. Sustenance of the king was also flows from the property, construction business, investment in multinational companies, and so on.
But being rich does not always also called fragrant. Sometimes heard in the ears of the crowd is the secret behind the various palace walls. Still bright in memory, at the close of last millennium, there is a cocaine smuggling scandal involving a royal Saudi prince.
That case was exceptional. Value of illicit goods reached U.S. $ 15 million (or about Rp128 billion). From Colombia, the country from which cocaine is flown with Boeing 727 privately owned, Prince Nayef bin Fawwaz al-Shaalan, the brains behind the smuggling, took him to France.
More serious accusations were rife. Investigators from the U.S. narcotics control agency (DEA) said profits allegedly selling cocaine to be used to finance terrorist prince. It is not clear, accusations proved or not.
Nayef was running the trial in absentia. The court declared him guilty, and shall pay a fine of U.S. $ 100 million. But where Nayef when the judge knocks a hammer verdict?
There is no place as comfortable as home, so the saying goes. He has been in Arabia, thanks to a trick quite efficacious: diplomatic immunity. Unfortunately, France has no extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia. Nayef was not touched by the reach of international law. In their own country, he is definitely above the law.
Another scandal, which once sounded faint, suddenly boomed like a cannon. Late last year, leaked U.S. diplomatic note WikiLeaks page spread. Reported about the penchant of the Saudi princes held a massive binge. There were drugs, alcohol, and of course the bulk of sex.
As quoted from the pages of The Guardian, officials from the Jeddah consulate depicts a Halloween party held secretly by the blue-blooded young men. No more respect for any conduct that is forbidden in Islam, the doctrine which so hold for the entire Saudi people, especially members of the kingdom.
This is according to the findings of the ABC about the extravagant lifestyle of the Saudi royal descent in their investigations on the French Riviera. In the search, the ABC met a woman who had extensive connections call into a circle near the elite, and influential French.
The sources said overnight, the princes could spend at least U.S. $ 50 thousand for the pleasure of the women pick up the call. Abdul Aziz bin Fahd, 38, beloved son of the late King Fahd, is one of their major customers. He never hesitated to spend more money when the call with the women.
In Saudi Arabia, such conduct clearly unlawful, and may be threatened with severe punishment. Especially if done by ordinary people. But that does not apply to members of the kingdom. "When you hear the violators, then the question is who did it," Mai Yamani, an anthropologist who is also the son of former Oil Minister, Sheikh Ahmad Zaki Yamani, as quoted from the ABC.
According to him, in Saudi Arabia applies a kind of unwritten provisions: the princes of Saudi law untouched. They are above the law. They are outside the law.
That's why if abstruse legal sanctions imposed on the royal family. No wonder Prince Nayef, the cocaine smugglers, free to roam in Arab lands. Citizen protests, which on average comes from the Shia minority, sometimes appear actions contradict the royal family.
But like the howl of protest that evaporates in the desert. Freedom of speech is restricted. Demands faced by residents personally. Rules that are too orthodox religion remain in force, and armed security officers at any time can take action against the unwanted. So far, the royal family, which also govern the country, able to deflect demands for reform.
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Even so, when the countries in the Arabian peninsula was shaken by the movement of democracy, Saudi Arabia no doubt come agitated. The activists then spread on the internet changes the three petitions radical political reform. The most serious, a petition signed by 1500 figures, including liberals and Islamists. The contents demanded that the royal run 12 steps towards reform of the constitutional monarchy system. (See infografik political profile "of the Kings in the Arabian Peninsula")
In addition, inspired Egyptian revolution, the leaders were campaigning via Facebook. They invite the Saudis to join a "day of rage" in March. Of course, with 39% of the population is dominated young children aged 20-24 years, and unfortunately they are in idle state, Saudi Arabia deserves to worry.
Kingdom then react. Page online petition that was blocked. As reported in The Economist, a Shiite kiai On Friday sermon was arrested for supporting the constitutional monarchy.
To be more calm state, the king then gave a kind of small bribes, a standard formula to pressure from the people below. He issued a package of aid amounting to U.S. $ 35 million, contains subsidies household debt, bigger home loans, and by 15% salary increase for civil servants.
Not only in the country, the Saudi government was serious about the threat of 'revolution' outside its territory. Business Week wrote in early August this year, the Sunnis in Saudi suspect Iran is too far to spread the influence to the Arab countries, like Bahrain and Iraq.
That is why, they tried to weaken Iran by perdangangan oil. "Iran's oil sector is very fragile. Time to urge their governments to join in the effort to achieve world peace, "Prince Turki al-Faisal, former intelligence chief of Saudi Arabia, emphasized in his speech.
Now, Saudi Arabia also are witnessing the 24 million population of Yemen in a state of starvation, heavy weapons equipped. They are also jealous of the wealth of its neighbors, and prepared to cross the border.
If civil war erupts in Yemen, a wave of refugees will roll up the border region. The Saudi royal officials are still hesitant to return President Ali Abdullah Saleh - who is now recovering from an injury in the Riyadh bombing, to Sana, the capital of Yemen.
If that time comes, a member of the kingdom is worth praying for Kingdom Tower, an ambitious project launched by Prince Walid, was perfect. High-rise tower will be approximately one kilometer. Maybe the place was suitable for shelter, as well as a control tower.
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