Top 10 the world’s richest arabs

1# Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud
Net Worth: US$ 29.5 Billion
Country of Residence: Saudi Arabia
Industry: Banking & Finance, Travel & Hospitality
Companies: Kingdom Holding Company

2# The Al Rajhi Family
Net Worth: US$ 24 Billion
Country of Residence: Saudi Arabia
Industry: Banking & Finance
Companies: Al Rajhi Banking & Investment

3# The Hariri Family
Net Worth: US$ 17.8 Billion
Country of Residence: Lebanon
Industry: Technology, Construction & Industry, Banking & Finance
Companies: Saudi Oger

4# Nasser Al Kharafi
Net Worth: US$ 12 Billion
Country of Residence: Kuwait
Industry: Retail, Travel & Hospitality
Companies: Atheer, Zain, Kharafi Group

5# Maan Al Sanea
Net Worth: US$ 10 Billion
Country of Residence: Saudi Arabia
Industry: Construction & Industry, Healthcare, Banking & Finance
Companies: Saad Group, Saad Specialist Hospital

6# Mohammad Al Amoudi
Net Worth: US$ 9.2 Billion
Country of Residence: Saudi Arabia
Industry: Energy, Healthcare, Travel & Hospitality, Construction & Industry, Banking & Finance
Companies: Saudi Amoudi Group, Corral Group, Midroc Group

7# The Bin Laden Family
Net Worth: US$ 8.5 Billion
Country of Residence: Saudi Arabia
Industry: Construction & Industry, Banking & Finance
Companies: Bin Laden Group

8# Abdulaziz Al Ghurair
Net Worth: US$ 8 Billion
Country of Residence: United Arab Emirates
Industry: Banking & Finance
Companies: Mashreq

9# The Olayan Family
Net Worth: US$ 7.2 Billion
Country of Residence: Saudi Arabia
Industry: Banking & Finance, Retail, Technology
Companies: Olayan Group, General Trading Company, Arab Commercial Enterprises

10# The Sawiris Family
Net Worth: US$ 6.2 Billion
Country of Residence: Egypt
Industry: Technology
Companies: Orascom Telecom, Orascom Construction Industries S.A.E, Orascom Hotels and Development (OHD)

Google ready to store patients health records in their new service

Google Inc. will begin storing the medical records of a few thousand people as it tests a long-awaited health service that’s likely to raise more concerns about the volume of sensitive information entrusted to the Internet search leader. The pilot project announced Thursday will involve 1,500 to 10,000 patients at the Cleveland Clinic who volunteered to an electronic transfer of their personal health records so they can be retrieved through Google’s new service, which won’t be open to the general public.

Each health profile, including information about prescriptions, allergies and medical histories, will be protected by a password that’s also required to use other Google services such as e-mail and personalized search tools. Google views its expansion into health records management as a logical extension because its search engine already processes millions of requests from people trying to find about more information about an injury, illness or recommended treatment.

But the health venture also will provide more fodder for privacy watchdogs who believe Google already knows too much about the interests and habits of its users as its computers log their search requests and store their e-mail discussions. Prodded by the criticism, Google last year introduced a new system that purges people’s search records after 18 months. In a show of its privacy commitment, Google also successfully rebuffed the U.S. Justice Department’s demand to examine millions of its users’ search requests in a court battle two years ago.

It’s not clear how Google intends to make money from its health service. The company sometimes introduces new products without ads just to give people more reason to visit its Web site, betting the increased traffic will boost its profits in the long run.

Robert Kuok Hock Nien still the richest Malaysian

Sugar King Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien remains the richest Malaysian, ahead by a wide margin from closest rival T. Ananda Krishnan, according to Malaysian Business magazine’s list of 40 Richest Malaysians. The magazine in its Feb 16 issue puts Kuok’s wealth at RM58.11bil, which accounts for nearly 36% of the total wealth of the 40 richest.

The Hong Kong-based tycoon added a whopping RM25.7bil to his vast fortune last year, due to the higher equity prices of his stable of listed stocks. It said Ananda Krishnan’s fortune however registered a marginal drop to RM19.63bil. IOI Corp Bhd’s Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng said the magazine, had for the first time put him in the top three of Malaysia’s richest by doubling his fortune to RM14.94bil.

Others in the top10 ranking are Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan of Hong Leong Group (RM11.09bil), Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary of the Albukhary Foundation (RM8.55bil), Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow of Public Bank group (RM8.06bil), Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay of Genting group (RM3.17bil) and Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King of the Rimbunan Hijau group (RM3.87bil).

The magazine said two tycoons found their way to the Top10 - Tan Sri Vincent Tan of Berjaya group (RM3.41bil) and Tan Sri Azman Hashim of Amcorp group (RM2.87bil).

“They dislodged YTL Corp patriarch Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay who slips to 13th position (RM1.75bil),” it said.

Among the notable new entrants to the list is Singapore-based Ong Beng Seng who, at RM1.74bil, ranks number 14. The others are Datuk Tony Tiah Thee Kian of TA Enterprise Bhd, Datuk Seri Lau Cho Kun of Gek Poh Holdings, Datuk Lin Yun Ling of Gamuda Bhd, Datuk Seri Liew Kee Sin of SP Setia Bhd and Kwan Ngen Chung of Kwantas Corp Bhd.

The full list of the 40 tycoons and details of their wealth appears in the magazine’s Feb 16 issue. Their wealth was assessed based on the value of their stakes in listed companies as at Jan 18, 2008, the magazine said.

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