Sultan bin Mohammed Al Kabeer
Sultan bin Mohammed Al Kabeer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Occupation(s) | Royal, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder of Almarai |
Sultan bin Mohammed Al Kabeer (born 1954) was a prominent Saudi royal and entrepreneur. He played a key role in establishing Almarai, recognized as the largest dairy company worldwide with a fully integrated supply chain. Prince Sultan was a great-nephew of King Abdulaziz and descended from the King's sister, Noura bint Abdul Rahman.
Early life and education
Belonging to the Al Kabeer lineage of the Saudi royal family, Prince Sultan traced his ancestry to Saud bin Faisal bin Turki, an uncle of King Abdulaziz and the founder of this cadet branch, which is excluded from succession rights. Saud bin Faisal was his great-great-grandfather.
He was born in 1954 in Riyadh, the son of Mohammed bin Saud Al Kabeer, who was himself the offspring of Saud Al Kabeer and Noura bint Abdul Rahman Al Saud. Prince Sultan earned a bachelor's degree in commerce and political science from King Saud University.
Career
In 1977, Prince Sultan established the dairy enterprise Almarai, which he took public in 2005 while maintaining close to 29% ownership. During the 1980s, he also launched Masstock Saudia, an agricultural partnership with an Irish company. His leadership roles included chairmanship at Arabian Shield, an insurance firm based in Bahrain, and Arabian Union for Cement Industries. Furthermore, he served as vice president and managing director at Yamama Saudi Cement. He was instrumental in founding several other companies such as Zain Saudi Telecom, Al Salam Bank (Bahrain), and UAE’s Dana Gas.
In March 2020, he stepped down as chairman of Almarai’s board, with his son Nayef bin Sultan Al Kabeer succeeding him.
Arrest
On 4 November 2017, amid a royal anti-corruption initiative, Prince Sultan was arrested but not held in custody. Later that year, his sons Nayef and Saud were detained in Riyadh due to their suspected involvement in protests against the government's discontinuation of utility bill payments.
Wealth and influence
In 2017, Forbes Middle East ranked Prince Sultan third among billionaires in the region, estimating his net worth at approximately US$3.8 billion. By January 2018, he remained the third wealthiest individual in Saudi Arabia. However, by March 2018, he was removed from the billionaire list because of ambiguities regarding his asset portfolio.
Gulf Business placed him as the 38th most influential Arab in 2019. Additionally, he appeared on the Arabian Business Saudi Power List in 2020 as one of the kingdom’s leading figures.
Horse breeding
Prince Sultan managed Nofa Equestrian Resort near Riyadh, overseeing a stable of about 100 horses. His imported thoroughbred Total Impact, trained by Laura de Seroux, secured victory in the grade-1 Hollywood Gold Cup in 2004. In 2015, he purchased Spring At Last, another grade-1 winning racehorse, highlighting his focused investment strategy within elite horse breeding and competitive racing circles.