The Al Thani family, rulers of Qatar, have built a massive real estate portfolio in London, surpassing even King Charles in private ownership. Their properties range from luxury homes to some of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
According to GB, the Al Thani family controls around 1.8 million square feet of real estate in the city. Northwestern Mayfair has even earned the nickname Little Doha because so many properties there belong to the Qatari royals. They reportedly own a quarter of the area, including some of Britain’s most expensive private residences.
Their holdings are valued at approximately £2.4 billion, with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, personally owning about £1.6 billion worth of property.
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Big-Name Business Interests
The Qatari royals also have stakes in several of London’s most famous brands and hotels. In 2010, Qatar Investment Authority, the country’s sovereign wealth fund purchased the legendary Harrods department store.
Qatari royal family member Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani is said to be a director at Maybourne Hotels, which operates luxury hotels like The Berkeley, The Connaught, Claridge’s, and The Emory.
The Qatari state owns 95% of The Shard, Western Europe’s tallest building, and co-owns Canary Wharf, one of London’s biggest financial hubs. They also hold a 20% stake in Heathrow Airport and own 14.3% of Sainsbury’s, one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains.
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How the British Royals Compare?
The British royal family is the owner of some of UK’s most prestigious and famous residences such as the Buckingham Palace, St. James’ Palace, Kensington Palace, and Clarence Palace. They also owns the Tower of London and Hampton Court House. However, these properties belong to the Crown estate, which means that they are held by the monarch on behalf of the nation. They are not their private assets.
