KING Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Cuban President Fidel Castro, Monaco's Prince Albert II and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II are reportedly among the world's wealthiest rulers.

Featuring monarchs, presidents and other leaders, the Forbes magazine list is topped by Abdullah, 82, who became Saudi Arabia's sixth king in August 2005 and is worth an estimated US$21 billion, according to Forbes.

In second place, with US$20 billion, is 59-year-old Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, followed by the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, 58, with US$19 billion.

Dubai's ruler, 56-year-old Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, came in fourth, with US$14 billion, followed by Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein, 61, with US$4 billion.

The new Monacan ruler, Albert, 48, who took over rule of the tiny principality after his father's death last year, was in sixth place, with US$1 billion.

Castro, 79, came in seventh, with US$900 million credited to him by Forbes, which cited former Cuban officials as saying that Castro had skimmed profits from a Havana convention center, retail conglomerate Cimex and vaccine and pharmaceutical products firm Medicuba to amass his fortune. It noted, however, that "Castro, for the record, disagrees, insisting his personal net worth is zero."

Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the 63-year-old president of Equatorial Guinea, is next on the list, worth some US$600 million, according to Forbes.

Nguema is followed by Britain's 80-year-old queen, Elizabeth, who is worth US$500 million - not including Buckingham Palace, the crown jewels and some other heirlooms that "belong to the British nation" and are merely "entrusted to her care."

Rounding out the list is the Netherlands' Queen Beatrix, 68, who has US$270 million to her name.

Editor: Wing