Prince Benz Zayed's empire in London: inheritance and real estate. Photo. - Arabi21

An investigation by Britain's Guardian newspaper has revealed that UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan owns a large collection of properties covering most of London's upscale neighborhoods.

The research, translated into Arabic by Arabi21, indicates that the homes were built in the 1960s and are part of an empire valued at around £5.5 billion, all of which is owned by Sheikh Khalifa.

The investigation also revealed that the UAE president's real estate in London exceeds that of the Westminster billionaire, who owns vast tracts of land in London.

Sheikh Khalifa's holdings include luxury apartments in expensive residential complexes, the value of each of''through overseas shell companies run by law firms in London.

Sheikh Khalifa's holdings in London first came to light when the newspaper published reports on Panama Papers in 2016, which gave an insight into his £1.2 billion property in London. However, documents available to the newspaper indicate that his properties are much larger - in 2005, the Sheikh spent a billion pounds on property purchases, and by 2015 the property list reached £5.5 billion with an annual income of £160 million.

The Sheikh's holdings include a castle in Richmond Park, as well as properties in Kensington and Notting Hill. Sheikh Khalifa's holdings have been recognized'' 'majestic real estate' and valued above the royal estate in the UK.

In recent years, the real estate market has started to be negatively impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Sheikh Khalifa's estate has also been affected. His properties are now managed by ED FG with a base in Abu Dhabi. Some businesses in his estates have been forced to close, leading to increased unemployment and poverty in London. Nevertheless, Sheikh Khalifa continues to be one of the richest and most powerful people in the world.