Published By: Soham Halder

Opulence Redefined: Inside the Luxurious World of Brunei's Sultan who Hosted PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian PM to travel Brunei on a bilateral visit.

The Indian PM received a grand welcome in Brunei Darussalam by the Crown Prince, Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah. Today, Indian Prime Minister met Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and other members of the royal family to strengthen the relationships between two nations in his palace. In this article, we will explore extravagant lifestyle of world's second-longest reigning monarch after the UK's Queen Elizabeth II.

Majesty and Magnificence:

Rich in oil and natural reserves, the small country Brunei has been ruled by the same royal family for more than 600 years. The 29th Sultan of Brunei, Bolkiah was coronated on August 1, 1968. He features on the list of wealthiest persons in the world, with a net worth of $30 billion. Sultan's enormous wealth and royal lifestyle has repeatedly grabbed attention from world leaders and news agencies.

Credit - @DDNewslive X handle

The primary home of the Sultan, Istana Nurul Iman is the largest residential palace globally, confirmed the Guinness Book of World Records. Situated over two million square feet area, the palace has 22-carat golden domes and vaulted roof. The palatial grandeur comprises 1,800 rooms, 5 swimming pools, 257 baths, and 110 garages. Sultan's private zoo in the palace has 30 tigers and unique collection of exotic bird species.

The avid player of squash, badminton and polo, Sultan Bolkiah has special grounds for himself and family inside the palace. Sultan Bolkiah spends over $20,000 on flying his designated barber and grooming team from London to Brunei.

The British rule was formally withdrawn from Brunei on January 1, 1984 and Bolkiah took the charge as ruler. Meanwhile, he built Istana Nurul Iman to celebrate freedom from Britain.

Credit - @CastlesGHQ X handle

A Royal Garage:

The Sultan owns world’s largest private car collection which is valued over $5 billion with more than 7000 ultra luxurious vehicles. Some of his unique collections are Bentley Dominator SUV, 24-carat gold-plated Rolls-Royce Silver Spur II, Porsche 911 with Horizon Blue paint, X88 power package. The Sultan holds the Guinness World Record with 600 Rolls-Royce cars. The most notable among these is custom-designed Rolls-Royce car with an open roof and an umbrella, uniquely decorated with gold. The number of Ferraris and Bentleys in Sultan’s extravagant garage are 450 and 380 respectively, as per latest reports.

The Sultan's collection of vehicles doesn't stop here. Sultan Bolkiah owns a private fleet of VIP aircraft since comprising Boeing 747-8(V8-BKH), Boeing 767-200 (V8-MHB) and Boeing 787-8 (V8-OAS). He also owns state-of-the-art helicopters like Sikorsky S70 and S76. These aircrafts have a gold interior and expensive chandeliers embellished with Lalique crystals, nicknamed as "flying palace".

The Sultan has also received the training and required certifications to fly both airplanes and helicopters.

Credit - @zqhr X handle

Lesser Known Facts about Sultan:

Born on July 15, 1946, Sultan Bolkiah was raised in Brunei Town (now known as Bandar Seri Begawan). He was born to Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddin and Raja Isteri, who was known as Queen Consort. In the Sultan family, he was the first to get education in private institutions. Later, Bolkiah moved to Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur for higher studies at the famous Victoria Institution. For one year, he received training as an officer at Sandhurst’s Royal Military Academy.

Father Sultan Saifuddin enthroned Bolkiah as Crown Prince in 1961 when he was only 15 years old. “He is married to Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha and has five sons and seven daughters,” mentioned in the Prime Minister’s Office of Brunei Darussalam.

PM Modi’s 2-day visit is aimed to strengthen India's relationship with Brunei as well as celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.