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Qatar and the UAE remained the wealthiest Arab nations in 2007 and are expected to maintain that position this year (2008) because of high growth in their economies, according to official estimates released by the Cairo, Egypt-based Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU). Qatar retained its position as the wealthiest Arab country in 2007, a rank it has kept for the past decade because of surging gas exports. Its per capita income peaked at USD $ 72,370 in 2007 to allow it to maintain its status as one of the five richest countries in the world.
The UAE ranked second in the Pan Arab region and one of the twenty richest countries in the world with its GDP per capita climbing to a record USD $ 42,270 last year. Kuwait, another oil heavyweight ranked third in the region with a per capita income of USD $ 33,600 in 2007 followed by Bahrain at USD $ 24,100. Saudi Arabia followed at the fifth position with a per capita of USD $ 15,500 followed by Oman with a per capita of USD $ 15,100.
As for the Arab world as a whole, the combined per capita income stood at USD $ 4,661 in 2007, higher by around 11 % over 2006.