New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Brunei on Tuesday afternoon on his two-day visit. Narendra Modi is the first Indian PM to visit Brunei.
PM Narendra Modi has arrived in Brunei on the invitation of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who is the second longest-serving monarch after Queen Elizabeth II of Britain. In fact, Brunei is celebrating the completion of 40 years of diplomatic relations between India and Brunei. On this occasion too, the Sultan himself had invited PM Modi.
Brunei is known for its monarchy and fundamentalist rules. Apart from this, Brunei is also known for the riches of its Sultan, his luxurious life, his collection of thousands of cars and his strange hobbies.
Who is Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei?
The Sultan of Brunei is Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Bolkiah is counted among the richest people in the world. Brunei got independence from British rule in 1984. After independence, Brunei Omar Ali Saifuddeen III took the throne. Hassanal Bolkiah became the King of Brunei on 5 October 1967. Since then, he is in control of the country.
How luxurious is Sultan's life?
The most special among the luxury items that Hassanal Bolkiah owns is his palace 'Istana Nurul Iman' which is spread over several acres and is recorded in the Guinness World Records as the world's most expensive and luxurious palace. It is spread over two million square feet.
The Sultan's palace 'Istana Nurul Iman' has a dome made of 22 carat gold. This palace has 1700 rooms, more than 257 bathrooms, 110 garages and 5 swimming pools. More than 200 cars can be parked in this palace at a time. Apart from this, the Sultan also has a private zoo, which has 30 Bengal tigers and various bird species.
Owner of more than 7000 cars and a gold jet
The Sultan's name is recorded in the Guinness World Record for owning more than 7000 luxury cars. Bolkiah's car collection includes more than 600 Rolls Royce, 450 Ferraris, 380 Bentleys and cars like Porsche, Lamborghini, Maybach, Jaguar, BMW and McLaren. He also has a private plane Boeing 747, which is also covered in gold.
It is said that he has assets worth more than $30 billion. Most of his income comes from oil and natural gas reserves.
Sultan's barber gets this much fee?
According to the report of the American weekly magazine, just as the Sultan's palace, plane and car are decorated with gold, in the same way he also spends a lot on his dressing and grooming.
The Sultan pays US$20,000 for a single haircut. The British newspaper claims that the Sultan's favourite barber is at the Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair, London, in Brunei. The Sultan gets his hair cut every time.
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