Arif Habib net worth is estimated at around 0 million, placing him 13th on the A1 Blogs Rich List 2026, and few Pakistani businessmen have had a bigger year. In December 2025 his consortium won the auction for 75% of Pakistan International Airlines with a Rs135 billion bid, and in June 2026 it took over the airline’s management. He started out as a 17-year-old stockbroker earning Rs60 a month.
#13A1 Rich List- Net worth
- Est. $920M (Widely reported estimate, 2026)
- Source of wealth
- Arif Habib Group, PIA
- Industry
- Finance, fertiliser, cement, aviation
- Self-made or inherited
- Self-made
- Born
- 1953, Karachi
- Citizenship
- Pakistan
- Residence
- Karachi
- Education
- Matriculation
Table of Contents
Arif Habib net worth in 2026
Arif Habib’s net worth is widely reported at around $920 million, based mainly on his stakes in the Arif Habib Group’s listed companies. Treat it as an estimate: Forbes and Bloomberg do not track him, and the value of his holdings moves with the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The PIA purchase adds a large new asset, but also large investment commitments.
From a Rs60 salary to the stock exchange
Arif Habib was born in Karachi in 1953 into a Memon family that had settled in the city after Partition. His formal education ended after matriculation. In 1970, aged 17, he began working in stockbroking at the Karachi Stock Exchange on a monthly salary of Rs60.
He learned the market by studying company accounts and share movements, built his own brokerage, and became one of the best-known figures on the exchange. He was elected president of the Karachi Stock Exchange six times, the first in 1992, and pushed through the computerisation of share trading. He was also a founding member of the Central Depository Company.
Building the Arif Habib Group
In the 1990s and 2000s, as the government privatised state companies, Habib bought into fertiliser, cement, steel and banking. The main parts of the group today are:
- Arif Habib Limited: one of Pakistan’s leading brokerage and investment banking firms
- Fatima Fertilizer: a large fertiliser producer, run as a joint venture with the Fatima Group
- Aisha Steel Mills: flat steel products
- Power Cement: cement manufacturing
- Javedan Corporation: developer of Naya Nazimabad, a large housing project in Karachi
- Sachal Energy: a wind power project in Sindh
He also set up one of Pakistan’s early asset management companies in 2000. If you want to understand how the stock market he helped modernise works, read our guide on how to invest in the PSX.
Buying PIA
On 23 December 2025, a consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation, with Fatima Fertilizer, The City School and Lake City Holdings, won the auction for 75% of PIA with a bid of Rs135 billion. A consortium led by Lucky Cement came second at Rs134 billion, and Airblue also bid.
Under the deal, the buyers committed to keep employees for at least a year and to invest heavily to rebuild the airline. The consortium’s company, PIA Equity Ltd, took over management on 29 June 2026, with Fauji Fertiliser joining as a major partner. It holds an option to buy the remaining 25% from the government.
Turning around an airline that has lost money for years will be the biggest test of his career.
Philanthropy and public roles
Habib has served on government bodies dealing with privatisation and investment, and on the board of the Karachi School of Business and Leadership. His group supports education and health projects in Karachi.
Frequently asked questions
What is Arif Habib’s net worth?
Around $920 million according to widely reported estimates.
Who owns PIA now?
A consortium led by the Arif Habib Group bought 75% of PIA in December 2025 and took over management on 29 June 2026.
How did Arif Habib start?
As a stockbroker at the Karachi Stock Exchange in 1970, aged 17, on Rs60 a month.
See where he sits among the richest people in Pakistan. His career is summarised on Wikipedia.
