An oil-rich speck on the north coast of Borneo, the country of Brunei Darussalam is well known for its free-spending Sultan (whose full name is His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien), long considered one of the richest people in the world. He is the 29th sultan replacing his father who abdicated in 1967. After the Queen of England, he is the second longest reigning current monarchy. The Sultan has most significant portfolios of governance under control, as he is also the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister and the Finance Minister as well the Head of Religion.
Travelers to Brunei (pronounced brew-NIGH) will actually find a rather modest, low-key place country mostly covered in rain forest. Modernization has been largely restricted to its capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, which has gleaming modern buildings, although few skyscrapers (the current highest building is the 21-storey Ministry of Finance building), good roads and modern conveniences.
The surrounding forest is largely unspoiled, as most of the country's oil and gas reserves are near the coast or offshore. With its comfortable income, Brunei hasn't had to exploit its other natural resources yet, although there are plans in the works to diversify its economy with more industry, technology, fisheries, agriculture and forestry.
Most of Brunei's income is derived from oil and gas belonging to the Sultan, although enough of the wealth is spread around to make the country's per-capita income one of the highest in the world. The Brunei Investment Agency (BIA) oversees much of the revenue from oil and gas.
Housing is subsidized and available for all citizens. Education from kindergarten through the university level is mostly free for citizens. Tuition fees and expenses for the students with the highest grades to attend universities abroad are also covered by the government. Pensions and medical care are taken care of by the government. And there's no personal income tax.
To request access to the full version of this destination guide, please provide your email address below. Your email address will only be used for verification purposes and will not be used for marketing purposes.