BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei's polo-playing Prince AbdulMateen, one of Asia's most eligible bachelors, is set to marry his commonerfiancee on Thursday as part of a lavish 10-day celebration in the oil-richsultanate.

An Islamic marriage ceremony for the 32-year-old prince andYang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, 29, will be held inside a gold-domed mosque in thecapital Bandar Seri Begawan.

Mateen is the 10th child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah -- theworld's longest reigning monarch and once the richest man on the planet -- andis well down the succession pecking order.

His bride -- the granddaughter of one of his father's keyadvisers -- reportedly has a fashion brand and co-owns a tourism business.

Celebrations for the royal wedding reach their climax onSunday with a glittering ceremony in the 1,788-room palace and an elaborateprocession.

The guest list is expected to include international royaltyand political leaders.

"It's like a fairytale," university studentSyahida Wafa Mohamed Shah, 22, told AFP on Wednesday, near the Omar AliSaifuddien Mosque, where the marriage will be solemnised.

Many Bruneians plan to line the streets for Sunday'sprocession when the couple will pass by in a royal carriage.

"It's like something from a movie," said NazatulIzzati Saifulrizal, 19.

Extreme wealth

The pomp and pageantry of the royal extravaganza highlightsthe tiny country's extreme wealth, which is almost entirely derived from itsenormous oil reserves.

A sliver of land on the northern edge of Borneo island inSoutheast Asia, Brunei was influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism before itsrulers converted to Islam in the 14th century.

It fell under British rule in the 19th century and gainedindependence in 1984.

An absolute monarchy with strict Islamic laws and apopulation of only around 450,000 people, Brunei is one of the world's richestcountries.

Its annual GDP per capita is nearly $36,000, according tothe International Monetary Fund. However, analysts have warned that Bruneifaces serious challenges to diversify its economy away from oil as crude pricesremain volatile and its reserves dwindle.

While the sultan has long lost the title of the world'srichest man to tech billionaires, his wealth remains the stuff of legend.

He is reported to have a vast collection of luxury vehiclesand his riverside official residence is one of the world's largest palaces.

'Hot royal'

While Mateen is unlikely to ever ascend the throne, hismatinee idol looks and huge following on social media have made him one of thehighest-profile members of the royal family.

A helicopter pilot in his country's air force, he has oftenbeen compared in the media with Britain's Prince Harry and was previouslydubbed the "hot royal".

Mateen graduated as an officer cadet in Britain's RoyalMilitary Academy Sandhurst and represented his country in polo at the 2019Southeast Asian Games.

In recent years, he has played a growing role ininternational diplomacy.

The prince accompanied his father to the coronation of KingCharles and Queen Camilla in May last year, and Queen Elizabeth's funeral in2022.—AFP