Billionaire's abrupt death leaves Dubai ruler to untangle messy inheritance

Al Futtaim's inheritance was left unresolved when the octogenarian died in December. While the villa was intended as a residence for him and his third wife

In a particularly exclusive corner of Dubai, a modern-day palace with moorish arches and an imposing gateway is rising from the desert, despite uncertainty over who will live there. 

As dozens of workers bustle on the sprawling lot adjacent to the fine sand of Al Mamzar beach, local authorities are agonising over the villa and the rest of the estate of Majid Al Futtaim, the deceased patriarch of a shopping and entertainment empire that’s an anchor of Dubai’s economy. 

Al Futtaim’s inheritance was left unresolved when the octogenarian died in December. While the villa was intended as a residence for him and