Saudi's 100-Year-Old Beggar Woman Leaves Millions in Will

A 100-year-old Saudi Arabian woman who spent most of her life as a beggar has left behind a fortune following her death.

The woman, known only as Eisha, was said to have built up a fortune of 3m Saudi riyals (£480,000, $800,000) along with jewellery worth an additional 1m riyals and real estate which included four buildings in her hometown of Jeddah, according to the Saudi Gazette.

The woman, who was blind, was said to have been a beggar for at least 50 years, along with her mother and sister. She inherited most of the money after both her sister and mother died, it was claimed.

Ahmed al-Saeedi, a friend of Eisha, said that the will dictated that the money had to be given away.

"They used to get a lot of sympathy and assistance from philanthropists throughout the year, especially during Eid. Eisha continued to beg after the deaths of her mother and sister," he said.

"She was just an old, blind woman who did not have any relatives in this world.

"I asked her to give up this profession as she possessed a huge amount of wealth but she always refused and said she was preparing for hard times."

Eisha also asked that the tenants of her properties be evicted and the buildings given to the government.

The district chief of Al-Balad, Tal'at Ghaith, said he had acknowledged that Saeedi had notified the relevant authorities about Eisha's fortune and property.