BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei, Jan 11, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Brunei's polo-playing 
Prince Abdul Mateen, one of Asia's most eligible bachelors, married his 
commoner fiancee on Thursday as part of a lavish 10-day celebration in the 
oil-rich sultanate.

An Islamic marriage ceremony for the 32-year-old prince and Yang Mulia Anisha 
Rosnah, 29, was held inside a gold-domed mosque in the capital Bandar Seri 
Begawan.

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

His bride -- the granddaughter of one of his father's key advisers and a 
member of a prominent family in Brunei -- reportedly has a fashion brand and 
co-owns a tourism business.

Mateen, wearing a traditional white outfit decorated with diamond-shaped 
motifs and a matching headpiece, was driven to the mosque in a luxury saloon.

He sat on an elevated yellow cushion in front of an imam who presided over 
the male-only ceremony attended by the sultan and other relatives and guests.

After a 17-gun salute, Mateen approached his father and held his hand as the 
sultan recited a prayer for the royal couple. He then bowed, touching his 
father's hand with his forehead.

As the motorcade left the mosque, Mateen waved to onlookers standing in the 
tropical heat.

Celebrations for the royal wedding reach their climax on Sunday with a 
glittering ceremony in the 1,788-room palace and an elaborate procession.

The guest list is expected to include international royalty and political 
leaders.

"It's like a fairytale," university student Syahida Wafa Mohamed Shah, 22, 
told AFP on Wednesday, near the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, where the 
marriage was solemnised.

Many Bruneians plan to line the streets on Sunday to watch the royal 
newlyweds take part in a procession.

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

- Extreme wealth -

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

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

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

An absolute monarchy with strict Islamic laws and a population of around 
450,000 people, Brunei is one of the world's richest countries.

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

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

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

- 'Hot royal' -

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

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

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

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

The prince accompanied his father to the coronation of King Charles and Queen 
Camilla in May last year, and Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022.