Mega-rich Humaid AlBuQaish has become a cult figure and has 250,000 followers after posting pictures of himself on Instagram with his pet lions draped over his Mercedes and Lamborghini sports cars.
He casually wrestles with them and cuddles up to them, seemingly oblivious to their lethal potential.
In a bid to outdo each other, wealthy competitors in the Gulf have uploaded pictures of their big cats cruising on speedboats, while others are happy to place their heads inside their predators' mouths.
Owning a lion or cheetah is a big status symbol in the Gulf Arab states, where a rare white lion will sell for around $50,000.
It’s not clear how AlBuQaish funds his lavish lifestyle or affords such expensive, if dangerous, pets.
But Jasim Ali, who runs the Ras Al Khaimah Wildlife Park, in the United Arab Emirates, doesn’t approve.
“If someone buys a very expensive animal, he is boasting that he has enough money to get anything he wants,” he told CNN.
“If he has a tamed wild animal, like a lion, he is trying to show off that he is brave. But this is not courage; this is animal rights abuse.”
