Profits from the sultan’s investment agency have slumped along with oil prices, and natural resources are running out

Brunei and its monarch have enjoyed the good times for decades, thanks to the rich reserves of oil and natural gas in the former British protectorate.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has amassed a personal fortune estimated at $20bn (£15bn). The assets of the Brunei Investment Agency that he oversees are believed to be worth $40bn.

For the 450,000 people of Brunei, that wealth has long delivered free education and healthcare, with government jobs for anyone who wants them. However, profits have slumped along with oil prices. And natural resources are running out.

Even though the country has been courting Chinese investments to try to diversify its economy, younger Bruneians will not enjoy the same benefits as previous generations.

The 72-year-old sultan may be an absolute monarch,