Top 100 Arabs 2025

23. Fahd Hamidaddin

CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority

Origin: Saudi Arabia

Residence: Saudi Arabia

Sector: Tourism

2024 Rank: 22

Entrusted with the mandate to elevate both domestic and international visitor numbers, Hamidaddin has spearheaded initiatives that have yielded significant growth.

Under his leadership, Saudi Arabia welcomed a record-breaking 27.6 million overnight tourists in 2023, a figure that further increased to 30 million foreign tourists in 2024, marking a 9 per cent year-on-year growth.

Hamidaddin’s vision aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to attract 70 million international visitors annually by 2030. To support this growth, significant investments are being made in the hospitality sector, with plans to add 362,000 new hotel rooms by 2030.

The kingdom’s hosting of major international events, such as the 2029 Asian Winter Games, World Expo 2030, and the FIFA World Cup 2034, is expected to further boost tourism.

This, coupled with the development of Riyadh Air, reinforces Saudi Arabia’s commitment to becoming a global hub for leisure, business, and mega-events.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman

HH Prince Naif Bin Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Kabeer