Top Business Influencers 2025

This is not simply a list of who is popular. It is a look at who is shaping conversations, inspiring the next generation and driving the Gulf’s business narrative forward

by gulfadmin

December 11, 2025

The region’s business landscape is being reshaped by a new kind of influence, one driven not only by boardroom decisions, market performance or company scale, but by the ability to build communities, spark conversations and move audiences at speed. In an era where social reach can amplify strategic vision, the region’s most dynamic founders, executives and creators now operate at the intersection of business leadership and digital impact.

In this special feature, Gulf Business spotlights a selection of the UAE’s most recognisable business voices, individuals who command sizeable followings, shape public perception and increasingly drive regional dialogue across sectors such as beauty, real estate, technology, retail, aviation and lifestyle. These picks, referred below as Social Icons, have been ordered from biggest to smallest social media following, providing readers with a clear sense of the scale and reach each leader brings to the conversation.

Alongside these editorial picks, you will also find a series of extended full page profiles highlighting other key business personalities, referred below as Boardroom Icons, contributing to the evolution of the region’s economy. Together, they present a holistic view of influence in 2025, part entrepreneurial grit, part digital visibility and part strategic leadership.

This is not simply a list of who is popular. It is a look at who is shaping conversations, inspiring the next generation and driving the Gulf’s business narrative forward.