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.

Boardroom Icons

Adel Mardini

Visionary leader in global luxury aviation and hospitality

Hussam Baghdadi

COO, Arabian Automobiles, operating under AW Rostamani Group

Zaid S Al Khayyat

MD and board member, Al Khayyat Investments (AKI)

Ankur Aggarwal

Chairman and founder, BNW Developments

Alexander Lozben

IT entrepreneur and founder, INTERHASH

Capt (Dr) Pradeep Singh

Founder and chairman, Aethon Group and Karma Developers

Vivek Anand Oberoi

MD and co-founder, BNW Developments

Feliks Vartanov

Entrepreneur and investor

Kabir Mulchandani

Chairman and chief executive, Five Holdings

Rishi Kishor Gupta

Regional director, Middle East and Africa, Nothing

Harshvardhan Singh

Head of strategic partnerships and PR, automotive division of AA Al Moosa Enterprises

Social Icons

Huda Kattan

Founder, Huda Beauty (57.5 million followers on Instagram)

Khalid Al Ameri

Emirati storyteller and entrepreneur (8.5 million followers on Facebook)

Karen Wazen

Entrepreneur and fashion personality (8 million followers on Instagram)

Hatem Dowidar

Group CEO, e& (363k followers on LinkedIn)

Zeina Khoury

President and chief growth officer, Zed Capital Real Estate (1.3 million followers on Instagram)

Fahed Ghanim

CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Lifestyle (80k followers on LinkedIn)

Mohamed Alabbar

Founder, Emaar Properties (437k followers on Instagram)

Hussain Sajwani

Founder and chairman, DAMAC Properties (178k followers on Instagram)

Paul Griffiths

CEO, Dubai Airports (102k followers on LinkedIn)

Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi

Group CEO, Miral (42k followers on Instagram)

Issam Kazim

CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (36.8k followers of LinkedIn)

Karim Gharbi

Musician and tech entrepreneur (1.5 million followers on Instagram)

Dariush Soudi

Investor, author and speaker (3 million followers on Instagram)

Dr Bu Abdullah (Yaqoub Mousa)

Chairman, Bu Abdullah Group (50.7k followers on Instagram)

Abu Dhabi has launched a new fintech, insurance, digital and alternative assets cluster, known as FIDA, aiming to accelerate the development of next-generation financial and investment solutions and strengthen the emirate’s position as a global capital hub.

The initiative, led by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), is part of the emirate’s long-term diversification strategy.

By 2045, officials project FIDA will add $15.2bn to direct GDP, create 8,000 skilled jobs and attract at least $4.6bn in investment.

Key highlights of FIDA

FIDA combines high-growth areas where technology, regulation and capital converge, including fintech, digital assets, insurance, reinsurance and alternative investments. The cluster aims to provide a stable regulatory environment for global firms looking to build and scale new financial products.

“Abu Dhabi’s economic strategy is built on long-term planning and the flow of capital, talent and innovation through world-class infrastructure,” said Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, chairman of ADDED. “FIDA is a structural investment in the future and strengthens the foundations of next-generation finance.”

Badr Al-Olama, DG of ADIO, said the cluster marks a shift in Abu Dhabi’s role in global finance, bringing sovereign investors, regulators and technology firms into a unified ecosystem focused on digital assets, AI-driven financial solutions and advanced fintech platforms.

The programme is structured around pillars covering digital asset infrastructure, fintech development, expanded insurance and reinsurance capacity and long-term savings frameworks designed to support financial resilience. It will also widen access to funding for SMEs, including alternative lending, venture debt and growth capital.

Sustainable finance is built into the cluster’s mandate, with new efforts to develop green and transition finance instruments aligned with the UAE’s net-zero goals. FIDA will also expand the emirate’s alternative assets base, with support for private equity, venture capital and real estate investment vehicles targeting global institutional capital.

The cluster links with other priority sectors, including AGWA for food and water technologies, HELM for life sciences and SAVI for mobility and autonomous systems. This is intended to give high-growth companies access to financing tools tailored to their sector.

Capital of Capital

Abu Dhabi’s position as the “Capital of Capital”, backed by $1.8tn in sovereign wealth and a network of global trade and tax agreements, provides firms in FIDA with treaty-backed access to key markets in Europe, North America and Asia.

Regulatory oversight will be coordinated by the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of the UAE, ADGM and the Securities and Commodities Authority. Financing will be supported by sovereign wealth funds, family offices and the Khalifa Fund.

The innovation and talent network, led by Hub71, UAE University, Khalifa University, the Emirates Institute of Finance and ADGM Academy, will focus on translating research into market-ready technologies and building specialised skills in fintech, actuarial science and quantitative finance.

Officials say FIDA is intended to reinforce Abu Dhabi’s position as a next-generation global financial centre and as a preferred base for firms shaping the future of finance and investment management.

Read: Experts outline next phase of digital finance at Bitcoin MENA

The Bitcoin MENA conference closed in Abu Dhabi on December 9 after two days of panels and debates involving 234 local and international speakers, with industry leaders using the event to map out how digital assets, institutional adoption and regulatory clarity are reshaping global finance.

The event was co-organised by ADNEC Group and BTC.

The headline keynote came from Michael Saylor, executive chairman and co-founder of Strategy, who capped his Middle East tour with a detailed pitch on Bitcoin’s role as “digital capital”.

In a session titled Digital Capital, Credit, Money, and Banking, Saylor said Bitcoin’s position as “digital gold” is becoming more accepted in the US and urged regional institutions to move early on Bitcoin-backed finance.

He pointed to major US banks beginning to issue credit against Bitcoin and its derivatives, describing it as a “digital commodity” and “the strongest asset humanity has ever created.” Businesses, he argued, face a simple decision: “keep cash that depreciates, or convert it into an asset that appreciates.” Strategy, he said, “chose the latter, deliberately and publicly.”

Changpeng Zhao (also known as CZ), founder of Binance, struck a similarly forward-looking tone during a fireside chat with Brandon Green, CEO of BTC Inc. Reflecting on his decision to step down as Binance CEO and a shift in US attitudes, he said the conversation with governments has moved from “What is crypto, and why should I adopt it?” to “How do I adopt it?” He said this shift has enabled “positive talks on regulating exchanges, protecting consumers, and creating crypto national reserves.”

Discussing the current market backdrop, ETF momentum and the next Bitcoin cycle, CZ argued that “this cycle is different to previous cycles” as institutional players move in. “We’re almost bridging the gap between crypto being a grassroots movement to now Wall Street participation,” he said.

CZ added that Bitcoin remains far from mainstream in retail use, but said institutional capital, government engagement and developments such as stablecoins, tokenisation and real-world asset infrastructure could “stabilise and elevate the market long-term.”

Across four stages, visitors heard from leaders in traditional finance, crypto platforms and mining firms. Speakers included Yoni Assia, co-founder and CEO of eToro, Derar Islim of Antalpha, Calamos Investments president and CEO John Koudounis, Marwan Al Zarouni of Dubai Blockchain Center, Abdulla Al Dhaheri of the Blockchain Center Abu Dhabi and Ahmed Bin Sulayem, exxecutive chairman and CEO of DMCC.

Exhibitors showcased mining technology, digital asset exchange platforms and self-custody tools, with brands including Antalpha, Crypto.com, Bitmain, Metaplanet and Mining Grid.

New addition at Bitcoin MENA

A new addition to this year’s programme, the Bitcoin for Corporations Symposium, drew CFOs and treasurers seeking guidance on using Bitcoin as a reserve asset.

The symposium hosted 14 sessions outlining the acceleration of institutional adoption and cited data showing corporations acquiring Bitcoin at almost four times the pace at which new coins are mined.

Multiple product announcements were made during the event. Safebox unveiled a self-custody tool that lets institutions and large holders earn Bitcoin yield through an unspent transaction output function while retaining asset control.

Roxom announced what it called the world’s first stock exchange fully denominated and settled in Bitcoin, designed to allow investors to trade shares of public Bitcoin Treasury Companies directly in Bitcoin without fiat rails or traditional brokerages.

The event will return in 2026 at the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi Marina Hall, with a programme centred on investment, regulation and innovation.

Organisers expect the next edition to probe evolving regulatory frameworks, compliance, and emerging blockchain technologies as the region continues balancing innovation with stronger investor protections.

Across the Middle East, rapid population growth, economic diversification and the rise of data-intensive technologies are combining to drive electricity demand higher than ever before.

Meeting this demand can no longer rely on simply building more power plants. Instead, the region must develop integrated energy ecosystems – an essential step toward ensuring energy security and realising regional ambitions and the net-zero transition.

Success will hinge on governments, developers and financiers working in sync – aligning infrastructure, policy and capital to deliver scalable, resilient and commercially viable power systems.

The demand shift

With hyperscale data centres, AI hubs and large industrial clusters becoming major drivers of energy demand in the region, there is now more of a requirement for uninterrupted, high-capacity power than ever before.

By 2030, data centre capacity is projected to triple, adding significant pressure to already stretched grids and shifting the challenge from managing seasonal peaks to maintaining year-round supply stability.

Supply chain squeeze

Delivering this new power system is complex. Global shortages of critical power equipment – such as transformers, cables, and turbines – pose the biggest threat to delivering new energy systems and the Middle East is feeling this pressure acutely. With long lead times – often more than two years – mounting backlogs and worldwide competition for limited manufacturing capacity, early procurement alone is no guarantee of timely project delivery.

These constraints are structural, not temporary and require strategic responses to secure supply.

Beyond equipment, access to raw materials is becoming a major bottleneck for energy delivery, with soaring demand for copper, rare earths, lithium and polysilicon outpacing production.

Managing interface risk

Today’s power systems are so interconnected that a delay in one component can stall an entire project. A completed data centre is useless without a live transmission line and a ready-to-run solar farm delivers no value if grid integration falls behind. Even a seemingly small setback – like a late transformer delivery – can disrupt the whole system, raising financial risks for all stakeholders.

This “interface risk”, where misaligned construction schedules prevent different project components from coming online together, has become one of the biggest threats to energy delivery.

Traditional coordination models are now a leading cause of delays and cost overruns. The winners will create system orchestrators – players that are able to look across the entire ecosystem and step in, financially or with decision making authority to manage timelines, create shared commissioning schedules, and to ensure every part of the value chain moves in sync.

Financing the whole chain

Funding integrated energy systems is a balancing act. Each element – from solar farms to end energy user needs its own financing and offtake. A missing piece along the chain means the entire ecosystem of projects can collapse. Innovative approaches like cross-asset guarantees, revenue pooling, and portfolio financing are emerging to align investors and spread the risk.

Lenders and equity partners are also calling for stronger governance and clearer coordination across all special purpose vehicles (SPVs) involved.

Strategic enablers in action

The Middle East has unique levers to pull. Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) can invest across the value chain, align timelines and absorb early-stage risks, making them powerful “system orchestrator.” Export credit agencies (ECAs) can unlock supplier commitments and help secure scarce manufacturing capacity.

Governments can implement “system-wide” strategies – building or procuring the long lead time items, including grid infrastructure to open the bottleneck – which reduces risk for investors and accelerates growth in industrial zones, AI corridors, energy export projects and hydrogen valleys.

From projects to ecosystems

The future of the Middle East’s power sector will be judged not just by how many megawatts it can produce, but by how well it integrates generation, transmission, and consumption. Moving from isolated projects to fully connected ecosystems is essential for meeting national visions, powering AI and advanced industries, and achieving net-zero goals.

Those who lead this shift will define the region’s energy future – showing the world that with coordination, capital, and commitment, the Middle East can turn its ambitions into a resilient, competitive, and sustainable reality.

Energy stakeholders should focus on:

• Grid-ready reliability to serve round-the-clock high-capacity loads from AI hubs, data centres, and industrial clusters
• Securing supply chains for critical equipment and minerals through local manufacturing, strategic partnerships and sovereign-backed procurement
• Managing interface risk to prevent project delays through system integration, shared commissioning schedules, and coordinated delivery
• Innovative financing models that align multiple assets and stakeholders, from cross-asset guarantees to portfolio funding
• Leveraging strategic enablers like SWFs, ECAs and critical path procurement policies to accelerate delivery and de-risk investment

The writer is a partner – Energy Transition at PwC Middle East.

Read: GCC power grid plans $3.5bn investment to expand regional links, renewables

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) gathered more than 1,200 industry stakeholders on 9 December for its second and final City Briefing of 2025, outlining progress across the tourism economy and plans to support another year of growth.

The event, held at Global Village courtesy of Dubai Holding Entertainment, brought together players from hospitality, aviation, retail and F&B, along with government representatives and media. DET used the session to underline the importance of public and private sector coordination in meeting the ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.

In the presence of Helal Saeed Almarri, DG of DET, Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, opened the briefing with an update on performance and Dubai’s strategy for 2026.

Dubai welcomed 18.72 million international overnight visitors in 2024, a record high, and continued its momentum in 2025 with 15.70 million visitors from January to October, a rise of 5 per cent year on year.

Hotels posted an average occupancy of 79.4 per cent, compared to 77 per cent in the same period last year. The average daily rate increased 6 per cent to Dhs531 and revenue per available room reached Dhs421, up 9 per cent.

The city had 152,875 rooms across 820 establishments at the end of October.

Kazim said Dubai’s progress reflected collaboration, innovation and sustained investment. He highlighted diversification in source markets, year-round global campaigns and a growing focus on sustainability and accessibility. DET would continue expanding digital platforms, developing new experiences and strengthening Dubai’s position as a place to visit, live and work, he said.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said the city’s events calendar remained central to its appeal. He pointed to the Dubai Fitness Challenge, which has become a large community movement, and the ongoing Dubai Shopping Festival, which is set to celebrate its tenth retail calendar edition in 2026.

Major announcements this year by Dubai’s DET

A major announcement during the briefing was the Hotel Incentive Programme, launched in October to support development in future high growth zones including Dubai South, Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai Parks and Dubai Islands. Investors in new hotels, resorts and hotel apartments in these areas will receive a full reimbursement of the Dubai Municipality fee on room sales and the Tourism Dirham for two years after opening.

DET also highlighted upcoming openings such as Ciel Dubai Marina, billed as the world’s tallest hotel, as well as the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, the wellbeing resort Therme Dubai, Dubai Museum of Art, Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai Square Mall and the expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport. Infrastructure projects include the Dubai Metro Blue Line, 226 km of new roads and 115 bridges and tunnels, and extensive upgrades to walking routes as part of the Dubai Walk Master Plan.

Several institutions celebrated milestones, including the Dubai International Financial Centre at 20 years, Global Village at 30 editions, The Emirates Group at 40 years, Mall of the Emirates and Ski Dubai at 20 years, Dubai Design District at its 10th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of Jumeirah Burj Al Arab.

Ahead of 2026, Dubai is preparing for the 30th Dubai World Cup and the 10th Dubai Fitness Challenge.

Ramadan in 2026 was another focal point, with DET outlining plans to balance Dubai’s openness to international visitors with cultural immersion and heritage experiences. Strong forward hotel bookings suggest confidence among travellers.

DET also reviewed global recognition, including Lonely Planet naming food tours in Old Dubai as one of the top travel experiences for 2026, and the 2025 MICHELIN Guide Dubai listing 119 restaurants across 35 cuisines. The city is now home to two three star MICHELIN restaurants, FZN by Björn Frantzén and Trèsind Studio, the first Indian restaurant worldwide to receive three stars.

Updates on global campaigns were also shared, with DET focusing on attracting winter travellers, engaging African audiences through influencers, targeting peak booking windows in Japan and rolling out digital first content for China and the Asia Pacific region.

Sustainability took centre stage through the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamp, aligned with the D33 Agenda and UAE Net Zero 2050. More than 60 per cent of reef modules for DUBAI REEF have been fabricated and over 35 per cent deployed, supporting marine habitats. DET also reaffirmed its push to strengthen accessibility after Dubai became the first Certified Autism Destination in the Eastern Hemisphere earlier this year.

Community engagement continues through the #MyDubai initiative, which has engaged more than 1,500 advocates with a reach of over 3.1 million. The #MyDubai Communities platform, launched earlier this year, now features 130 interest-based groups attracting thousands of followers.

Al Khaja reported record participation in the latest Dubai Fitness Challenge, with more than three million residents and visitors taking part. He noted the Dubai Shopping Festival, which runs until January 11, remains a key driver in the retail calendar.

Fireside chat

In a fireside chat, Beautiful Destinations CEO Jeremy Jauncey joined DET’s Aida Al Busaidy to discuss the launch of the Beautiful Destinations Academy, a professional training programme for global content creators based in Dubai. The academy supports the D33 vision by introducing formal standards for the creator economy.

A separate panel with DET’s Issam Kazim, Emirates’ deputy president and CCO Adnan Kazim and Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths examined Dubai’s aviation growth. The discussion covered plans to streamline passenger journeys, operational priorities at Dubai International Airport and the long term role of Al Maktoum International Airport in expanding capacity as Dubai positions itself as the world’s largest aviation hub.

Kazim closed the session by pointing to the strong pipeline of new attractions and the city’s busy events calendar. He said continued collaboration across sectors would be central to sustaining momentum through 2026 and beyond.