The region’s most authoritative business list is here…
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, founder and chairman of Saudi’s Kingdom Holding Company, once again tops the third annual list of the world’s 100 most powerful Arabs, published by Gulf Business magazine.
Despite a spate of controversies, the Prince reaped some hefty profits, notably from his investment in social networking platform Twitter.
Emirates airline and Emirates NBD chairman Sheikh Ahmed again ranks second, followed in third place by Khalid Al-Falih, who resides over Saudi oil firm Aramco, thought to be the world’s most valuable unlisted company.
This year’s list saw 21 new entrants, with two of the new entries featuring within the top 10 – UAE minister of state and MD of Dubai World Expo 2020 Reem Al Hashimy and Saudi female driver Aziza Al Yousef.
Methodology
Gulf Business assembled a team of experts from within Motivate broad business division, including the Gulf Business team itself, which has decades of experience working with the Arab business community and reporting on regional news.
The team looked at the events of 2013 and judged each individual case on power merit.
We have included business people of Arab descent from all over the world. We weighted our criteria on a points system across the following spheres of influence:
– Financial capital
– Human capital
– Expansion plans
– Personal fame levels.
In general, Gulf Business has excluded politicians and royalty, unless the contenders have a strong leaning towards business activity.
The Gulf Business Arab Power 100 is intended to be an inspirational representation of some of the Arab world’s greatest achievers and future makers.
| Rank | Name | Title | Origin | Company | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud | Chairman | KSA | Kingdom Holding | Finance |
| 17 | HE Mohammed AL SHAIBANI | CEO | UAE | Investment Corporation Of Dubai And Director General Of Ruler’s Court | Finance |
| 2 | HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum | Chairman | UAE | Emirates /Emirates NBD | Transport |
| 3 | Khalid Al Falih | CEO | KSA | Saudi Aramco | Finance |
| 33 | Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel | Chairman | KSA | Dallah Albaraka | Finance |
| 50 | Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Zamil | Chairman | KSA | Al Zamil Holding | Industry |
| 4 | Ali Bin Ibrahim Al Naimi | Petroleum And Mineral Resources Minister | KSA | Energy | |
| 49 | Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel | Chairman and President | KSA | Abdul Latif Jameel Group | Retail |
| 47 | Omar K Alghanim | CEO | Kuwait | Alghanim Industries | Industry |
| 48 | Sheikha Hanadi Bint Nasser Bin Khalid Al Thani | Businesswoman | Qatar | Finance | |
| 46 | Khalaf Al Habtoor | Chairman | UAE | Al Habtoor | Real Estate |
| 45 | Nassef Sawiris | Director and CEO | Egypt | Orascom Construction Industries | Real Estate |
| 44 | HE Khadem Al Qubaisi | Chairman | UAE | Aabar Investments & Arabtec | Finance |
| 43 | Khalid Al Mudaifer | CEO And President | KSA | Ma’aden | Industry |
| 42 | Sheikh Mohammed Al Amoudi | Chairman | Ethiopia/Saudi Arabia | Midroc | Energy |
| 41 | Mohamed El Erian | Outgoing CEO | Egypt | Pimco | Finance |
| 40 | HE Sultan Bin Nasser Al Suwaidi | Governor | UAE | UAE Central Bank | Finance |
| 39 | Dr Fahad Almubarak | Governor | KSA | SAMA | Finance |
| 38 | Zaha Hadid | Director | Iraq | Zaha Hadid Architects | Real Estate |
| 37 | Bader Al-Kharafi | Board Member | Kuwait | MA Kharafi | Industry |
| 35 | Mahmood Hashim Al Kooheji | CEO | Bahrain | Mumtalakat | Finance |
| 34 | Hassan Abdullah Al Thawadi | Secretary General | Qatar | Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee | Culture And Society |
| 32 | Nayla Hayek | Chairwoman, CEO | Lebanon | Swatch Group, Harry Winston | Retail |
| 31 | Sheikh Waleed Bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim | Group chairman | KSA | MBC Group | Media |
| 29 | Sheikh Khalid Bin Khalifa Al Thani | CEO | Qatar | Qatargas | Energy |
| 36 | Suad Al Humaidi | Investor | Kuwait | Finance | |
| 30 | Elie Saab | Fashion Designer | Lebanon/Paris | Culture and Society | |
| 28 | Abdulla Nasser Al Suwaidi | Director General | UAE | ADNOC | Energy |
| 27 | Hh Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser | Chairwoman | Qatar | Qatar Foundation | Culture And Society |
| 26 | Mansour Saleh Al-Maiman | Chairman | KSA | National Commercial Bank | Finance |
| 25 | Mohammed Alshaya | Chairman | Kuwait | MH Alshaya | Retail |
| 24 | HE Ali Shareef Al Emadi | Minister Of Finance, Chairman | Qatar | QNB | Finance |
| 23 | Akbar Al Baker | CEO | Qatar | Qatar Airways | Transport |
| 22 | Salman Al Ouda | Saudi Cleric, Muslim Scholar, Director | Islam Today | Culture And Society | |
| 21 | Sheikha Maha Mansour Salman Jasim Al Thani | Judge | Qatar | Culture And Society | |
| 20 | Sheikh Sulaiman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi | Chairman | KSA | Al Rajhi Bank | Finance |
| 19 | Iqbal Al Assaad | Doctor | Palestine | Science | |
| 18 | HE Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair | CEO | UAE | Mashreq | Finance |
| 16 | Sheikha Al-Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani | Chairwoman | Qatar | Qatar Museums Authority | Culture And Society |
| 15 | Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak | CEO And Managing Director | UAE | Mubada La Development Company | Finance |
| 14 | Hayat Sindi | Medical Researcher | KSA | Science | |
| 13 | Lubna Olayan | CEO | KSA | Olayan Financing Company | Finance |
| 12 | BAKR Binladin | Chairman | Binladin Group | Real Estate | |
| 11 | Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber | Chairman And CEO | KSA | MBI International | Real Estate |
| 10 | Carlos Ghosn | Chairman And CEO | Lebanon | Renault/Nissan | Industry |
| 9 | HE Mohamed Ali Alabbar | Chairman | UAE | Emaar | Real Estate |
| 8 | Ahmad Mohamed Al Sayed | CEO | Qatar | Qatar Investment Authority | Finance |
| 7 | Aziza Al Yousef | Saudi Female Driver | KSA | Culture And Society | |
| 6 | Mohamed Al Mady | Vice Chairman And CEO | KSA | Sabic | Industry |
| 5 | HE Reem Al Hashimy | Minister Of State And Managing Director Of Dubai World Expo 2020 | UAE | Diversified | |
| 92 | Essa Kazim | Chairman, CEO, Governor | UAE | DFM, Borse Dubai, DIFC | Finance |
| 51 | Jawad Ahmed Bukhamseen | Founder and Chairman | Kuwait | Bukhamseen | Diversified |
| 52 | Latifa Al Shaalan | Council Member | KSA | Saudi Shura | Culture and Society |
| 53 | Bader M. Al Sa’ad | CEO and MD | Kuwait | Kuwait Investment Authority | Finance |
| 54 | Sheikh Issam Alzahid | Chairman | KSA | Alzahid group of companies | Industry |
| 55 | Dr Nasser Marafih | GROUP CEO | Qatar | Ooredoo | Telecoms |
| 56 | Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Al-Sugair | Chairman and Acting CEO | KSA | Saudi Teleco M Company | Telecoms |
| 57 | Mohammed Bin Ali Al Hedfa | Group CEO | Qatar | Qatari Diar | Real Estate |
| 58 | Munib Al Masri | Chairman | Palestine | Palestinian Development And Investment Company (PADICO) | Industry |
| 59 | Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel | Chairwoman And CEO | KSA | Time Entertainment | Culture and Society |
| 60 | Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh | Chairman and CEO | Palestine | Fresh Del Monte | Retail |
| 61 | Dr Charles Elachi | Director | Lebanon | Jet Propulsion Laboratory | Science |
| 62 | Zuhair Murad | Fashion Designer | Lebanon | Culture and Society | |
| 63 | Sultan Al Qassemi | Current Affairs Commentator | UAE | Media | |
| 64 | Marwan Marzouk Boodai | CEO, Chairman | Kuwait | Boodai Group, Jazeera Airways | Industry |
| 65 | Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem | Chairman | DP World | Industry | |
| 66 | Tariq Abdullah Al Qahtani | Chairman | KSA | Abdel Hadi Abdullah Al Qahtani Group Of Companies | Industry |
| 67 | Eissa Mohamed Al Suwaidi | Chairman | UAE | Etisalat | Telecoms |
| 68 | Youssef Al-Shelash | Chairman | KSA | Dar Al-Arkan | Real Estate |
| 69 | Saeed Al Mazrooei | CEO and President | UAE | Emal | Industry |
| 70 | Adel Ali | Group CEO | Bahrain | Air Arabia | Transport |
| 71 | Majid Al Futtaim | President | UAE | MAF | Diversified |
| 72 | Adel Aujan | Chairman | KSA | Aujan Group Holding | Diversified |
| 73 | Nemir Kirdar | Executive Chairman and CEO | Iraq | Investcorp | Finance |
| 74 | HE Sultan Al Jaber | Minister of state , CEO and MD | UAE | Masdar | Energy |
| 75 | Dr. Abdalla Alnajjar | President | UAE | Arab Science & Technology Foundation | Science |
| 76 | Omar Hamad Almana | Chairman | Qatar | Almana Group | Industry |
| 77 | Dr Samia Al Amoudi | Activist (Breast cancer awareness ) | KSA | Science | |
| 78 | Abdalla Salem El-Badri | Secretary General | Libya | OPEC | Energy |
| 79 | Said Khoury | Chairman | Palestine | CCC | Finance |
| 80 | Dr Khawla Al Kuraya | Cancer Researcher | KSA | Shura Council Member | Science |
| 81 | Baseem Youssef | Cardiac Surgeon | Egypt | Satirist And Columnist | |
| 82 | Mohammed Assaf | Winner | Palestine | Arab Idol | Culture and Society |
| 83 | Sheikha Al Bahar | CEO | Kuwait | National Bank of Kuwait | Finance |
| 84 | Ibrahim Dabdoub | Former CEO | Palestine | NBK | Finance |
| 85 | Hussain Ibrahim Alfardan | Chairman | Qatar | Al Fardan Group | Diversified |
| 86 | Mishal Kanoo | Deputy Chairman | Bahrain | Kanoo Group | Industry |
| 87 | Maha Khalid Al-Ghunaim | Chairperson and Managing Director | Kuwait | Global Investment House | Finance |
| 88 | Fadi Ghandour | Founder | Jordan | Aramex | Finance |
| 89 | Fatima Al Jaber | COO | UAE | Al Jaber Group | Diversified |
| 90 | Fady Michel Abouchalache | CEO | Lebanon | Quilvest | Finance |
| 91 | Ahmed Fahour | MD and CEO | Lebanon | Australia Post | Transport |
| 93 | Abdullah Bin Saoud Al Thani | Governor and Chairman | Qatar | QFMA Board , QFM | Finance |
| 94 | Ahmed Hassan Zewail | Scientist | Egypt | Science | |
| 95 | Elias Zerhouni | Chairman | Algeria | Global R&D, Sanofi Pharmace Utica Ls | SCIENCE |
| 96 | Dr Omar Bin Abdul Munim Al Zawawi | Business Man | Oman | Diversified | |
| 97 | Ahmed Ali Mohamed Al Sayegh | Chairman | UAE | Abu Dhabi Global Marketplace | Finance |
| 98 | Hussain Sajwani | Chairman and Founder | UAE | Damac Group | Real Estate |
| 99 | Mohammad AL ZUBAIR | Founder | Oman | Al Zubair Foundation | Culture and Society |
| 100 | Ziad Bin Mohammed Al-Shiha | CEO | KSA | Saudi Electricity Company | Energy |