Home lists Top 100 most powerful Arabs 2021 HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum Chairman, Emirates Group/Emirates NBD Origin: UAE Residence: UAE Sector: Diversified The aviation industry was among the hardest hit by the crisis and yet Dubai flagship carrier Emirates played the critical role of transporting stranded citizens while also seeking to gradually reopen routes. At the helm, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Group, has been instrumental in ensuring the airline’s return to the skies. As the chairman of Dubai Airports, Dubai’s biggest bank Emirates NBD and conglomerate Dubai Holding, Sheikh Ahmed has also been key in ensuring Dubai’s economic revival following the Covid-19 lockdown last year. In his role as the chairman of the Dubai Expo 2020 Higher Committee, he is supervising the preparations for the mega six-month event set to begin in October.