The past 12 months can best be described as a period of transition, with the global economy working its way to recovery. Economic highs and lows and geopolitical pressures persist, but it’s been an eventful period for those on our Arab Power List. Some have seen their fortunes rise while others have had to test their resilience to prove they are here to stay.
We have prolific business leaders and industry stalwarts sharing space with rising cultural icons and elite athletes on our list this year. They are joined by 17 new faces, including three women, who have stood out for their contribution to the field of diplomacy, medicine and space exploration. We also have the founders of a tech unicorn that has found its way to Nasdaq and other influential leaders who are contributing to strengthening the Arab world’s profile globally.
Read on to know more about the movers and shakers who’ve made it to our celebrated Gulf Business Arab Power List 2022.
| Rank | Name | Title | Origin | Residence | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yasir Al-Rumayyan | Chairman, Aramco/Governor, PIF | KSA | KSA | Diversified |
| 2 | Dr Sultan Al Jaber | Managing director and group CEO, ADNOC | UAE | UAE | Energy |
| 3 | HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum | Chairman and chief executive, Emirates Group/Chairman, Emirates NBD | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 4 | Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi | President and CEO, QatarEnergy/Chairman and MD, Industries Qatar | Qatar | Qatar | Diversified |
| 5 | Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak | Group CEO and managing director, Mubadala Investment Company | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 6 | Amin Nasser | President and CEO, Aramco | KSA | KSA | Energy |
| 7 | Carlos Slim Helú | Honorary chairman, America Movil | Lebanon/Mexico | Mexico | Telecoms |
| 8 | Mohamed Alabbar | Founder, Emaar/noon.com | UAE | UAE | Real Estate/Retail |
| 9 | Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri | Chairwoman, UAE Space Agency | UAE | UAE | Science and Technology |
| 10 | HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | Chairman, Kingdom Holding Company | KSA | KSA | Finance |
| 11 | Mohamed Al Hammadi | Managing director and CEO, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation | UAE | UAE | Energy |
| 12 | Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem | Group chairman and CEO, DP World / Chairman, Virgin Hyperloop | UAE | UAE | Logistics |
| 13 | Yousef Abdullah Al Benyan | Vice chairman and CEO, SABIC | KSA | KSA | Industry |
| 14 | Hassan Al Thawadi | Secretary general, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy/Chairman, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 | Qatar | Qatar | Sports |
| 15 | Reem Al Hashimy | Director general, Expo 2020 Dubai | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 16 | Mansoor Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud | CEO, Qatar Investment Authority | Qatar | Qatar | Finance |
| 17 | Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair | Chairman, Mashreq | UAE | UAE | Finance |
| 18 | Abdulla Mubarak Al-Khalifa | Group CEO, Qatar National Bank | Qatar | Qatar | Finance |
| 19 | Hana Al Rostamani | Group CEO, First Abu Dhabi Bank | UAE | UAE | Finance |
| 20 | Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani | Managing director, Investment Corporation of Dubai | UAE | UAE | Finance |
| 21 | Lubna Suliman Olayan | Chairperson, Saudi British Bank | KSA | KSA | Finance |
| 22 | Sarah Al Suhaimi | Chairperson, Saudi Tadawul Group | KSA | KSA | Finance |
| 23 | Essa Kazim | Governor, DIFC | UAE | UAE | Finance |
| 24 | Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak | Chairman, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi/Aldar Properties | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 25 | Fahd Hamidaddin | CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority | KSA | KSA | Tourism |
| 26 | HH Prince Naif bin Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Kabeer | Chairman, Almarai | Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia | FMCG |
| 27 | Mohammad Saud Al-Osaimi | Chief executive officer, Boursa Kuwait | Kuwait | Kuwait | Finance |
| 28 | Saeed bin Mohammed Al Ghamdi | Managing director and CEO, Saudi National Bank | KSA | KSA | Finance |
| 29 | Dr Raja Easa Al Gurg | Vice chairperson and managing director, Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 30 | Mohamed Salah | Footballer, Liverpool FC | Egypt | UK | Sports |
| 31 | Salem Humaid AlMarri | Director general, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre | UAE | UAE | Science and Technology |
| 32 | Elie Habib and Eddy Maroun | Co-founders, Anghami | Lebanon | UAE | Culture and Society |
| 33 | Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani | Chairperson, Qatar Museums | Qatar | Qatar | Culture and Society |
| 34 | Fahad Al Mubarak | Governor, Saudi Central Bank | KSA | KSA | Finance |
| 35 | Helal Al Marri | Director general, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 36 | Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel | Chairman and CEO, Abdul Latif Jameel | Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia | Diversified |
| 37 | Khalaf Al Habtoor | Founding chairman, Al Habtoor Group | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 38 | Mohammed Alshaya | Executive chairman, Alshaya Group | Kuwait | Kuwait | Retail |
| 39 | Nayla Hayek | Chairperson, Swatch Group/CEO, Harry Winston | Lebanese-Switzerland | Switzerland | Retail |
| 40 | Sheikh Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al Rajhi | Co-founder, Al Rajhi Bank | Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia | Finance |
| 41 | Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi | Chairman, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 42 | Olayan Mohammed Alwetaid | Group CEO, stc | Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia | Telecoms |
| 43 | Mohamed Mansour | Founder and board member, Mansour Group | Egypt | Cairo | Diversified |
| 44 | Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi | Vice chairman and CEO, Zain Group | Kuwait | Kuwait | Diversified |
| 45 | Murshed Al Redaini | Group CEO, Yas Holding | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 46 | Faisal Al Bannai | Executive chairman, Edge Group | UAE | UAE | Science and technology |
| 47 | Hatem Dowidar | CEO, e& | Egypt | UAE | Telecoms |
| 48 | Khalid Al Rumaihi | CEO, Mumtalakat | Bahrain | Bahrain | Finance |
| 49 | Karim Awad | Group CEO and chairman of the Executive Committee, EFG Hermes Holding | Egypt | Egypt | Finance |
| 50 | Mohammed bin Mahfoodh Alardhi | Executive chairman, Investcorp | Oman | Oman | Finance |
| 51 | Nassef Sawiris | Executive chairman, OCI/co-owner, Aston Villa FC | Egypt | Egypt | Industry/Sport |
| 52 | Jassim Alseddiqi | Group CEO, Shuaa Capital | UAE | UAE | Finance |
| 53 | Naguib Sawiris | Managing director and CEO, Orascom Investment Holding | Egypt | Egypt | Diversified |
| 54 | Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi | Group CEO and managing director, Abu Dhabi Ports Group (AD Ports) | UAE | UAE | Logistics |
| 55 | Akbar Al Baker | Akbar Al Baker Group CEO, Qatar Airways | Qatar | Qatar | Aviation |
| 56 | Hamad Buamim | President and CEO, Dubai Chambers | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 57 | Adel Ali | Group CEO, Air Arabia | Bahrain | UAE | Aviation |
| 58 | Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo | Managing director and CEO, Ooredoo | Qatar | Qatar | Telecoms |
| 59 | Mohammad A Baker | Deputy chairman and CEO, GMG | UAE | UAE | Retail |
| 60 | Kutayba Yusuf Alghanim | Executive chairman, Alghanim Industries | Kuwait | Kuwait | Diversified |
| 61 | Elie Saab | Fashion designer | Lebanon | Lebanon | Culture and Society |
| 62 | Mona Ataya | Founder and CEO, Mumzworld | Palestine | UAE | Retail |
| 63 | Ala’a Eraiqat | Group CEO, ADCB | UAE | UAE | Finance |
| 64 | Abdulla Jassem Kalban | Managing director, Emirates Global Aluminium | UAE | UAE | Industry |
| 65 | Hesham Al Qassim | CEO, wasl Asset Management | UAE | UAE | Real Estate |
| 66 | Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah | Chairman, UAE Fatwa Council | Mauritania | UAE | Culture and Society |
| 67 | Badr Jafar | CEO, Crescent Enterprises | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 68 | Suhail Salim Bahwan | Chairman, Suhail Bahwan Group | Oman | Oman | Diversified |
| 69 | Ghaith Al Ghaith | CEO, flydubai | UAE | UAE | Aviation |
| 70 | Shaikh Thani Bin Abdullah Al-Thani | Founder, Ezdan Holding/Philanthropist | Qatar | Qatar | Diversified |
| 71 | Mishal Kanoo | Chairman, Kanoo Group | Bahrain-UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 72 | Issam Kazim | CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) | UAE | UAE | Tourism |
| 73 | Tarek Sultan | CEO and vice chairman, Agility | Kuwait | Kuwait | Logistics |
| 74 | Mazin Rashid Lamki | CEO, Energy Development Oman | Oman | Oman | Energy |
| 75 | Fadi Ghandour | Executive chairman, Wamda/ co-founder, Aramex | Jordan | UAE | Finance |
| 76 | Khaled Mohammed Balama | Governor, Central Bank of the UAE | UAE | UAE | Finance |
| 77 | DJ Khaled | Musician | Palestine | US | Culture and Society |
| 78 | Dr Amina Al Rostamani | COO, AW Rostamani Group | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 79 | Mohammad Abu Ghazaleh | Chairman and CEO, Fresh Del Monte | Palestine | US | FMCG |
| 80 | Shaikha Al Bahar | Deputy group CEO, National Bank of Kuwait | Kuwait | Kuwait | Finance |
| 81 | Ronaldo Mouchawar | Co-founder, Souq.com/ Vice president, Amazon MENA | Syria | UAE | Retail |
| 82 | Hussain Sajwani | Founder, Damac Properties | UAE | UAE | Real Estate |
| 83 | Nora AlMatrooshi | Astronaut | UAE | UAE | Science and Technology |
| 84 | Munib Al Masri | Chairman and founder, Edgo Group | Palestine | Palestine | Diversified |
| 85 | Ons Jabeur | Tennis player | Tunisia | Tunisia | Sports |
| 86 | Juma Al Majid | Founder, Juma Al Majid Group | UAE | UAE | Diversified |
| 87 | Mona Almoayyed | Managing director, Y.K. Almoayyed & Sons/Chairperson, Edbaa Bank | Bahrain | Bahrain | Diversified |
| 88 | Othman Benjelloun | Chairman and CEO, Bank of Africa | Morocco | Morocco | Finance |
| 89 | Mohammed Al Amoudi | Owner, MIDROC | KSA-Ethiopia | KSA | Diversified |
| 90 | Huda Kattan | Founder, Huda Beauty | Iraq/ US | UAE | Culture and Society |
| 91 | Khalid Al Ameri and Salama Mohamed | Social Media Influencers | UAE | UAE | Culture and Society |
| 92 | Dr Farida Al Hosani | Executive director - Communicable Diseases, Abu Dhabi Public Health Center | UAE | UAE | Science and Technology |
| 93 | Lana Nusseibeh | UAE Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations | UAE | UAE | Diplomacy |
| 94 | Nezha Hayat | Chairperson and CEO, Moroccan Capital Market Authority | Morocco | Morocco | Finance |
| 95 | Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi | Founder, Barjeel Art Foundation | UAE | UAE | Culture and Society |
| 96 | Nour El Sherbini | Squash player | Egypt | Egypt | Sports |
| 97 | Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch | Founder and CEO, Aksal Group | Morocco | Morocco | Retail / Real estate |
| 98 | Rami Malek | Actor | Egypt/ US | US | Culture and Society |
| 99 | Amna Al Qubaisi | Racing driver | UAE | UAE | Sports |
| 100 | Amr Diab | Singer | Egypt | Egypt | Culture and Society |