Revealed: Gulf's most admired companies

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Khaled Esbaitah, CEO, Al Mazaya Holding Group.

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Mohammed Taher Abdullah, CEO, Damas.

41. i2 (KSA)
Telecoms
The Saudi mobile phone provider i2 is one of the kingdom's biggest telecoms success stories and it continues to build on that success year after year. Over the last 12 months i2 has announced revenues of US$1.3bn for 2006, up from US$837m on 2005 and forecasted that revenues will double in 2007 to US$3.2bn; acquired computer retailer CompuMe through a share swap deal, making i2 the biggest provider of combined telecoms, digital electronics and IT products throughout the Middle East and Africa; announced plans to open an additional 150 retail outlets in the MENA region in the next three years with a total investment of US$35m; and launched i2 Logistics, a new handset services division which will offer customers warehousing and storage, customisation as well as repair and maintenance.

42. Saudi German Hospitals (KSA)
Healthcare
Saudi German Hospitals Group is considered the largest private healthcare company in the MENA region and is growing year on year, investing heavily in opening new hospitals and developing its existing health services. Not just an operator but also a healthcare developer the group builds its own hospitals using its own 1000 construction staff and finances its developments with the support of local government funding and bank financing. SGH Group opens at least one hospital every year and now has over 3000 employees rising at a rate of 16% a year. Its regional ambition is to design, finance, construct and operate 30 world-class hospitals by 2015, creating 50,000 jobs in the healthcare industry.

43. Savola Group (KSA)
FMCG
Despite its CEO resigning at the beginning of the month for personal reasons after 12 years at the company, the Savola success story continues unabated. The group is now one of the Kingdom's leading industrial companies supplying Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and North African countries with edible oils, sugar, fresh dairy products, and its restaurants serving fast foods. It also owns what is considered the largest retail food chain in the Middle East - the Azizia Panda supermarkets that are rapidly spreading across the region.

44. Qatar International Islamic Bank (Qatar)
Banking & finance
Rated as the top Qatari bank QIIB has an annual assets growth rate of 25%, local investments growth rate of 30%, an average deposits growth rate of 20%, and an average profit growth rate of 28%. QIIB's most recent achievement has been obtaining a licence from the Ministry of Trade & Commerce and Qatar Central Bank (QCB) for the incorporation of a stock Islamic fund with a capital of one billion Qatari riyals. The fund will specialise in the Qatari corporate shares. It will offer opportunities to investors to take part in the expected exceptional growth in the Qatari capital market.

45. Jumeirah International (UAE)
Hospitality
Through its exclusive five to seven-star landmark properties Jumeirah International has become a symbol of Dubai's rapid growth.

Its Burj Al Arab, Madinat, and Jumeirah beach residences have become industry benchmarks and are recognised by millions of tourists around the world, putting Dubai on the map. Its most recent achievement has been signing a letter of understanding to manage one of Palm Jumeirah's most prestigious and unique new beach front developments, while according to a spokeswoman, the group is looking to go that one step further and introduce an exclusive service that will "beat all other exclusive services" in the hospitality industry.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Very Funny
Posted by Khaled B on Friday 30 January 2009 at 03:54 UAE time


It is very funny to read the list at this in this world. Arabian Business, after reading this, I think you lost credibility in my eyes.
Please keep in mind that some companies deserve to be there, but never the less, it is very shameful to see the list and how this website / magazine conducted its analysis.

Hilarious ! ! hast to be the moon
Posted by Jack Spratt, Dubai, Uae on Tuesday 16 October 2007 at 20:00 UAE time


Absolutely Hilarious,  
 
On what subjective criteria ? 
Please your insulting our business intelligence 
 
Yet no advertising agencies in the middle east -  
you have to be joking.... 
 
Yet you place The One - ( have you ever visited ? )  
 
Come on your supposed to be a business news link 
Arabian Business or Arabian Comedy

List of funnies
Posted by Enas, Bahrain on Sunday 19 August 2007 at 14:00 UAE time

This should be called the list of companies that spend most of their operational budgets on advertising. False Advertising at that.

WE all know how it works
Posted by yusuf on Saturday 21 July 2007 at 01:00 UAE time


After reading a survey recently done by a leading Kuwaiti Newspaper which asked 3 top CEOs of Kuwaiti Companies (only 3 agreed to participate because of the “sensitivity of the issue “) how they viewed the way business magazines rated companies and issued awards, the basic consensus was, if you advertise, or contribute to the economic advancement of the publication, then your company be rated favorably. This was recently published in the Alqabas News paper.

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