Ten of the best: Sixth Arabian Business Forum

"I'm aware of six or seven government airlines that have been thinking about going private in recent years," said Adel Ali, CEO of budget carrier Air Arabia. "Airlines are expensive things - in most places, you find that the government is spending a lot of money on them." "[Going public is] a double-edged sword - it exposes you, but it brings a lot of discipline to the business," said Ali.