The 2025 Dubai 100 is more than a ranking. It’s a reflection of what the city values – and how fast those values are changing.
This year, 66 of the names on the list were not there last year. That kind of shift speaks volumes. It tells us that Dubai isn’t just updating its idea of leadership. It’s expanding it. The list now includes policymakers, platform builders, cultural voices, and investors who don’t belong to any one category. Influence in Dubai is no longer held in a few places. It’s moving outward – fast.
Consider the rise of public-sector leaders. Officials like Helal Al Marri at the Department of Economy and Tourism, Abdulla Al Karam at KHDA, and Mattar Al Tayer at RTA are not there to represent institutions – they’re shaping the way the city works. Their inclusion in the top 50 suggests a new understanding: that smart governance is not background work – it’s front and centre.
Age is also a factor. A full quarter of the people on this year’s list are under 45. That includes Tomaso Rodriguez, leading Talabat’s logistics innovation; Samia Bouazza, bringing data into investment decisions at Multiply Group; and Farah Zafar, working at the intersection of law, business, and regulation. These are people who speak both the language of the region and the language of what’s next.
And the diversity is not just generational. Of the 100 names, 54 are Emiratis and 46 are expatriates. In a city where more than 85 per cent of the population is international, that near-even split says something meaningful: leadership here is both local and global. One without the other would miss the mark.
The most important takeaway from the 2025 Dubai 100 is this: power in Dubai isn’t disappearing from old sectors. But it is being shared more broadly – across industries, nationalities, and generations. This list is not about who’s fading. It’s about who’s rising – and how wide the doors to influence have now opened.
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