Profiling the business leaders who are inspiring others to perform, innovate, and drive change is no easy feat.
This year, Arabian Business has sought to honour a true cross-industry representation of inspiration, celebrating those that using their influence, experience, and ambition for the betterment of their businesses and the region at large.
The Middle East has been on a transformational journey, becoming a global hub for innovation, technology, and growth. With so many stories of success, it was no easy feat to pick just 50 leaders among the many deserving contenders to fill this list.
From the leaders of some the biggest businesses in the Middle East, to the startup entrepreneurs envisioning the future of industry, we hope you find the names and stories within this list as inspirational as us. Congratulations to all those listed.
Abdulla Al Khalifa
Group CEO, Qatar National Bank (QNB);
Chairman, QNB Capital
Banking and Finance
Qatar
With a diverse business and finance career that spans over two decades, Al Khalifa has held numerous posts within the QNB Banking Group, including chief business officer and executive general manager.
Since 2018, he has served as a board member for Ooredoo, Qatar’s multinational telecommunications company. His experience spans across risk management, finance, business, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), sales and marketing and strategic planning. Al Khalifa joined the company in March 1996 and in 2007 was appointed to the role of general manager for QNB’s Corporate Banking Group where he led QNB towards expansion.
He is also the chairman of QNB Capital, a regional market leader in investment banking services and financial advisory established in 2008. With headquarters in Doha and European offices in Paris and London, QNB is the region’s largest lender by assets. For the first half of the year, QNB posted $1.92bn in net profit – a 4 percent rise from the same period last year.
Dr. Adnan Chilwan
Group CEO
Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB)
Banking and Finance
UAE
Widely recognised as a leading voice in finance and Islamic banking, Dr. Adnan Chilwan has played a significant role in advancing the role and reach of Sharia finance in society and its potential within the financial markets.
Backed by an extensive banking career that spans over two decades, Chilwan is leading the Dubai Islamic Bank’s (DIB) vision to establish Islamic banking and finance as an inclusive global norm – rather than being considered an alternative, niche financial sector. As far as Chilwan is concerned, the inherent benefits of Islamic finance should be available to all – irrespective of background or beliefs.
That journey’s social and economic impact has so far seen DIB build assets in excess of $80bn and achieve a market capitalisation of over $9bn. Much of this success comes from enabling a diverse and inclusive workforce empowered by ongoing career and skills development – DIB now employs 10,000 employees across a network of branches in the UAE and in the expanding international operations in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
He is a passionate advocate for developing digital skills across the bank’s workforce and in developing Islamic digital solutions. Under his leadership, DIB has embarked on a new journey, with a renewed purpose towards ensuring the bank’s customer services and digital solutions are aligned with the vast opportunities inherent within the digital economy, supporting entrepreneurialism, SME development and financial inclusion.
Chilwan also represents DIB across numerous boards, including strategic investments and subsidiaries, serving as chairman of DIB Bank Kenya and as board member with Noor Bank. He also held the role of the president commissioner at PT Bank Panin Dubai Syariah TBK.
Pioneering global Islamic finance
In August 2021, DIB announced that it is increasing its foreign ownership limit from 25 to 40 percent, with the biggest shareholder, the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) holding 28 percent share.
Recognised as a formidable force in Islamic finance and one of the most progressive institutions in the world today, DIB is also at the forefront of taking on the enormous challenge of adapting emerging technologies – such as fintech, blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) – into its Sharia operations, taking great pains to ensure that its business model remains flexible enough to be agile whilst simultaneously ensuring Sharia-compliance.
Ahmed Abdelaal
Group CEO
Mashreq
Banking and Finance
UAE
Ahmed Abdelaal brings extensive experience across banking products and services that covers a wide range of disciplines. With over two decades of experience in senior roles across international and regional banks, his expertise include trade finance, contracting and real estate finance, payment and cash management and investment banking, project finance, advisory, Islamic banking, portfolio management, as well as experience with structured trade, global market products and working capital solutions.
Aligning with the growth of financial technology (fintech) in the region, Mashreq launched Cashew, a ‘buy now, pay later’ service provider in KSA and UAE and is considered the first investment of its kind by a traditional bank in a fintech company in the MENA region.
Ahmed Shalaby
President and CEO
Tatweer Misr
Real Estate
Egypt
In addition to his C-suite role, Shalaby is also a founding member of Tatweer Misr’s board of directors, a position he has held since the middle of 2014. Drawing on his extensive planning and business management experience, he supervises the day-to-day management of the company, including the business development and the strategic planning for Tatweer
Misr’s projects.
Offering an innovative outlook on integrated living to strongly emerge as a leading real estate developer in Egypt, Tatweer Misr is fulfilling the rising demand on mixed-use projects. In addition to his work, Shalaby is also a professor of architecture and urban development at the Department of Architectural Engineering at the Cairo University. In addition to this, he is also a former visiting assistant professor at the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University, USA.
He also holds prestigious positions, some of which include co-chair of the real estate committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham), vice chairman of the Real Estate Export Council and board member at the Egyptian-Emirati Business Council.
Bringing a wealth of experience
Prior to the inception of Tatweer Misr, Shalaby was at El Mostakbal for Urban Development, where he held the position of advisor to the chairman. During his time with El Mostakbal, Shalaby played an integral role in the development of Mostakbal City, which is one of the largest mixed-use urban developments in the New Cairo area.
An established engineer in the field of architecture and urban development, he is also a real estate expert in his own right. Shalaby has over 25 years of experience as an architecture consultant in addition to developing and managing real estate portfolios in Egypt.
Moreover, he has held prestigious positions whilst working with Al Fawares Holding, where he was responsible for real estate investments. He also worked for the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities as a technical advisor to the minister.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architectural Engineering, which he received in 1993. Later, he went on to pursue his studies and subsequently received his master’s degree in 1998. He earned his doctorate in Urban Planning in 2003 through a joint programme between Cairo University and Cornell University.
Ali Abulhasan
Co-founder and CEO
Tap Payments
Technology
Kuwait
Launched as a solution to the challenges of online payments across MENA, Ali Abulhasan’s career trajectory was first initiated in payments within the oil and gas sector, which while working with banks and other financial institutions over time, further fuelled his passion for payments.
Subsequently, Abulhasan became increasingly involved with the telecom industry, which pushed him to become consumer-centric and technology-driven concerning innovative forms of payment experiences. As the co-founder and CEO of Tap Payments, Abulhasan has played a significant role in disrupting the fintech industry within the region.
By developing a single Application Programming Interface (API) to access all of the payment methods that consumers highly adopt within the region, Tap connected the disconnected payment landscape across MENA.
Tap enabled organisations to accept and collect online payments with an API that standardised local and international payment schemes, and gateways, and switches from the complex and lengthy integrations of the pre-Tap era, to the post-Tap era of simplicity. Today, Tap serves over 100,000 businesses of all sizes, ranging from small home businesses to large corporations across various industries including retail, food, insurance, airlines, telecom, and many others.
For over 10 years, Abulhasan’s interest in payments and technology has grown exponentially into an ongoing road of discovery. With a keen interest in art and design, he is also passionate about product development.
About Tap Payments
In January 2014, Tap was launched in Kuwait, bringing with it an entirely new way of doing business online in the Middle East. Streamlining the process and making things simple, businesses could now finally bill, accept, receive, and make payments online in a faster and smoother way.
Tap Payments has transformed online payments for businesses and consumers in the MENA region by developing powerful, but convenient and easy-to-use payment tools to simplify what is a typically complicated process. Today, Tap powers over 100,000 businesses of all sizes, across nine countries and is growing at a phenomenal pace. It has also played a key role in securing millions of transactions easily and efficiently for consumers all across the globe.
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud
Chairman
Kingdom Holding
Diversified
KSA
Based in Riyadh, Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) was founded in 1980 by Prince Alwaleed. Publicly traded since 2007, KHC has a diversified portfolio of global brands and high performance regional investments. Just some of these include mobility solutions, digital technology and social media (Lyft, Careem, JD.com, Twitter), media and entertainment (NewsCorp, 21st Century Fox, Euro Disney, Time Warner), and finance (Citigroup, Banque Saudi Fransi).
KHC also has interests in luxury hotels and hospitality management, including the Plaza Hotel in New York and London’s Savoy Hotel. Global hotel brands include the Fairmont Raffles, Movenpick, Swissotel and Accor, while in KSA, real estate interests include the Kingdom Tower in Riyadh and investments in petrochemicals with Tasnee.
Amina Al Rostamani
Board Member and Director
AW Rostamani Group (AWR)
Diversified
UAE
In her current role, Al Rostamani oversees its group HR, IT and strategy functions and also heads up the family company’s real estate division, AWR Properties. She is active across several boards in other sectors, some of which include her roles as non-executive board member at HSBC Bank Middle East, Al Jalila Foundation, Sandooq Al Watan, Dubai Chambers, Dubai Media Council and Ajman University’s board of trustees; and is also an advisory board member at Tharawat Family Business Forum.
She has a doctorate in Engineering from George Washington University, USA, and is an expert on wireless technologies with her work published in several journals and publications.
Amin Nasser
President and CEO
Saudi Aramco
Energy
KSA
In 1982, Nasser joined Saudi Aramco after he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Petroleum Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran. He held several assignments from November 1982 to February 1991 with the drilling and reservoir management department and the production engineering department. Subsequently, from March 1991 to May 1997, he was responsible for multiple supervisory positions in the engineering and producing departments.
In 1999, he completed the Saudi Aramco management development seminar in Washington, DC and later completed the Saudi Aramco global business programme in 2000, followed with the senior executive programme at Columbia University in 2002.
Active in many organisations devoted to education, R&D, entrepreneurship and technology development, Nasser leads the largest provider of crude oil to global markets. Also a member of the company’s board of directors, his career span across four decades, during which he has held several leadership positions. This included his role as senior vice president of upstream in which he steered Saudi Aramco’s largest capital investment programme in its integrated oil and gas portfolio. The company is now building on its upstream leadership position with key investments and joint venture partnerships in the kingdom by bolstering its presence in the downstream and chemicals segments of the petroleum value chain.
He is also heading Saudi Aramco’s ambitions to create cleaner energy and products through investments in promising technologies, including renewable energy applications, next-generation fuel engine interfaces, crude oil-to-chemicals processes and entrepreneurial startups aimed at cleaner energy solutions. Nasser is also leading industry-wide efforts to minimise greenhouse gas emissions, such as the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI).
Championing the future for Saudi youth
Actively engaged in the advancement of people through education and training, Nasser champions the advancement and development of Saudi youth and is an active supporter of the company’s Young Leader’s Advisory Board (YLAB), a programme which connects Saudi Aramco leadership with its young professionals. He is also a member of the international advisory board of the KFUPM; the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council (IBC), the board of trustees of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the JP Morgan International Council.
Ayedh Farhan Al Qahtani
Chairman
Sumou Holding
Real Estate
KSA
Following in the footsteps of his father, Sheikh Farhan Bin Al Mubarak Al Qahtani, one of KSA’s most successful businessmen who, during the 1950s, had founded one of the leading contracting companies in the kingdom at that time, Al Qahtani has steered Sumou Holding to become one of KSA’s most robust property firms, with projects in Riyadh, Makkah, Jeddah, Khobar and Dammam. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Management from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM).
As chairman of the board of directors of the Sumou Holding, Al Qahtani is also the chairman of the board of the Saudi-listed Sumou Real Estate Company. He is also the chairman of the board of Musharaka Financial Company (licensed by the Capital Market Authority), chairman of the board of trustees of the Farhan Mubarak Al Qahtani Society for Community Service, chairman of the endowments committee in the Asharqia Chamber, chairman of the Board of Empowerment of Endowments Association, in addition to chairman of the real estate committee of the Asharqia Chamber, a role he held from 2010 to 2012.
Al Qahtani is also a partner and one of the founders of Al Oula Real Estate Development Holding Company; member of the board of directors of Arriyadh Development Company from 2010 to 2015; member of the board of directors of Asharqia Chamber from 2006 to 2009, in addition to holding the role of chairman and member of several society associations in Saudi Arabia.
About Sumou Holding Company
A stellar institutional investor, Sumou Holding is steering growth in key business sectors strategically vital for the local and global economy. Launched officially in 2008, the firm merges together local market knowledge, capital, and international expertise and is facilitating business growth in regional markets.
Aligned with the processes and frameworks on par with those of first-rate global investment institutions, Sumou Holding encompasses the resources, scale, expertise and international partnerships and the firm works on creating turnkey solutions and bespoke answers to market needs. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) also plays a role as Sumou Holding prioritises business opportunities that can both generate revenue while benefitting society. Today, Sumou Holding is engaged in several sectors, including logistics, real estate and construction.
Chris Roberts
Group CEO
Eltizam Asset Management Group
Real Estate
UAE
A corporate visionary driven by innovation and transformation, Roberts encompasses over 25 years of extensive professional experience from both the UK and the Middle East, across several distinguished companies including Sodexo and Aramark, amongst others. In each of his roles with these notable organisations, Roberts has developed systems, change management strategies and mechanisms for individual and global clients in both operations and business development, while cultivating a corporate ecosystem that fosters evolvement.
Since joining Eltizam in 2014, Roberts has taken the company from a single site-based owners’ association and facilities management company into the region’s largest physical asset management company, operating in five countries with eight distinct, but complementary, companies.
Optimising market trends for corporate expansion
Following Eltizam’s successful Vision 21 transformation plan launched in 2016, Roberts saw the need for Eltizam’s next phase. This included anticipating shifting market trends while developing impactful and actionable solutions. Aligning both the perpetually fluctuating requirements of Eltizam’s stakeholders with corporate digital transformations, he established four holding companies under the group as a result of its expansion strategy and vision, known as EAMG Holdings, iFM Holdings, iREC Holdings and EAST-O Holdings.
In addition to expansion across the MENA region, Roberts has steered several successful acquisitions, some of which include OrionTEK Innovations, Fixis Technical Services, Kingfield Owners Association Management and Falcon Investments (the affiliate partner that trades as Colliers in the MENA region). In 2021, Eltizam Group expanded its operations into Egypt, KSA and Qatar. Additionally, LITE Developments was launched to become the region’s premier bespoke development manager.
As part of his leadership strategy, Roberts inspires his teams to be enterprising while empowering employees at all levels across the corporate ecosystem. This fuelled the launch of ‘Get Wonky’, Eltizam’s organisational and business enhancement culture. The corporate culture’s framework is divided into four pillars that represent the key focus areas of the group: Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Happiness, People Development and Technology.
These pillars provide the anchor that reinforces both the company’s actions and business practices, paving the way for a thriving organisation with a solid corporate culture. Looking forward, Roberts is spearheading an aggressive technology-driven international expansion strategy aimed at deploying Eltizam’s portfolio of business lines outside of the MENA region.
Eaman Al Roudhan
CEO
Zain Kuwait
Technology
Kuwait
A l Roudhan has over two decades of executive management and leadership experience within Zain Kuwait as well as several Zain Group affiliates. Prior to her new appointment, she was the chief regulatory officer of Zain Group. She embarked upon her career at Zain in Kuwait, where she launched the first mobile prepaid service in the country. She is a member of several international standards and regulatory affairs bodies including the GSMA Arab World Regional Interest Group and the GSMA Chief Regulatory Officer Group (CROG).
After assuming her current role in 2015, she steered key projects in Zain, most notably the launch of 5G wireless technology in 2019, where Zain became the first operator to offer 5G technology in the GCC. The telco serves 51.7 million customers across the Middle East.
Elda Choucair
CEO
Omnicom Media Group MENA
Media
UAE
In her role, Choucair is tasked with retooling and reconfiguring the services and talent of the agency for optimum performance in the new world. She has championed multiple projects to accelerate the group’s transformation, including technological developments in automation, predictive modelling and ecommerce, and has engineered the training and upskilling curricula required for its agencies and people to thrive.
A 15-year veteran at the group, she has held senior account positions at OMD and led PHD Media MENA for more than 10 years. Under her leadership, PHD went on to become a key player in the media and marketing communications sector in the region, and in 2016 was named CEO of PHD Media MENA. At Omnicom Media Group, she was promoted from COO in 2019 to her current role in 2021.
PHD Media operates more than 100 offices in 74 countries, and continues to create remarkable campaigns that lead to growth, capitalising on the power of data and technology.
Elham Mahfouz
CEO
Commercial Bank of Kuwait
Banking and Finance
Kuwait
Initiating her banking career around 35 years ago as a credit analyst, Mahfouz has worked with numerous Kuwaiti financial institutions in top executive positions, including acting general manager of international banking, and in December 2010 was promoted general manager of international banking. She took on the responsibility of deputy CEO in April 2012 and was later appointed as CEO in 2014.
CBK was established in June 1960 and today is one of Kuwait’s largest financial institutions operating through corporate and retail banking, treasury and investment banking segments. Supporting key construction and infrastructure projects in Kuwait, CBK reported a net profit of $72.4m for the first quarter, mainly attributed to an improved business environment in the emirate.
Fahad Al Hassawi
CEO
du
Technology
UAE
An expert in commercial strategy and organisational development with over 20 years of experience, Al Hassawi first embarked upon his career with du as executive vice president of human resources. Four years later, he assumed the role of chief human resources and shared services officer until 2013 when he was promoted to chief commercial officer.
He then served as the deputy CEO since October 2017 and in 2021, he transitioned to the role of CEO of du. Prior to joining the telco, he worked with Emirates for seven years across a range of roles, including performance development manager, senior industrial engineer, manager of national recruitment and development, and later as VP of human resources. These experiences helped him build a foundation of skills which greatly benefited the telco.
Fatima Al Jaber
COO
Al Jaber Group
Construction
UAE
In her current role at her family’s business since 2007, Al Jaber has presided over the success of multiple key UAE-based construction projects. Previously, she had held several roles in the Abu Dhabi municipal government and in 2009, Al Jaber went on to become the first Emirati woman to be elected to the board of directors at the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce.
An engineer by training, she oversees approximately $5bn in assets and 50,000 workers and her key responsibilities include logistics, overseeing the management of contracting, trading, industrial, investment and real estate subsidiaries. Apart from serving Al Jaber Group’s board as an executive director, she is also on the boards of Abu Dhabi Takaful Company and the National Investor.
The group operates more than 300 cranes in its inventory as well as the UAE’s largest construction equipment fleet, with more than 10,000 units managed under one umbrella. Its maritime segment include 25 ships with worldwide transport capability.
Gerard Inzerillo
Group CEO
Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA);
Vice Chairman, Forbes Travel Guide
Travel and Hospitality
KSA
Gerard ‘Jerry’ Inzerillo is a globally celebrated visionary in the hospitality and tourism industry, with a deep aptitude for positioning strategies and iconic developments. Over the course of his five-decade career in the industry, he has been the creative and logistical mind behind some of the world’s most innovative luxury brand activations and spectacular development launches.
In recognition of his leadership and empathetic outreach to the tourism community during the Covid-19 pandemic, he was voted Corporate Hotelier of the World by Hotels magazine, considered the most prestigious recognition in global hospitality as well as the Tourism for Peace Award by the World Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (WANGO), honouring Inzerillo’s unique contributions to world peace by bringing people together through travel and tourism.
Key projects
In June 2018, Inzerillo was appointed by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to be the founding CEO of the newly created Diriyah Gate Development Authority, (DGDA), a $50bn giga-project aimed at restoring and celebrating the ancestral home of the original Saudi state. In this role, he is responsible for developing and implementing master plans to turn 14 sq km within a supervisory area of 194 sq km into one of the world’s greatest historical places and the centre of culture and heritage in the Middle East.
At Turaif was inaugurated by King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in November 2019, followed by hosting the G20 in November 2020. When complete, the development will add $7.1bn to KSA’s GDP, attract 27 million visitors and employ more than 55,000 people.
Inzerillo also serves as vice chairman of the Forbes Travel Guide. As CEO of Forbes Travel Guide from 2014 to 2018, he successfully spearheaded the globalisation of the North American company’s international footprint to more than 100 countries worldwide. From 1991 to 2011, Inzerillo was president of Kerzner Entertainment Group, where he raised the profile and positioning of its properties in South Africa, the Bahamas, Dubai, Morocco, Mauritius, Mexico and the Maldives, and conceptualised the startup of its One&Only and Atlantis brands.
He oversaw the now-legendary launches of The Lost City at Sun City in South Africa, Atlantis in the Bahamas and Atlantis, Dubai. From 1991 to 1996, Inzerillo served as COO of Sun City, the unique South African resort complex built by Sol Kerzner.
Habib Wehbi
Chairman and CEO
W Ventures Holding
Media
UAE
Twenty seven years ago, Habib Wehbi, a visionary leader driven by a vision of revolutionising the current advertising industry into a top-notch experiential, futuristic ecosystem, dared to expand his first business into W Ventures, an investment holding currently capitalising on technology while stamping its footprint in numerous industries, including out-of-home media and technology, manufacturing and startups – three key fields run by its chief support subsidiaries: W Group, BMI, and W Invest, respectively.
Since the outset in 1999, W Group has been a frontrunner in bringing digitisation to the limelight and uplifting consumer brand experiences while repurposing their existing media assets into avant-garde landmarks, creating impact for more than 800 partners and clients. It doesn’t stop here. W Group is aligned with the Dubai government’s vision to transform the emirate into the best city to live in, and so it joined forces with its subsidiaries, Hypermedia and DigitAll, to be a key contributor to this goal by focalising on media, innovation and experience tools.
Ingraining experience
As the powerhouse for all brands and businesses, the company strives to yield an experiential ecosystem prominence. This forward-thinking mission is successfully delivered through global, innovative solutions combined with artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced data technologies to preeminent malls, metro stations and outdoor locations via Hypermedia and DigitAll; the latter being a pioneering digital signage consultancy startup since 2014 and maturing today into a creative solutions company begetting technologies for digital out-of-home (DOOH) interactions.
W Group now spearheads the management and investment in DOOH media and technologies, driving the digital transformation in the region. By implementing the newest technologies to harness the power of brand-consumer experience through data measurement, programmatic DOOH, and smart solutions, the company has remodelled Hypermedia’s largest DOOH media network in the UAE.
With an inclination towards startups and technology investments, Wehbi founded W Invest Holding as an angel investment company, scouting and investing regionally while also forging ahead on a vast, global scale. Brightfox, Pinned, Enhance, Mozart, and Netlify are just a few of W Invest’s most recent investment accomplishments.
Haider Ali Khan
CEO and board member
EMPG
Real Estate
UAE
EMPG’s classifieds portals constitute some of the most robust brands, which primarily constitute the MENA, South Asia and Southeast Asia regions, with flagship ventures that include Bayut-Dubizzle in the UAE, Zameen in Pakistan, OLX in Pakistan and Egypt, Kaidee in Thailand, Lamudi in Indonesia, Philippines and Mexico, and Mubawab in North Africa.
Steering Bayut.com on an upward trajectory, Khan was educated at the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied electrical engineering. He has multiple patents to his name and has over 14 years of experience in the US with Goldman Sachs, Silicon Labs and National Instruments. With 217 million monthly visits to EMPG’s portals, today, EMPG employs a team of 6,750 people across 16 countries.
Hana Al Rostamani
Group CEO
First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)
Banking and Finance
UAE
An accomplished C-suite executive with over 20 years of experience in banking and financial services, Al Rostamani previously served as the deputy group CEO and head of personal banking at FAB, the UAE’s largest financial institution.
She took over her current role in January 2021 and is the only female group CEO of a major UAE-headquartered bank and publicly listed corporation within the UAE. Her leadership has steered FAB towards expansion throughout the Middle East with the acquisition of the Egyptian division of Bank Audi, a Lebanese bank. She chairs FAB Private Bank Suisse, is a member of the IMD Foundation Board, the Mastercard advisory board, and also sits on her family business AW Rostamani Group’s board of directors.
Al Rostamani also served as an independent director at Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Co (du) and was the vice chairperson of Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Services. She continues to lead the transformation of FAB, with a focus on customer and digital-first mindset.
For the first half of the year, the UAE’s largest lender has reported a robust year-over-year increase in net profit, bolstered by favourable regional conditions despite global instability across markets. FAB reported a 50 percent increase in profits, as compared to the same period of the previous year. FAB’s profits reached $2.17bn while earnings per share climbed 52 percent year-over-year.
Digital transformation efforts
According to recent research by the IBM Institute for Business Value, seven out of 10 banks in the UAE have realised the significant value of modernising applications and business processes. Further reinforcing the way FAB continue innovating and transforming the way they interact with their customers, in August 2022, FAB established a partnership with IBM Consulting for digital transformation services.
Aligned with the bank’s long-term digital roadmap to secure its position in digital banking, FAB is launching multiple digital products and services, in addition to upgrading numerous aspects of its IT infrastructure to enable an enhanced digital portfolio. Already collaborating with IBM across several technology projects, FAB is now moving ahead towards its digital transformation journey and will receive IBM Consulting’s expertise across hybrid cloud, application modernisation and banking to boost the customer’s banking experience through specific customer applications.
Huda Kattan
Founder and Chairwoman
Huda Beauty
Retail
UAE
Best known for her global beauty brand Huda Beauty, Kattan founded her billion-dollar cosmetics brand in 2013. Fuelled by an unsatisfying finance job along with a lifelong passion for beauty, Kattan went on to enroll at a prestigious makeup training school in Los Angeles. Building upon her stellar reputation over time, it was here where she ultimately cultivated a roster of clientele including A-list celebrities and a royal family.
In 2010, Kattan set up her beauty blog HudaBeauty.com and later launched a YouTube channel, a Facebook page and an Instagram account by the same name. After acknowledging a gap in the market for false eyelashes, in 2013, Kattan and her sisters Mona and Alya worked together to create a collection of false eyelashes under the Huda Beauty brand name. Her experience in the beauty industry fostered by her social media skills led her to further expand the range to include liquid lipsticks, lip contour pencils, and more.
In November 2018, Kattan further expanded her repertoire to include fragrances by collaborating with her sister Mona to launch the brand Kayali. Fuelled by the success of this brand, Kattan went on to launch her own skincare line known as Wishful Skincare in 2020.
A social media success story
Named as the most hyped celebrity brand in 2022 by Cosmetic Business in 2020 and 2021, Huda Beauty was named the world’s most in-demand makeup brand by Cosmetify. Leveraging the power of social media, Huda Beauty is unique in that it has expanded solely by its robust presence across various social media platforms. Kattan currently has over 50 million followers on Instagram and is one of the world’s most-followed social media influencers.
In 2021, the 38-year-old makeup mogul took a stand against promoting unrealistic beauty standards following the launch of her skincare line, with a social media campaign that featured company staff, including Kattan, sans any makeup, filters or editing. Kattan owns 51 percent of the business, with the remainder owned by her family or set aside for an employee option pool.
Bringing in approximately $200m in annual sales, today, Huda Beauty sells more than 140 products from eyeshadow pallets to lip gloss. In a deal that valued the company at $1.2bn, private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners acquired a small minority stake in Huda Beauty in 2017.
Hussain Sajwani
Founder and Chairman
DAMAC
Real Estate
UAE
After identifying a gap in the market, Sajwani established luxury developer DAMAC Properties in 2002, which has grown into one of the region’s largest property development companies with projects in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London, Jeddah, Riyadh, Amman, Doha and Beirut, London, Toronto, Miami and the Maldives.
DAMAC Properties has delivered over 42,000 homes, with a development portfolio of over 28,000 units at various stages of planning and progress.
A savvy investor and businessman, Sajwani has robust experience in global equity and capital markets. In 1992, he set up his flagship investment arm DICO Investments, whose global footprint extends across North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa region. In December 2019, Sajwani acquired the Italian fashion group Roberto Cavalli SPA, followed by the acquisition of Swiss jeweller de GRISOGONO in 2020. He also entered the world of data centres with the launch of EDGNEX in 2021 with the aim of delivering digital infrastructure in underserved and emerging markets.
Isam Al Sager
Vice chairman and Group CEO
National Bank of Kuwait (NBK)
Banking and Finance
Kuwait
Prior to his current role, Al Sager was the deputy group CEO since 2010. In 1978, he embarked upon his banking career at NBK, transitioning from a relationship officer to head of domestic credit and marketing in 1987. In 1992, he was appointed as the general manager of retail and wholesale banking group and continued to climb the ranks to reach his current position.
With over 35 years of experience at NBK, he has helped lead the bank’s international presence in 16 countries. Also the chairman of NBK, Egypt, Al Sager serves on the board member of multiple NBK subsidiaries and at Mastercard’s board of directors. He received his undergraduate degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Issam Kazim
CEO
Dubai Corporation for Tourism & Commerce Marketing
Tourism and Hospitality
UAE
At the helm of negotiating and facilitating global partnerships, Kazim has facilitated the development of relationships with partners, industry stakeholders, as well as investors that contribute to Dubai’s tourism and has steered the marketing, branding and promotion of Dubai.
He is a member of the board for the Dubai Media Council, and also acts as a key media spokesperson regularly as the face of Dubai Tourism for interviews, presentations, and events, as well as to visiting government bodies, VIP delegations and other personalities. He scaled up the Visit Dubai social and digital ecosystem and has driven some of the recent game-changing marketing campaigns, including the award-winning #BeMyGuest with Bollywood celebrity Shah Rukh Khan.
John Pagano
The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC)
Tourism and Hospitality
KSA
Pagano has been at the helm of the Red Sea Development Co (TRSDC) since January 2018, one of several megaprojects aimed at diversifying KSA’s economy in line with the government’s Vision 2030 plan. With over three decades of international real estate experience in the commercial property industry in North America, the Caribbean and Europe, Pagano spent 23 years in London with the Canary Wharf Group, and had also headed his own company in London.
Also the CEO of KSA’s ultra-luxury destination project Amaala, he is steering the phase one development of the Red Sea Project, which include 16 hotels and 3,000 rooms across five islands and two inland resorts. Upon completion in 2030, The project will comprise 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. The destination will also include an international airport, luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment and leisure facilities.
Khalid Elgibali
Division President Middle East and North Africa
Mastercard
Technology
UAE
Based in Dubai, Elgibali steers the company’s MENA business by forming new partnerships, driving growth and innovation to meet market-specific needs, as well as delivering on Mastercard’s commitment to invest in the region. With a wealth of experience alongside a deep understanding of the region’s economic landscape, Elgibali is responsible for several leadership positions across various financial institutions, including HSBC Middle East, Standard Chartered Bank, Barclays and Citigroup.
Since the start of his career at Mastercard in 2016, he has helped bolster the company’s position as a technology leader and trusted payments advisor to regional governments, and subsequently, has enabled the execution of national-level programmes that support their digital agendas and long-term vision. Fluent in six languages – Arabic, English, French, Russian, Italian and Portuguese – Elgibali holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the American University, Egypt, and an MBA from Strathclyde Graduate Business School in Glasgow.
Key achievements
Elgibali spearheaded Mastercard’s response to the Covid pandemic in MENA through the power of digital commerce, enabling support to governments, businesses, SMEs and consumers in combatting the impact of the pandemic. From driving commercial growth through diversification of revenue streams to building strategic partnerships with the region’s leading public and private stakeholders, through Mastercard’s multi-rail network strategy, Elgibali is on a mission to drive financial inclusion and payments innovation in the region.
Mastercard also played a key role as a premier sponsor of Expo 2020 Dubai, rolled out its multi-rail strategy across key MENA markets, forged several government partnerships to drive financial inclusion and digital transformation, and empowered small businesses with key insights, funding, products and technology under Elgibali’s leadership.
The company is also harnessing the power of partnerships and technology to create a more sustainable future through Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition initiative, which aims to address the global climate crisis by planting 100 million trees worldwide and regrowing forests by 2025. This initiative continues to expand and today includes more than 100 members across the globe who share Mastercard’s philosophy of doing well by doing good.
Lubna Olayan
Chairperson
Saudi British Bank (SABB) and Alawwal Bank
Banking and Finance
KSA
Following the merger between Saudi British Bank (SABB) and Alawwal Bank, Olayan became the first woman to chair a Saudi-listed entity when she was appointed to the role. She became chairwoman of SABB in 2019 and was reappointed to a three-year term in January 2020 following its merger with Alawwal Bank to create the kingdom’s third-largest lender.
A former analyst at JP Morgan, Olayan is a vocal advocate for women’s empowerment in the kingdom. In 2021, she was named as the chairperson of the Board and Executive Committee of the Saudi-Swedish Business Council (SSBC), the first of its kind in the history of Saudi foreign business councils. She is the board chairperson at Alfanar, one of the first venture philanthropy organisations in the Arab world.
Mohamed Alabbar
Founder and Managing Director
Emaar and noon
Diversified
UAE
With interests in F&B, e-commerce, venture capital, logistics, real estate, hospitality and technology, Alabbar is the chairman of Eagle Hills real estate as well as of Americana Group, a multibillion-dollar food business. Since 1997, he has steered the growth of Emaar Properties by developing leisure, retail, residential and hospitality assets, and is widely recognised for Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa.
Having developed multiple world-class mixed-use projects, Alabbar’s retail businesses span across over 20 markets in the Middle East, the US, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Europe, Eastern Europe and Asia. His e-commerce site noon was launched in 2016 and with collaborations with government departments, have provided a platform for startups in Abu Dhabi and Ajman.
Mohammed Abdulaziz Alajlan
Deputy Chairman
Ajlan & Bros Group
Diversified
KSA
Established in 1979, Ajlan & Bros Group has expanded to become one of the largest private sector conglomerates in the Middle East, employing over 15,000 people in more than 25 countries and spanning across 75 companies. With a diversified portfolio in line with Vision 2030, Ajlan & Bros Group has embarked on significant diversification, both regionally and globally as reflected in the company’s investments in real estate in Saudi Arabia, Europe, Asia, the US, as well as in China. One of the largest real estate owners in Saudi Arabia, the group has launched several commercial, housing and industrial projects throughout the kingdom.
In recent years, the group has diversified into sectors which are aligned to and in support of Vision 2030. This includes water, power, environment, oil and gas, healthcare, food security, facilities management, tourism, logistics, blockchain, industrial manufacturing, real estate, textiles, technology, mining and minerals, as well as fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), events and entertainment, gaming, financial services and fintech.
Juggling multiple roles
In addition to his role as deputy chairman of Ajlan & Bros Group, Alajlan also holds several positions and memberships including deputy chairman of Ajlan & Bros; chairman of the Saudi-Chinese Business Council; and deputy chairman for more than 75 companies around the world. He is also a former board member of the Young Arab Leaders Organisation.
Alajlan was awarded various honours by the Chinese government, some of which include the Holder of the Honorary Citizen Award and City Key Holder Merit for Xuzhou City, awarded by the government of Xuzhou District for his contribution towards both economic and social development. He is also a recipient of the Honorary Citizen Award for Zaozhuang City, Shandong District, awarded by the government of Shandong District.
Additionally, he holds an Honorary Work Merit and Medal and a certificate from Siang City government, Giangsu Region, for his highly distinguished contributions to the economic structure and commercial projects development. Alajlan is also the Friendship Ambassador for Shandong Region in China.
Mona Almoayyed
Managing Director
YK Almoayyed & Sons
Diversified
Bahrain
A renowned businesswoman and environmentalist, Almoayyed has been instrumental in overseeing the business endeavours of YK Almoayyed & Sons, one of Bahrain’s oldest conglomerates.
A diversified group established in 1940, with divisions specialising in trading, contracting, concrete products, telecom services and property development. Today, it offers around 300 international brands and employ 8,000 staff. Almoayyed is a member of the board of directors for Bahrain Maritime and Mercantile International (BMMI) and the vice chairman of the Ebdaa Bahrain, a microfinance bank. She is also one of the first women to be elected to the board of a publicly traded company in Bahrain (BMMI). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration degree from the University of Westminster in London.
Nader Haffar
Chairman and CEO, KPMG Lower Gulf;
Chairman, KPMG Middle East and South Asia
Banking and Finance
UAE
For over 25 years, Haffar has been on the forefront of the perpetually evolving world of management consultancy. As Chairman and CEO of KPMG in the Lower Gulf (UAE and Oman) since 2018, he steered transformation within the firm, and launched policies that led to significant growth in the last four years with a focus on Emiratisation and Omanisation, corporate social responsibility and prioritising employee welfare.
His tenure at KPMG is highlighted by the transformation of the audit practice and significant investments in quality. Both quality and integrity remain at the heart of everything the firm does: delivering on the ambition to be the most trusted and trustworthy firm for clients. At the helm of consulting practices and transformative projects across USA, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, Haffar is also a philanthropist who gives back to the community through participation in various CSR activities, including 100 Billion Meals and the Special Olympics.
In March 2022, under Haffar’s directives, KPMG Lower Gulf signed a pledge with the UAE Gender Balance Council to achieve 30 percent women representation in management by 2025. The firm has since focused on women’s participation in decision-making roles from middle management to the highest levels of leadership.
In 2022, he was recognised as one of the Most Influential Arabs by Arabian Business amongst the region’s most prominent leaders in their fields. In 2019, he was recognised as one of the top 50 expat CEOs in the UAE. He was also voted chairman of the Middle East and South Asia at KPMG in 2021, a region that covers more than 25 office locations across 15 countries and territories. The region encompasses a combined talent pool of more than 8,000 professionals and associates, including over 500 partners and directors.
Empowering change
Utilising KPMG’s diverse and skilled talent, Haffar’s ambition to expand the firm’s services to reflect the needs of the UAE market is evident through KPMG’s iconic client list. Under his vision, the firm continues to inspire confidence and empower change in its clients’ businesses and make an impact for the betterment of society.
He believes that the private sector plays a crucial role, along with the UAE government’s green initiatives, in its responsibility towards protecting the environment. The massive transfer of KPMG employees to its new One Central offices contributed to a 60 percent decrease in energy consumption and a 35 percent decrease in water consumption.
Nadhmi Al Nasr
CEO
NEOM
Construction
KSA
Since July 2018, Al Nasr has been at the helm of NEOM, KSA’s $500bn giga-project being developed along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, near Jordan and Egypt. A graduate of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Al Nasr had gained extensive experience as an engineer; he started working for Saudi Aramco in 1978, where he spent his first three years in engineering services.
Later as the manager of Saudi Aramco’s oil and gas pipeline projects, he steered the Shaybah Development Programme, which included installing gas compression facilities, liquid separation stations, and transmission lines.
Upon its completion, Al Nasr held multiple key roles, including managing director of Saudi Petroleum Overseas, executive vice president of administration and finance of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and interim president of King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre (KAPSARC).
Nora Al Matrooshi
Astronaut
Science and Technology
UAE
Of the 65 women from around the world who have been in space, Al Matrooshi, the first female Arab astronaut, now ranks as the 66th. She and her fellow countryman, Mohammad Al Mulla now join Sultan Al Neyadi and Hazza Al Mansoori in the Emirati fellowship of astronauts. Selected from more than 4,000 candidates, she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the UAE University and has previously managed projects for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
In 2022, she embarked on two years of training at NASA in Houston, where the Emirati astronauts will undergo training across five categories of the space programme. These include learning Russian, operating a T-38 training jet, operating and maintaining the International Space Station’s (ISS) complex systems, and more. The UAE Astronaut Programme aims to prepare an Emirati astronaut corps for scientific space exploration as well as inspiring young people to study the science of space and technology.
Ola Doudin
CEO and co-founder
BitOasis
Banking and Finance
UAE
Akey player in the region’s cryptocurrency ecosystem, Doudin launched BitOasis, the first cryptocurrency platform in the Middle East and the region’s largest digital asset trading platform. In 2013, she invested in her first-ever Bitcoin and one year later, Doudin launched her Dubai-based startup as an online wallet and exchange available across the MENA region and Asia, and was the first to use multi-signature technology to protect digital assets.
So far, BitOasis managed to secure two rounds of funding from international and regional venture capital funds. With an engineering background, she began her career in IT Risk Advisory at EY in London while mentoring and investing in tech startups.
While the cryptocurrency trading world continues to debate about whether the ‘coins’ are currencies, commodities or a fad, Doudin is optimistic that a new generation of fintech startups will be able to use cryptocurrencies to provide services cheaper and faster.
Olayan AlWetaid
Group CEO
stc
Technology
KSA
Appointed to his role at stc since March 2021, Alwetaid has over two decades of experience. Previously at Aramco, he subsequently joined Saudi Telecom Company (stc) where he worked his way up the ranks, including as the senior VP for the consumer sector. Prior to this, he held the role of CEO of stc Bahrain.
Also the vice chairman of the board of directors of stcPay, Alwetaid steers the boards of directors of multiple stc subsidiaries including Integral, CCC, and Channels, in addition to holding the responsibility of chairman of several committees of these boards. Steering digitisation in KSA, stc became the first telecoms company to join the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO), which upskills the youth to enable prosperity in the digital economy.
Dr. Raja Easa Al Gurg
Chairperson and Managing Director
Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group (ESAG)
Diversified
UAE
Akey business leader in the region, Al Gurg has steered ESAG under the mentorship of her father, the founder, Easa Saleh Al Gurg. In addition to her role, she is also the president of Dubai Women’s Association, Dubai Business Women Council and board member of the Dubai Chamber. She also holds the role of deputy chairperson of the National Bank of Fujairah (NBF) and is also on the board of trustees of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, one of the Middle East’s largest development and community foundations, and is also on the advisory board of Coutts Bank, the private banking arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).
Apart from serving as the chairperson of the board of trustees of the Mohammad Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Al Gurg is also a member of the board of governors of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University. She is the chairperson of the board of directors of Al Jalila Foundation and is also on the board of directors of the Emirates Schools Establishment, the entity which manages the education sector’s policies, strategies and standards.
Al Gurg is also involved in numerous social, philanthropic and charitable activities, including with the ESAG Charity Foundation and the Al Jalila Foundation, a UAE-based organisation committed towards making lasting and significant contributions in healthcare to transform lives. She is also an advisor to several business groups and international trade alliances.
Building a legacy
With expertise across several projects including the Louvre, Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Dubai Metro, Dubai Opera, Yas Marina, and Burj Khalifa, ESAG continues to expand into new markets. Just a few of the group’s key ventures include Siemens Healthcare and Siemens Mobility, Al Gurg Unilever, Akzo Nobel Decorative Paints, Al Gurg Fosroc, and Al Gurg Smollan. Also a regional partner to over 370 international brands and principals from across the world, ESAG’s portfolio of brands include British American Tobacco, SieMatic, Lutron, Smeg and 3M.
With engineering and manufacturing expertise across technical consultancy, project management and contracting services, ESAG works with power, gas and other infrastructure industries in the region.
Randa Sadik
CEO
Arab Bank
Banking and Finance
Jordan
Appointed to her current role in February 2022, Sadik previously held the role of deputy CEO for over a decade. She has over 36 years of banking experience, some of these positions include 24 years of experience across diverse leadership roles, including at National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) where she held the role of group general manager.
With leadership skills that have helped steer Arab Bank’s growth and expansion plans, she also holds multiple positions, some of which include board member of Oman Arab Bank, chairperson of the board of Arab Tunisian Bank, chairperson of the management committee of Al Arabi Investment Group and vice chairperson of Arab Bank Australia.
Dr. Reem Osman
CEO
Saudi German Hospitals Group (SGHG)
Healthcare
UAE
In her current role at Saudi German Hospitals Group (SGHG) UAE, Osman has over two decades of experience in the field of healthcare. Since 2012, Osman held the role of CEO of SGHG Dubai and under her leadership, helped to establish a firm foothold for SGHG Dubai in the burgeoning healthcare industry as well as in the booming medical tourism market in the Middle East.
A medical graduate from Tishreen University of Medicine in Syria, Osman went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Business Administration as well as a Master’s Degree in Ophthalmology and Eye Surgery both from Wollongong University in Sydney. She also holds a certificate in management healthcare delivery from Harvard Business School.
About SGHG UAE
As Jeddah’s first hospital built in 1988 by medical pioneers in KSA, SGHG was founded by the Batterjee family under Bait Al Batterjee Medical Co, in collaboration with German University Hospitals. This launched advanced German healthcare standards and expertise to KSA’s community for the first time. Part of one of the largest healthcare groups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), SGHG Dubai offers a broad spectrum of medical services at the international level, including critical care, all types of specialties, as well as sub-specialties.
SGHG UAE offers radiotherapy oncology treatments with a highly specialised haematology gamma camera, making it one of the few hospitals in the region to provide comprehensive cancer treatment.
The healthcare group operates three hospitals spread across Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman as well as clinics in Jumeirah, DAMAC Hills and DAMAC Hills 2. In February 2022, SGHG announced plans to construct a 200-bed hospital in Mirdif, which will be built at an estimated value of $122m. Scheduled to open in 2023, SGHG Mirdif will provide the latest digital expertise and technology to boost the patient health experience.
With the launch of the Mirdif hospital, the group will then encompass six hospitals in its portfolio, as well as three specialty centres in the pipeline, scheduled to launch in the end of 2022. Some of SGHG UAE’s corporate strategies include enhancing patient and client convenience, improving operational efficiency, maximising IT applications, and more.
“As CEO, I feel proud to be associated with Saudi German Hospital Group – UAE. [We provide] patient’s satisfaction through high-quality healthcare services,” Osman says on her message in the company website.
Sadi Al Sadi
CEO
Slimstock MEA
Technology
UAE
Sadi has been at the helm of Slimstock MEA since October 2017. Slimstock is the market-leading supply chain software vendor that enhances supply chain performance through its cutting-edge AI platform, Slim4. He is also the co-founder of Break & Entry, a boutique distributor specialising in managing independent and cult beauty brands. Sadi also remains a member of the board of directors at BlueRock TMS, AEON Financial Services and the UAE National Symphony Orchestra.
Born and raised in Dubai, his bicultural upbringing as the son of an Arab energy-focused businessman and an American professional opera singing mother, combined with his privileged education, set the foundation for future opportunities and leadership.
Sadi’s focus on culture within a corporate environment is one of the many nuances of his leadership style that produces rapid growth and trust with customers, employees and partners alike.
“It’s crucial that the CEO focuses on the culture – this is the intangible feel that your employees and customers experience in relation to your brand. Once you are confident who you are and why you exist, you are then able to share these with your stakeholders and set the brand’s tone and enhance relationships with this ethos,” Sadi says.
About Slimstock
As the world’s leading supply chain specialists, Slimstock enables customers to maintain winning supply chains in complex and challenging business environments using their three-pronged approach to success: people, process and product. Through their globally dedicated research and consultancy teams, Slimstock is able to improve unique regional processes that boost supply chain performance.
Through the Slimstock Academy, the company focuses on the human element of success. Last but not least is Slimstock’s award-winning AI-based supply chain platform, Slim4.
Harnessing the power of AI and machine learning, Slim4 offers the complete solution for end-to-end supply chain planning. Slim4, combined with its team of dedicated supply chain warriors, enables its customers to ensure seamless supply chains by having the right stock, at the right place, at the right time.
With offices in over 30 countries, Slimstock provides global expertise locally through their specialised teams. Over 1,500 businesses around the world depend on Slim4 to make supply chain decisions with confidence.
Saifi Ismail
Group President
Yalla Group Ltd
Technology
UAE
An Australian-Jordanian businessman and computer engineer, Ismail is at the helm of Yalla Group, the UAE’s first unicorn technology company to list in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). He embarked upon his career in 2004 as a VAS engineer in the service and software department at Huawei where he remained until 2006. Later, he joined ZTE Corporation as an account manager for two years. By 2008, Ismail joined Etisalat as manager of product marketing.
Two years later, he joined NetComm, a publicly-listed company in the Australian stock market, where he worked as vice president of sales and business development for the Middle East, Africa, and South East Asia regions for almost four years. It was in 2013 when Ismail rejoined Etisalat as the director of modern trade, a position he occupied for approximately six years.
In October 2019, he went on to work as the group president of Yalla Group as well as member of its management team. He holds a postgraduate certificate in management from Macquarie University in Australia and a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from the Jordan University of Science and Technology.
Offering a seamless experience
As the leading voice-centric social networking and entertainment platform in the MENA, Yalla Group is dedicated to providing superior online social experiences towards people who share similar cultural backgrounds.
The company has two flagship mobile applications, Yalla, which is a voice-centric group chat platform, as well as Yalla Ludo, a casual gaming application featuring online versions of board games popular in the region.
Following the success of these platforms, the company went on to expand its content, creating an integrated ecosystem that includes Waha, a social networking product designed for the metaverse; and YallaChat, an IM product tailored for Arabic users; games such as Yalla Baloot and 101 Okey Yalla, developed to sustain vibrant local gaming communities in the region. Outside of MENA, Yalla has launched Yalla Parchis, a Ludo board game designed for the South American markets.
Also, through its holding subsidiary, Yalla Game, the company has expanded its mid-core and hard-core game distribution in the MENA region, fostering local expertise to introduce new content to its users.
Sarah Al Suhaimi
Chairperson of the board of directors
Saudi Tadawul
Banking and Finance
KSA
In her current role, Al Suhaimi spearheads the efforts of Saudi Tadawul Holding Group in order to integrate the Saudi capital market by aligning the platform’s operations and governing regulations. She is also a trustee of the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation and a We-Fi Leadership Champion.
Prior to her role, Al Suhaimi served as the CEO of Saudi National Bank Capital (SNB Capital) from 2014 to 2021 and was a member of the board of directors. Al Suhaimi is also a board member at the Saudi Telecom Company (stc) and the Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), as well as the Cultural Development Fund in Riyadh.
“The creation of the holding group allows us to develop an advanced capital market, which is a core pillar of Saudi Arabia’s financial sector development programme as it seeks to create a thriving financial sector to enable and support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030,” she said on her message in the Tawadul website.
Shanila Laiju
CEO
Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres
Healthcare
UAE
With a career trajectory that evolved from a clinic supervisor to operations manager, and then group chief operating officer, Laiju fostered a people-centric ecosystem. With over 18 years of success and fostering a people-focused hospital administration, she spearheaded organisational planning, multimillion-dollar capital projects, contract negotiations, and team development while also increasing the healthcare provider’s visibility and growth.
She served as mentor in the women leadership programme at Aster DM Healthcare and for over six years a member of the Aster DM Group’s senior management committee. Other career highlights include the launch of the 88-bed Medcare Women and Children’s Hospital, and the 65-bed Medcare Orthopedics & Spine Hospital in Dubai.
Shayne Nelson
Group CEO
Emirates NBD
Banking and Finance
UAE
Prior to his current role at the DFM-listed lender, Nelson held the role of CEO for three years at Standard Chartered Private Bank in Singapore. He was previously the chairman of Standard Chartered Saadiq Islamic Advisory Board as well as board member of Standard Chartered Bank in China.
His other leadership positions in the banking sector include regional CEO of Standard Chartered Bank MENA for five years; chairman of Standard Chartered in Pakistan, and chairman of the banking advisory council to the board of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Under his watch, Emirates NBD has partnered with fintech platform, APIX Singapore, which aims to provide access to over 1,000 fintech companies in the Asia Pacific. He is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Sir Tim Clark
President
Emirates
Transport
UAE
Also the chairman of the Emirates Airline Foundation, Clark has been in his current role since January 2003. In the civil aviation business during his entire professional career, he joined British Caledonian in 1972 and subsequently, held the role of managing director of Sri Lankan Airlines until 2008.
In 2014, he was invested as a Knight of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) for services to British prosperity and to the aviation industry. The French government also conferred Clark with Officier de la Legion d’Honneur in November 2009 for his services to transport and aviation. In June 2022, he was appointed to the Emirates board as an independent non-executive director.
Sky Kurtz
Founder and CEO
Pure Harvest Smart Farms
Agriculture
UAE
Prior to founding Pure Harvest Smart farms, Kurtz had co-founded Vence, a wearable technology solution for animal protein farming, and worked with private equity firm Francisco Partners as a senior executive. He went on to launch Pure Harvest Smart Farms, the tech-enabled agribusiness focused on sustainably-grown, premium quality, local fresh produce grown using controlled environment agriculture technology to produce fresh fruits and vegetables.
In June 2022, Pure Harvest acquired BayWa’s controlling interest in the Al Dahra BayWa joint venture, which currently operates a large-scale, 11-hectare agriculture facility. Kurtz holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem
Group chairman and CEO, DP World;
Chairman, Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC)
Logistics
UAE
A leading businessman with vast experience and visionary leadership, Bin Sulayem spearheaded the rapid growth of Dubai’s infrastructure, which includes the free zones and the ports that have contributed significantly to Dubai’s upward growth trajectory. He also contributed his leadership skills towards the emirate’s rapid infrastructural expansion which has supported its successful tourism industry, amongst others.
With multiple achievements to his credit, just a few of these include leading marine terminal operator DP World’s expansion internationally, including the purchase of the P&O Group for $6.8bn in March 2006. The deal enabled DP World to become one of the largest port operators and trade enablers in the world with 78 marine and inland terminals in six continents. He was responsible for overseeing the rapid development of the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) into a business park of more than 7,300 companies, establishing and leading Nakheel, and pioneering the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), a market for gold and precious metals, diamonds and coloured stones, energy and other commodities, to name a few.
He was named as the MENA region’s first HeForShe Champion by UN Women in 2022. At the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos in 2022, Bin Sulayem announced the completion of its DPMETAWORLD, a new initiative aimed at bringing cutting-edge virtual solutions to real-world supply chain challenges. Across the industries in which DP World operates, supply chains are moving from analog to new digital solutions and this project will enable DP World accelerate through metaverse capabilities to help propel efficiency and transparency across trade, education and government services.
A surge in cargo volume growth
Over the past six months, DP World has recorded a jump in profits, as earnings increased by 52 percent to $721m in the first six months to June 30, up from $475m compared to the same period last year. Revenue jumped by 60 percent to $7.9bn, bolstered by robust performance of feeder services as well as acquisitions.
Container revenue for DP World per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) increased by 9 percent, fuelled by an increased demand for storage. With a minor increase from the previous year, in total, DP World handled 39.5 million TEUs across its global container terminals.
Sultan Al Jaber
Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology
Government
UAE
In his role as the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Al Jaber oversees the expansion of the UAE’s industrial development. He is at the helm of ADNOC’s 2030 digital transformation strategy towards a more profitable and sustainable gas supply. Prior to taking on the leadership position at ADNOC, he held the role of CEO of the energy platform at Mubadala and helped to establish Masdar, the global renewable energy developer based in Abu Dhabi. He is also the chairman of the board of trustees of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).
Al Jaber serves on the board of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA). He was the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) for 10 years, where he played a vital part in the completion of Khalifa Port, and the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD). Al Jaber also holds several leadership roles and advisory positions and counsels on issues related to energy, economics, strategic communications and sustainable development.
In July 2020, Al Jaber was appointed chairman of Emirates Development Bank, a key partner in providing financial services for the sustainable economic and social development of the UAE. He served as chairman of the UAE National Media Council from 2016 to 2020, where he led an organisational and governance restructure, while guiding the media sector’s development as a responsible contributor to news and knowledge sharing in the digital and social media age.
Just last month, Al Jaber led a joint delegation by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to the Tawazun Industrial Park and the Tawazun Economic Council (Tawazun).
The visit came as part of a series of tours by the minister to review the performance of industrial facilities in the UAE and to discuss ways to further attract global investors and industrialists to the Emirates.
“The UAE’s commitment to enhancing the ease of doing business by leveraging the competitive advantages of the country and lowering costs aims to empower the national industrial sector, attract industrial investment, and create commercially viable opportunities for national products,” he said in a report by the state news agency.
“It also aligns with the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology by boosting the contribution of the industrial sector to the national economy and increasing industrial exports, while also helping to boost National In-Country Value (ICV) by supporting local industries by redirecting higher portions of public spending into the national economy.”
Sunil Kaushal
CEO
Standard Chartered Africa and Middle East (AME)
Banking and Finance
UAE
Kaushal is the CEO of Standard Chartered Africa and Middle East (AME), and a member of Standard Chartered’s global management team, the highest executive body within the bank. Prior to this, he was the regional CEO of Standard Chartered South Asia and CEO in India. He has been with the group for nearly 24 years and has approximately 34 years of banking experience in diverse markets across North Asia, South East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Kaushal has held senior roles across wholesale, retail, SME banking and country management within the group. He has served as the head of corporate banking in the UAE, head of originations and client coverage in Singapore, global head of small and medium enterprises and new ventures in Singapore as well as CEO of Standard Chartered Bank in Taiwan. Under his leadership, SCB are investing in digital capabilities, partnerships, and redoubling digital efforts across markets.
A digital pioneer
Kaushal has led the acceleration of Standard Chartered’s digital transformation in the AME region, with the launch of digital banks across nine key markets across Africa. The bank also digitised its wealth management offering and has grown accounts by around 700,000. The successful establishment of these digital banks through his leadership have served as a testament to the bank’s growing digital footprint in the region and presence as a leader in digital banking technologies.
In March 2021, Kaushal joined MoneyTap, a leading fintech company in India, as a global advisor. In 2018 and 2019, he was named the Banking CEO of the Year by EMEA Finance and CEO Middle East magazine respectively, and featured amongst Forbes’ Middle East Top Indian Leaders for two consecutive years in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Kaushal was also awarded Forbes’ Global Meets Local Top 50 Regional Executives Heading International Companies in 2020 and featured in Gulf Business’ top Indian leaders in the GCC in 2020 and 2021.
Prior to joining SCB in 1998, Kaushal held various positions in investment banking, corporate finance and commercial banking and foreign exchange at NatWest Markets, SocGen-Crosby and American Express Bank in Mumbai. Kaushal holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Bombay University, India, and a postgraduate qualification as a chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He has also completed general management courses at Harvard Business School, INSEAD, Oxford University, and London Business School.
Talal Al Ajmi
CEO
VI Markets
Banking and Finance
Kuwait
A young Kuwaiti entrepreneur, founder and CEO of one of the most recognised and leading trading platforms in the Middle East, Al Ajmi established VI Markets in 2010 and was awarded best managing partner by One Financial. VI markets has come a long way since 2010, being regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) based in the UK. The FCA is the conduct regulator for nearly 60,000 financial services firms and financial markets in the UK and the prudential supervisor for 49,000 firms, setting specific standards for 19,000 firms.
VI Markets offer Copy Trading, a unique, patented technology which automatically copies trading portfolio performance for individuals who want to link their accounts with a specific trader. This new technology eases the process of managing one’s portfolio, and with Copy Trading, many traders can start joining the social trading revolution, and connect with other traders, discuss different strategies, copy or even mirror their trades.
Another unique offering is One Connect app, which handles client’s transactions in a safe and secure environment and keeps all execution in one place whilst experiencing the exceptional trading tools it offers. In the future, users will enjoy a value creation platform which will allow them to optimise, upgrade and engage in real life investment activities in virtual spaces.
A forward vision
Al Ajmi’s vision is to empower people through education, and this what differentiates him from his competitors. He always believed that women needed empowerment in this field to shine as they possess a great potential and in support of this, he launched an initiative called Yasmeen. It is a forum exclusively for women, designed specifically to support female empowerment in business and the world of financial investment, through structured training and education in commerce and financial markets. This unique initiative in the Gulf had shown great success and was recognised by many universities, both in Kuwait and beyond.
Al Ajmi strives to change the negative perception taken by many about online trading and stock market, and believes that he should share his experience with those interested in online trading to allow them to start their journey the right way. He believes that social media and the internet should be used to serve education and spread awareness in the right form. He has been recognised locally and internationally for his achievements across several media platforms.
Tony Douglas
Group CEO
Etihad Aviation Group
Transport
UAE
Tony Douglas was appointed Group CEO of Etihad Aviation Group in September 2017 and joins the business on 1 January 2018. He has nearly 20 years of international leadership experience in transportation, infrastructure and government sectors. He joined Etihad Aviation Group from the UK’s Ministry of Defence, where he served as CEO of the defence equipment and support department, responsible for procuring and supporting all the equipment and services for the British armed forces and managing a budget of $20bn a year.
Previously, Douglas held senior leadership positions in the UAE, most notably as CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and Abu Dhabi Ports Company (AD Ports), where he was responsible for the successful delivery of Khalifa Port.
In the UK, he held senior positions with airport operator British Airports Authority (BAA), and chief operating officer and Group CEO designate of Laing O’Rourke. His roles under BAA included managing director of Heathrow Terminal 5 project, group supply chain director, group technical director and CEO of Heathrow Airport.
Douglas holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Lancaster in the UK.
In July, The UAE’s national carrier signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) to become the first airline to join the In-Country Value (ICV) Programme launched by the ministry.
The agreement aligns with MoIAT’s efforts to expand the programme’s outreach to include new sectors, as part of the UAE’s national industrial strategy to sustain economic growth and boost the sector’s efficiency and competitiveness. Under the agreement, Etihad will prioritise local suppliers and UAE companies to meet its procurement requirements, as well as encourage international suppliers to launch offices in the UAE, to attract foreign investments and drive economic growth.
“As the national carrier of the UAE, we are committed to supporting local companies, and firmly believe it is important for private sector companies in the region to cooperate with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology across its innovative projects, which seek to achieve the UAE’s future ambitions,” Douglas said, highlighting that the airline’s participation in the programme demonstrates its commitment to supporting the UAE’s industrial sector.
Yousef Hamza
Partner
V7 Group
Entrepreneurship
UAE
Yousef Hamza, after graduating as a lawyer, began his career in the venture capital (VC) and SME space over 15 years ago. Having founded the region’s first angel investor network with several partners, he began years of advising, fundraising, and investing into some of the most innovative and successful startups that are household names today. During his time with the angel network, Hamza met and advised over 3,000 entrepreneurs sat on the board of over 150 companies and raised over $50m.
Hamza then began V7 Capital Fund I in 2014, a private VC fund which invested solely into tech startups from pre-seed to Series B. The key to the fund’s success was the creation of V7 Group which offered strategy and management consulting services and established a system where startups can procure legal, accounting/tax, digital and enterprise solutions.
V7 Group then started to serve clients outside of the fund, and V7 Capital Fund II (2019) was launched, which was another private fund, this time agnostic in nature, with a focus on the entrepreneur rather than the industry. Hamza, after much pressure and demand from friends/investors outside of the closed V7 investor group, has just begun V7 Capital Fund III, a fund open to all investors.
Aside from his own funds, Hamza helps advise/manage and co-invests with other family offices, particularly on their SME investment strategies from A-Z.
A framework for success
Hamza has been lecturer for universities and government/private conferences and has mentored and guided entrepreneurs both privately and through distinguished establishments in the region. He focuses on the individuals with the ability to execute their vision, rather than the idea.
With his dynamic portfolio and successful track record of investing into startups, he has been able to incubate, accelerate, advice and invest into many successful companies in the region, with a focus on the UAE. He also privately organises and funds yearly business plan competitions for startups.
Through his commitment and dedication, Hamza has demonstrated that entrepreneurship is not about the destination, but most surely about the journey that every entrepreneur must undergo and persevere to ultimately succeed.
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