Revealed: 100 Most Influential Arabs 2023

Arabian Business has sought to highlight the achievements of such influential Arabs through our annual 100 Most Influential Arabs list. The list features individuals who have made a significant impact in their respective fields and have influenced the Arab world in a positive way.

While by no means exhaustive, no edition could capture in one snapshot the entirety of inspirational and influential Arabs working hard to make their mark, the list is instead a curated look at individuals who are influencing, either overtly or subtly, the region.

There are public sector figures, there are CEOs, founders and presidents, educationalists and financiers, healthcare leaders and entrepreneurs. Some names will be familiar, others will be new, but we hope you find this snapshot informative and inspiring.

This list is a celebration of Arab excellence and a testament to the region’s potential, and we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did putting it together.

NAME: Abbas Sajwani
COMPANY: AHS Properties and Damac Group
DESIGNATION: Founder and CEO; board member
INDUSTRY: Property/Diversified

Born into a prominent business family in Dubai, young Emirati businessman and entrepreneur Abbas Sajwani is the son of Hussain Sajwani, the founder of DAMAC Group and one of the pioneers of Dubai’s real estate market. With entrepreneurism and real estate running through his DNA, he was already familiar with the world of property from a young age.

Therefore, it was only natural that Abbas Sajwani take a leap of faith and follow in his father’s footsteps, and at just 18 years of age prior to completing his studies, went on to set up AHS Group in 2017. The first big step he took after entering the real estate market was when he set up his own property development business called AHS Properties, which is known around the world for its ultra-luxurious properties, particularly villas, located in Emirates Hills and beachfront near Palm Jumeirah, as well as Dubai Canal.

The AHS Properties empire

AHS Properties concentrates on the construction of ultra-high-end and luxurious villas and penthouses, and with its headquarters in Dubai, AHS Properties has already sold 3 villas in Palm Jumeirah with a combined value of $75 million and has another villa under development in Palm Jumeirah valued at $40 million, as well as Amara Villa at Emirates Hills that is valued at more than $47.5 million, and includes seven spacious bedrooms and covers 45,000 sq ft. of land.

Currently under development and sold out, Abbas Sajwani announced his $300 million One Canal project located on the Dubai Canal. For this real estate project, he has partnered with some of the most notable personalities in the real estate industry such as Fendi Casa, as well as the well-known hospitality design firm, Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), which has constructed and designed the project’s interior.

In addition, Killa Design Architecture, the organisation which is known across the globe for designing Dubai’s Museum of the Future. Following the One Canal project, Abbas Sajwani has announced a luxurious real estate project in Palm Jumeirah called One Crescent with a value of over $200 million. With the interiors done by Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), and the architecture by Killa Design Architecture, “One Crescent” has sold out within record time from its launch in January 2023.

In the near future, Abbas Sajwani is planning to launch another real estate project with a value of $600 million, that is also going to be located in Dubai Canal, which would take the total GDV of the company to a soaring $1.2 billion for a company that is only 2 years old. As the real estate sector continues to be the artery of Dubai’s economic growth and prosperity, and with real estate businessmen like Abbas Sajwani, it can be predicted that the business hub will attract even more investors in the future.

A master of the art of architecture

Through his exemplary leadership and entrepreneurial skills, Abbas Sajwani has not only cemented his place as one Dubai’s most powerful real estate businessmen, but has also led AHS Properties to become the leading property development firm it is today.
Under his supervision, property development companies like AHS Properties pay close attention to various community facilities and building features to ensure that the expectations of both the investors and residents are not only met but exceeded. Some areas of Dubai are more affordable, while others like Emirates Hills and Palm Jumeirah have adopted the lifestyle of luxury, which remains Abbas Sajwani’s focus.

A visionary in Dubai’s real estate sector

With Dubai’s real estate industry climbing an upward trajectory, this vital sector continues to help bolster Dubai’s economy, and is actually the largest source of revenue for the nation and several key individuals. And with the real estate sector considered as Dubai’s driving force and a dynamic economic engine, DAMAC Properties has become synonymous with stellar real estate and in turn, is helping lead the way in boosting the sector across multiple levels.

Investment that invites the Dubai luxury lifestyle

Boasting an enviable skyline and luxurious architecture backed by Abbas Sajwani, Dubai is now considered one of the best places to live and invest in the world. And with seasoned entrepreneurs like him in the real estate industry, Dubai is undoubtedly basking in the spotlight of property, and attracting both global investors and expatriates. An investment in AHS Properties stellar developments is not only a solid investment decision but also unveils Dubai’s uber luxurious lifestyle experience to discerning buyers.

Other roles and responsibilities

After witnessing the success of his first business venture, Abbas Sajwani laid the foundation of AHS investments through which he invests in the global stock market. In addition to his roles at AHS Group, Abbas Sajwani juggles several other roles, including DAMAC Group as a board member which he has been a member of since January 2016. In addition to this, he is also an active board member for DAMAC Capital, the investment arm of Hussain Sajwani, with assets of over $1 billion under management across the region.

NAME: Abdulaziz Al-Sowailim
COMPANY: EY MENA
DESIGNATION: Chairman and CEO
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

Al-Sowailim first joined EY in Riyadh after graduating from King Saud University in 1987. He rose through the company to become the KSA Office Managing Partner of the Saudi Arabia practice, which includes Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar. As EY MENA chairman and CEO, Al-Sowailim leads the EY MENA management team where he has been a member for the past 13 years and is actively involved in all aspects of the organisation’s operations throughout the region.

He is also a member of the Board of Management of EY’s Europe, Middle East, India and Africa area (EMEIA), which is EY’s largest geographical area worldwide. A proud advocate of EY’s purpose of building a better working world, Al-Sowailim is passionate about community training activities directed towards the enhancement of business skills for young Saudi nationals joining the workplace.

He oversaw the launch of the Falcon programme at EY in March 2020, an initiative focused on expediting the career journey of GCC nationals onto the EY MENA partnership track. EY intends to change the nationalization landscape in the GCC region by fast tracking the careers of its people and providing them with the experience and capabilities to become the next legacy builders for their respective nations.

The development of such initiatives aligns with Al-Sowailim’s belief that the prosperity of the region and economy will be driven by the long-term value created through people, allowing for sustainable growth in the communities EY operates in. He also directed the implementation of EY’s global sustainability programme, EY Ripples, in the MENA region.

It aims to positively impact the lives of 1 billion people globally by 2030 by concentrating on three distinct areas: supporting the next generation workforce, working with impact entrepreneurs, and accelerating environmental sustainability.

Al-Sowailim continues to lead the effort of corporate responsibility, looking to make a difference not only at EY, but as a decision-maker in the GCC corporate world. The MENA practice of EY has been operating in the region since 1923. It has grown to over 7,500 people united across 21 offices in 15 countries, sharing the same values and an unwavering commitment to quality.

“At EY we are committed to helping businesses in the MENA region reframe how they approach sustainability and putting it at the centre of how value is created” – Abdulaziz Al-Sowailim

NAME: Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair
COMPANY: Mashreq Bank
DESIGNATION: Chairman
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

In addition to his current role, Al Ghurair is also the director of the Abdullah Al Ghurair Group of Companies, with operations spanning more than 20 countries and business roots stretching back half a century. 

Under his leadership, the small local bank expanded exponentially to become a leading customer centric financial institution in the region known for its innovative products and services.

Prior to his role as chairman of the board of directors of Mashreq Bank, for around 30 years, Al Ghurair held the role of CEO of Mashreq Bank. He is also a member of the board of directors of his family’s 50-year-old Abdulla Al Ghurair Group, which has operations spanning across more than 20 countries.

He earned an honours degree as an industrial engineer from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, and graduated as an industrial engineer with Honours Degree. Previously, Al Ghurair has been a member of the board of directors of several key companies including Mastercard, Visa International, Dubai Investments, Emaar, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, and Industry, and has also held the role of the co-chairman of the Arab Business Council-World Economic Forum (WEF).

Al Ghurair has also been a member of the board of trustees of New York University, USA, and a member of the Consultative GCC Council for the GCC Leaders and President of The Knowledge Fund.

As the chairman of Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, it is his personal mission to build upon the work of his father, Abdulla. Together with the foundation’s partners, Al Ghurair is ensuring the family’s legacy of service and commitment. The foundation are supporting relevant, high-impact solutions to the challenges of today, preparing the youth for the opportunities of tomorrow.

The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation is also empowering leaders, upskilling careers, and elevating livelihoods through education. To achieve this, the organisation prioritise transparency, accountability, and measurable impacts in all its work. They practice collaborative strategic philanthropy that is beholden to those they serve; providing services that are first and foremost responsive to beneficiaries needs.

NAME: Ajlan Bin Abdulaziz Alajlan
COMPANY: Ajlan & Bros (and all its subsidiaries)
DESIGNATION: Chairman
INDUSTRY: Diversified

Considered an international pioneer in the manufacturing of traditional men’s clothing, as well as textiles and readymade clothing in the MENA region across multiple sectors, Alajlan has steered the Group on an upward trajectory of growth and expansion to become the international conglomerate that it is today.

Established originally as a textile business in 1979, a segment where it remains a key player in the Middle East and North Africa region, Ajlan & Bros is also considered to be one of the biggest investment and commercial groups in the Kingdom. With its head office located in Riyadh, today, it employs over 15,000 people in 25 countries across 75 companies and is backed by a vision to be a leading global investment conglomerate that enriches the prosperity of the Kingdom and delivers Vision 2030.

In recent years the Group has diversified into sectors which are aligned to and in support of the vision. This includes water, power, environment, oil & gas, healthcare, food security, facility management, tourism, logistics, blockchain, industrial manufacturing, real estate, textiles, technology, mining and minerals, as well as FMCG, events and entertainment, gaming, financial services in addition to fintech.

Experience across multiple leadership roles; with 40+ years experience spanning across the commercial, industrial and investment fields, Alajlan also holds several positions/memberships including the Chairman of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry; the Ex-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federation of GCC Chambers; and the Ex-Chairman of the Federation of Saudi Chambers.

He is also a member of the Council of Riyadh Region; a member of the Board of Directors of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology; a member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Export Development Authority, as well as is a member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi American Business Council.

Other key leadership roles include the Chairman of the Economy and Development Committee in the Council of Riyadh Region, the Chairman of Dispute Resolution Commission, in addition to the Chairman of the Development Initiatives Committee at the Council of Saudi Chambers.

A diversified portfolio

Established to invest in a diversified portfolio of projects across KSA’s key economic growth sectors and aligned with Vision 2030, Ajlan & Bros Holding Group has embarked on significant diversification both regionally and globally as reflected in the company’s investments in real estate in KSA, Europe, Asia, the US, and China. One of the largest real estate owners in KSA, Ajlan & Bros has launched several commercial, housing, and industrial projects throughout different cities of the kingdom.

NAME: Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud
COMPANY: Saudi Ministry of Energy
DESIGNATION: Minister
INDUSTRY: Government

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman is responsible for coordinating the kingdom’s international and domestic energy policies as aligned with Vision 2030 goals. This includes managing the energy activities within KSA and managing the short and long-term interests of the electricity, nuclear, oil, gas, and renewables sectors.

He also directs Saudi international policy through OPEC and OPEC+ with producers as well as with consumers. He has also been an active participant in steering energy policy on both the national and international front for over 30 years. Today, in addition to his role as the minister of energy, he is also the chairman of several energy related organisations.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Management in 1982 as well as a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 1985, both from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in KSA. Post-graduation, from 1985 to 1987, he served as the director of the Economic and Industrial Research Division of the Research Institute at King Fahd University of Petroleum.

Prior to his role as the Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman served as the minister of State for Energy Affairs, vice minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, assistant minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, deputy minister for Petroleum Affairs, and is an advisor to the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

According to Prince Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry represents a catalyst and engine for the localisation program in partnership with various governmental and private entities. Energy localisation programmes in the kingdom have enabled many international partners to cooperate in launching more than 200 manufacturing facilities, he noted. In February, Prince Abdulaziz also announced the kingdom’s strategic plans to increase its production of oil, gas and clean energy.

NAME: Abdulla Al Khalifa
COMPANY: QNB Group
DESIGNATION: Group CEO
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

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, 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.

He is also the chairman of QNB Capital, a market leader in Qatar in investment banking services and financial advisory that was established in 2008, with headquarters in Doha, and European offices in Paris and London.

Founded in 1964, QNB financed the construction of Doha International Airport in 1966 and has supported several national milestones in Qatar’s development. Internationally, QNB opened its first branch in 1976 in London, followed by Paris, and today, has a presence in Egypt, Turkey, and Hong Kong.

QNB was the official Qatari bank of the FIFA World Cup 2022 and the sole supplier of ATMs at the eight FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums. QNB has acquired a 40 percent stake of the UAE’s Commercial Bank International (CBI), 20 percent in Togo-based Ecobank, and 38.6 percent stake in Jordan’s Housing Bank for Trade and Finance.

NAME: Abdalla Al Owais
COMPANY: Emirates Rawabi, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry
DESIGNATION: Chairman
INDUSTRY: Retail

With diverse experience across various sectors, Al Owais was the vice chairman of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry since 2014, as well as the head of the Executive Committee of Sharjah Institute of Technology since 2009 to 2012 and was also a board member of Emirates NBD from 2005 to 2013.

He has also occupied multiple positions at the UAE Ministry of Economy and Commerce since 1990 to 2003. He embarked upon his career after he graduated from the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management in 1990. He began working in the Ministry of Economy and Commerce between 1990 and 2003, and later joined the Ministry of Energy as the Deputy Minister. Al Owais is also the chairman of Emirates Rawabi, the UAE’s biggest dairy company established in 1989, and through his leadership, has steered and shaped Al Rawabi’s journey to become a pioneer dairy company in the Middle East.

Setting new standards across global best practices, under Al Owais’ leadership, Emirates Rawabi is the first dairy company to introduce plastic milk bottles in the UAE in 1991. It is also the first company to bring fresh juices in 1995 to the GCC region. The dairy is also the first company to launch functional dairy products into the market with plans that include an environmentally friendly biogas plant.

NAME: Abdulla Al Ajlan
COMPANY: Ajlan Group
DESIGNATION: Owner and CEO
INDUSTRY: Construction

Solely owned by Al Ajlan, the Ajlan Group is a one hundred percent Saudi consortium based in Al Khobar, KSA. The company was launched in 1992 when the Abdullah Al Ajlan Contracting Est. was founded. Steered by Al Ajlan, the company has vastly grown and expanded, and today, the group undertakes all their design concepts from initial concepts and workings to completion, with all the necessary specifications and technical data.

With its highly diversified team and backed by a wealth of experience, The Ajlan Group is specialised in decoration works, construction, steel fabrication, abrasive blasting and coating, and landscaping.

Together with their professional team of architects, engineers, designers and project management, Ajlan Group provide comprehensive solutions for all contractual needs. Over the years, the company has built its solid reputation and credibility on sound business ethics of exceptional designs, professionalism in production and application, in addition to their customer relations and workmanship for contractual requirements.

Just some of the group’s companies include Al Ajlan Contracting Est. which offers clients the best building solutions. Additionally, Zawq Wa Bina Est. Decorative Works, Zawq Wa Tanseeq Landscaping, and JUST VIP for real estate and services in Marbella, Spain. He is also the owner of Hadeed Industrial Co, a partner in Ajlan Bachelor Camps, as well as the owner of Jewels of La Qenta villas in Marbella, Spain.

NAME: Adel Ali
COMPANY: Air Arabia
DESIGNATION: Group CEO
INDUSTRY: Aviation

With achievements and contributions to air transport and tourism sector in the wider Arab world that are globally recognised, Ali has managed to transform Arab aviation in October 2003 when he set up Air Arabia, the MENA region’s first low-cost carrier (LCC). This opened a brand-new market niche in the region and paved the way for other low-cost carriers in the region.

Backed by over 28 years of experience with industry leaders, including Gulf Air and British Airways, Ali helmed Air Arabia’s growth to transform it into the largest low-cost carrier in the MENA region, as well as the first publicly owned airline in the Arab World and the largest by market value.

Under his leadership, Air Arabia’s business model has climbed an upward trajectory, enabling it to enter new ventures, expand operations, and diversify into new revenue streams. Today, the Group has gone beyond airlines and now boasts a portfolio of robust businesses and projects across a wide spectrum, including travel, tourism, and hospitality services around the world.

In addition to his current role, Ali is also the chairman of Cozmo Travel, Alpha Sharjah Catering, Sharjah Information Systems Associates, and Alpha Aviation Academy. As a board member of Sharjah Aviation Services, Ali also sits on the board of Air Arabia (Maroc) in Casablanca’s Mohamed V International Airport and Air Arabia (Egypt), in Alexandria’s Burj Al Arab International Airport.

Name: Mohammad A. Baker
Designation: Deputy chairman and CEO
Company: GMG
Industry: Diversified

At the helm of his family-owned company with a forty-year legacy, Baker has been instrumental in transforming GMG to become a leading global company affiliated with the world’s most successful brands in the well-being sector.

Transitioning from a single Dubai store to a global company that enables well-being through their health, sports, and food divisions, GMG has launched over 120 brands into its markets across the MENA region and Asia. Some of these include home-grown brands such as Sun & Sand Sports, Supercare Pharmacy, Farm Fresh, and more, plus international brands like Nike, Mama Sita’s, amongst others.

In October 2021, he helped the company embark on a new corporate strategy with a new brand identity and purpose-centric vision. Under Baker’s leadership, GMG has continued to expand its portfolio across 12 countries and over the years, has grown drastically with a potential to reach 700 million consumers.

NAME: Ahmad Al Zaini
COMPANY: Foodics
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Technology

A serial entrepreneur by nature, Al Zaini is the powerhouse behind Foodics, the leading cloud-based technology and payments platform for restaurants in the MENA region.
Foodics, headquartered in KSA, is Al Zaini’s third venture, for which last year, he successfully raised $170m in the largest SaaS Series C funding round in MENA led by Prosus, one of the largest global technology investors in the world, and Sanabil Investments, a PIF-owned investment company focused on private growth investments in various stages of the business cycle.

As an entrepreneur, he has been recognised widely with many accolades, including the award by Endeavour Global as a high-impact entrepreneur. Having recently completed a Harvard Leadership course, he remains very active in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. An angel investor in several tech startups, Al Zaini is also a board advisor and business consultant for several companies.

Always ahead of new technologies

Al Zaini thrives on introducing new technologies that change how people interact and connect with their favourite food brands. Foodics was created after he observed a lack of technology in the F&B sector back in 2014, particularly in the ordering process, at a time when many restaurants were also facing other operational challenges. He consequently built on this idea and developed a whole tech stack over time and a fully integrated ecosystem, enabling the entire F&B industry.

NAME: Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum
COMPANY: Emirates Airline and Group
DESIGNATION: Chairman and CEO
INDUSTRY: Aviation

For more than three decades, Sheikh Ahmed has been a driving force of Dubai’s rapid economic development; particularly with successfully expanding the aviation sector which is a large facet of Dubai’s GDP. Moreover, he has been at the forefront of formulating economic, investment and fiscal policies and strategies aligned with Dubai’s vision.

He embarked on his career in the aviation industry when in 1985, he was appointed as president of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), the governing body that managed the activities of Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai Duty Free, among others. That same year witnessed the launch of Emirates airline, and today, he is the chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, including Dnata and other aviation-related entities.

Sheikh Ahmed also holds numerous government positions and plays a pivotal role in leading the emirate’s finance and energy sectors and has been the recipient of several accolades from various governments and multi-national organisations. Emirates has a global footprint across six continents and has been profitable for over 30 years under his leadership.

From steering the success of Dubai Duty Free to become one of the world’s biggest single airport retail operations to the launch of Dubai World Central (DWC), all which have contributed towards Dubai becoming the world’s most preferred aviation and logistics hub.

NAME: Ahmed Al Ameri
COMPANY: Sharjah Book Authority (SBA)
DESIGNATION: Chairman
INDUSTRY: Culture and society

Leading the entity that organises the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) and Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival annually, Al Ameri has been steering the annual Sharjah International Book Fair and Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival since its launch in 2014. Under his leadership, the Sharjah Book Authority has blossomed to become one of the world’s largest book fairs and continues to expand every year as the most distinguished book fair in the Arab world.

Under SBA’s flagship, Sharjah Libraries and several other cultural initiatives also operate in addition to the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone, the world’s first of its kind specifically dedicated to the publishing and printing business. One of the world’s largest book fairs, SIBF has hosted over 400 literary events, including book signings, poetry readings, writing workshops, and hosts noteworthy literary figures and authors.

As the previous head of Finance and Administrative Affairs at the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah, Al Ameri drives ambition to boost SBA and its high-profile events. Firmly committed to ensuring that SBA is a must-see literary event for all thought leaders in the publishing world, he promotes SIBF internationally. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Strayer College in Washington DC, USA, and an executive Master’s degree in Business Administration in Perception in Service Quality from the University of Sharjah, UAE.

NAME: Ahmed Al Qaseer
COMPANY: Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq)
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Government

Appointed to his current role at Shurooq in February 2023 by royal decree, Al Qaseer joined Al Qasba Development Office in 2006 as the business development manager and later in 2008, was promoted to the role of director of business development. He helped steer Al Qasba to transform into the well-liked leisure and tourism destination it is today.

Underpinned by his highly successful track record with Al Qasba, Al Qaseer was instrumental in the establishment of Shurooq in 2009. In 2010, he was appointed as the director of Shurooq’s property management responsible for managing Shurooq’s properties and its operations, sales, and leasing.

In 2011, Al Qaseer was promoted to chief operating officer and was responsible for the operational execution of its portfolio of projects and destinations. He now oversees the management and operational execution of all multi-sectoral projects under Shurooq’s portfolio, including tourist and heritage destinations across the emirate.

The driving force behind the transformation of Sharjah, Shurooq is an independent government entity that fosters collaborations and connects corporations, investors, and entrepreneurs with the right opportunities.

To ensure successful outcomes, the authority identifies, evaluates, and pursues tourism, investment, and heritage-related infrastructure projects, particularly in construction and development. Shurooq has invested in advanced manufacturing, greentech, agri-food technology, culture and tourism, mobility, logistics, and more.

NAME: Ahmed Galal Ismail
COMPANY: Majid Al Futtaim Holding
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Diversified

Ahmed Galal Ismail was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim – Holding in January 2023.

In the five years prior to his appointment, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim – Properties, where he lead Majid Al Futtaim’s shopping malls, hotels, communities and project management operations for almost five years.

Prior to assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim – Properties, Ismail served as Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim – Ventures for a decade. In this role, Ismail oversaw seven business verticals including Leisure and Entertainment, Cinemas, Fashion, and Consumer Finance. He was instrumental in the expansion of the group’s cinemas business to regional markets, with the notable inclusion of Saudi Arabia in 2018. 

Ismail started his career with Procter and Gamble in Egypt and Germany before joining Booz Allen Hamilton where he was named Principal and advised organisations in the retail, media, tourism and transportation sectors. 

A passionate advocate of building entrepreneurial eco-systems, Ismail serves on the Board of Endeavor, a global non-profit dedicated to high-impact entrepreneurship. Ismail is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Industry Action Group on Real Estate and is an active commentator and thought leader.

Ismail holds an MBA with distinction from London Business School and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the American University in Cairo.  

NAME: Akbar Al Baker
COMPANY: Qatar Airways
DESIGNATION: Group CEO
INDUSTRY: Aviation

A key figure in the global aviation industry, Al Baker’s vision has enabled the transformation of Qatar Airways to go from a small regional carrier into what is today one of the world’s leading global airlines in a span of just 20 years. Today, Qatar Airways flies one of the most sustainable fleets flying across six continents. He is also the CEO of several divisions of Qatar’s national airline, in addition to Qatar Aircraft, Hamad International Airport, Qatar Aviation Services, and Qatar Executive, Hamad International Airport, Qatar Aircraft Catering Company, Qatar Distribution Company, Qatar Duty Free and Internal Media Services, to name a few.

A graduate in Economics and Commerce, Al Baker worked at various levels in the Civil Aviation Directorate before he was appointed the responsibility for launching Qatar Airways in 1997. As the chairman of Qatar Tourism, in May 2021, Al Baker was appointed as the chairman of the Oneworld airline alliance’s governing board.

In April 2022, Qatar Airways made history when it launched Qverse, a virtual reality experience for visitors to the airline’s website and is considered the first global airline to launch a MetaHuman cabin crew, in the form of a 3D human model named Sama. It was developed using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, the world’s most advanced real-time 3D creation tool, and MetaHuman Creator, a cloud-based app for creating high-fidelity digital humans.

NAME: Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud
COMPANY: Kingdom Holding Company (KHC)
DESIGNATION: Founder and chairman
INDUSTRY: Diversified

An international businessman and global investor, Prince Alwaleed has steered Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) to become one of the world’s foremost value investment firms internationally renowned for its interest in both high-performance global brands as well as in strategic regional interests.

Based in Riyadh, Prince Alwaleed founded KHC in 1980 and by 2007, it was publicly traded and has become known for its diversified portfolio of high-performance regional investments as well as its global powerhouse brands.

KHC has ownership or interests in luxury hotels and hospitality management, including the George V in Paris and London’s Savoy Hotel, while global hotel brands include Accor, Movenpick, the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissotel. Some of KHC’s international investment segments include in finance with Citigroup and Saudi Fransi Bank; mobility solutions with Careem and Uber; digital technology and social media with JD.com and Twitter; and media and entertainment, including Time Warner, NewsCorp, 21st Century Fox, and Euro Disney. In KSA, KHC has investments in petrochemicals with Tasnee while real estate interests include the Kingdom Tower in Riyadh.

KHC is also invested in healthcare with Kingdom Hospital, aviation with NAS Saudi Arabia, and in education with Kingdom schools. His investment firm led a $133m funding round for Nana, a grocery delivery app in KSA, considered one of the largest investment rounds for Saudi startups.

“With a proven history of creating positive change, Alwaleed Philanthropies will continue to face the world’s most pressing issues with unwavering dedication, commitment, and intelligence” – Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud

NAME: Ali Sajwani
COMPANY: DAMAC Properties
DESIGNATION: Managing Director, Operations and Technology
INDUSTRY: Property/diversified

In his current role at DAMAC Properties, a multibillion-dollar global real estate development company, Ali Sajwani’s day-to-day responsibilities include overseeing several key functions that are critical to the company’s growth, expansion, and long-term strategy. Just some of these responsibilities include CRM development, handovers and collections, digital marketing and communications, direct sales, information technology, and hospitality.

Noteworthy achievements

A firm believer in the future of technology and the potential role it will play in business, Ali Sajwani has helped to steer the DAMAC Properties technology roadmap to enable and accelerate future growth. With his tech acumen, he has also spearheaded digital transformation within the organisation to create a re-mapped customer journey resulting in a customer-first approach.

Within the company, just a few of Ali Sajwani’s accomplishments include regulating the pace of collections during the covid pandemic, transitioning the company to an internal paperless process, launching initiatives and procedures that reduced marketing COAS for the direct channel, and many more. A graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, USA, Ali Sajwani holds a degree in economics.

Managing the company’s operations, Ali Sajwani’s focus was on transforming the whole business into a global organization with world-class streamlined processes between departments and employees as well as internal and external stakeholders. The focus shifted to the global arena with projects taking place in London, Miami, Toronto, and Maldives; DAMAC is now also looking at Seychelles, Mauritius, and others for expansion.

Ali’s main focus with the office work transformation, at the moment, is to bring governance and processes into the system, so that bureaucracy is eliminated, and multiple processes are streamlined. That would allow DAMAC to operate as a global corporation and steer away from the family being involved in the operation on a daily basis, which would allow them to take on more strategic roles and focus on the overall growth of the business.

The transformation started off with a major focus on the Finance department and consequently moved to the CRM, sales, and Technology departments. The whole idea is that if there is no Sajwani family member in the business, the business can run itself and carries on to operate without them, as smoothly and with consistent growth.

A sustainable strategic structure for the business is our end goal. His main role is to strategically support the business to ensure the continuity, growth and success for DAMAC today and in the future. This helps the company in the future for the next generation to avoid certain obstacles that have been grappled with in the present.

Inculcating smooth operations and processes helps DAMAC Properties employees to best serve their clients with world-class customer experience, especially given that a main success metrics in a business is its customer service and satisfaction, which for Ali Sajwani always comes on top.

With the growth of a company from local to global, comes with it growing pains for which putting together processes, streamlining the work, and a sustainable strategic structure for the business is pivotal. This is inherent in his role at the company and they have achieved that through the transformation office.

Backed by a wealth of experience

As the son of Hussain Sajwani, founder of DAMAC Properties, Ali Sajwani developed an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. He spent weekends at DAMAC’s office gaining hands-on experience to ultimately learn about his father’s real estate company. He joined the company in 2014 and to date, has steered world-class experiences across all key performance indicators (KPIs).

Beyond DAMAC Properties, Ali Sajwani is an avid supporter of innovation and entrepreneurship as well as passionate about sustainability. His other business interests include artificial intelligence and smart apps, startups and advanced technology, as well as investments. Ali Sajwani is also a seasonal investor who has founded several startups and ventures in multiple sectors, as he is fond of building companies from the ground up.

Overview of DAMAC Properties

Delivering residential, commercial and leisure properties across the region and beyond, DAMAC Properties is under the umbrella company DAMAC Group which has been in the Middle East’s luxury real estate market since 1982.

When Dubai’s leadership opened up the real estate market to international investors by in 2002 which permitted freehold ownership, DAMAC Properties was launched and purchased land for its very first project in the Dubai Marina area.

With a diverse portfolio, as per the corporate website, DAMAC has delivered 43,700 quality homes, with 28,000 in progress. And today, DAMAC is globally recognised as a brand synonymous with high-quality, modern homes, buildings, and landmarks.

Recent project in Dubai – DAMAC Bay 2 by Cavalli

On April 18, 2023, DAMAC Properties announced the launch of their latest project, DAMAC Bay 2 by Cavalli, which follows on the successful launch of its Canal Heights project. Set to be an opulent high-rise tower, DAMAC Bay 2 by Cavalli will be characterised by a layout designed by the Roberto Cavalli brand which will juxtapose a natural ambience with a high-end lifestyle for discerning residents.

Located just a few minutes away from Dubai’s iconic beaches, attractions and landmarks, the upcoming project will be based at the intersection of Bluewaters Island and Palm Jumeirah which is also conveniently situated between Al Maktoum International and Dubai International Airport.

With state-of-the-art floorplans, DAMAC Bay 2 will deliver ultra-luxurious amenities to imbibe a unique seaside living experience. With housing options that range from deluxe one-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom super luxury deluxe suites, DAMAC Bay 2 is once again, set to enthral and impress its clients with its latest project.

Giving back to the community is a priority for DAMAC

Launched to give back to the community, the Hussain Sajwani – DAMAC Foundation (HSDF) not only focuses on education and youth empowerment, but also backs charitable initiatives that benefit the underserved and marginalised sectors of society as well as provide a wide range of assistance that benefit the underserved and marginalised sectors of society.

Underpinned by a focus on learning and skill development, the Foundation provides ample opportunities for deserving individuals of society to become robust members of society and enables social and economic participation.

The Foundation’s initiatives empower communities within the Arab world towards a sustainable future. Just one initiative steered by HSDF includes their pledge of AED5 million to the ‘1 Billion Meals’ campaign which was launched at the beginning of Ramadan 2022 and helped provide food parcels across 50 countries families and for disadvantaged individuals.

DAMAC’s Sustainability Initiatives

Ali Sajwani had taken many strategies into consideration to provide maximum sustainability, environmental preservation, reduction of waste, and consumption of natural resources in a way that does not conflict with the level of luxury required for guests in a world-class luxury resort such as Mandarin Oriental. Some of the sustainability initiatives DAMAC are applying in the Mandarin Oriental project are solar water heating, on-site drinking water filtration and bottling, solar to power (100% consumption in the day and support to 80% consumption at night) and many more.

“My father has always had a strict approach with me, he never gave me a special treatment just because I’m his son and I was always judged based on my performance, which had instilled a sense of responsibility in me to always perform on a high level and the work ethic” – Ali Sajwani

NAME: Amira Sajwani
COMPANY: DAMAC Properties / PRYPCO
DESIGNATION: Managing Director, Sales and Development; Founder and CEO, PRYPCO
INDUSTRY: Real Estate

The epitome of today’s empowered young Emirati woman, in addition to Amira Sajwani’s key role at her father Hussain Sajwani’s business DAMAC Properties, she is also the founder and CEO of proptech platform PRYPCO. Through her established career in real estate, Amira Sajwani brings a wealth of experience to the table with PRYPCO, which is steered by her tech knowledge, and is backed by key robust partnerships with leading property agents, regulatory and governmental authorities, and global financial institutions.

At DAMAC Properties

With a track record of delivering key innovative properties in the region, DAMAC Properties is a leading luxury real estate developer in the Middle East that was launched in 2002. With a reputation for excellence and a commitment to quality, in her role with DAMAC Properties as the Managing Director of Sales and Development, Amira Sajwani helms the 360-degree development of properties to ensure product values are maximised.

This includes design, construction, sales, marketing and analytics, among others. She also oversees the development of agent programmes and initiatives which strengthens partnerships and empowers agents with the tools they need to sell more effectively, as well as manages the operations of DAMAC’s network of direct and independent sales agents, both locally and internationally. A graduate of both University College London (UCL) and London School of Economics (LSE). Amira Sajwani is also a keen advocate for women in business & tech as well as providing access to quality education for all.

Turbocharging the real estate ecosystem

A proptech platform founded by Amira Sajwani, PRYPCO aims to provide the real estate ecosystem with information and knowledge, and in the process, makes it simple for individuals to not only own, but also to manage their real estate transactions and experiences in the UAE.

The platform was created as a direct result of her hands-on business acumen, vast real estate experience, and tech-savvy business style. A portal that puts people first, PRYPCO helps consumers from start to finish in the journey toward purchasing their dream home; from buying, selling, financing, leasing and additional services. Facilitated by the latest technology, PRYPCO aims to provide a complete end-to-end cohesive service.

Services

With PRYPCO an individual can start their home ownership journey or own their dream home, buy fractions of real estate, apply for Golden visas, get expert real estate advise and do much more. PRYPCO aims to become the most trusted real estate platform in the UAE. Still in its early growth stage, PRYPCO currently offers a wide variety of service offerings like Mortgage for property purchase, Golden visa, exclusive property listings for brokers and will be rolling out innovative products like Rent-Now-Pay-Later and Fractional ownership of real estate where you can buy a small part of a real estate for as low as AED 500. With an inhouse team of Mortgage experts, Bankers, tele callers and real estate veterans, PRYPCO is already providing best-in-class services to its clients.

An Advocate for Women Advancement and Girls’ Education

Amira Sajwani is not only a visionary businesswoman but also a philanthropist with a strong passion for women’s advancement. She firmly believes that access to quality education is the key to unlocking a better future for women. To this end, she has actively supported initiatives that provide women with opportunities to receive an education that will equip them with the skills they need to succeed.

Amira has also invested in the professional development of women in technology, recognizing the importance of diversity and inclusivity in this field. Through her philanthropic interests, Amira has become an advocate for women, inspiring them to pursue their dreams and break down barriers.

“The main trend that we’re keeping an eye on is ultra-luxury residences with beachfront views. Dubai’s development is attracting ultra-rich investors who are not just looking for residences, but for residences with the most luxurious experiences and views” – Amira Sajwani

NAME: Amin Nasser
COMPANY: Saudi Aramco
DESIGNATION: President and CEO
INDUSTRY: Energy

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, KSA. 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. 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 in Saudi Aramco is across four decades, during which he has held several leadership positions. This includes his role as senior vice president of Upstream in which he steered Saudi Aramco’s largest capital investment program in its integrated oil and gas portfolio.

The company is 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 renewable energy applications, next-generation fuel-engine interfaces and is leading industry-wide efforts to minimise greenhouse gas emissions.

NAME: Dr Amina Al Rostamani
COMPANY: AW Rostamani Group
DESIGNATION: Board member and director
INDUSTRY: Diversified

In her current role, Al Rostamani also oversees the group’s HR, IT, and strategy functions, and the CEO of AWR Properties. She is also active across several boards in other sectors, including her roles as a non-executive board member at HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, 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.

With degrees at both the Bachelor and Master levels, and a doctorate in Engineering from George Washington University, USA, Dr Al Rostamani is an expert on wireless technologies with her work having been published in several journals and publications.

Previously, Al Rostamani has held multiple roles, including as the Group CEO of TECOM Group; member of Dubai Holding and strategic business enabler that contributes toward the realisation of Dubai’s economic aspirations through the formation of 11 business communities across seven industry sector-focused business communities.

These are dedicated to wholesale, IT, manufacturing, sciences, design, media, education, sciences, wholesale, and manufacturing. She also helmed the development of Dubai Design District (d3), a purpose-built creative destination for the Middle East’s growing design industry. AWR operates 14 companies across seven distinct sectors which includes leading multinational brands in travel and consultancy, automotive, logistics, retail, real estate, construction and IT.

NAME: Areej Mohsin Haider Darwish
COMPANY: Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC (MHD)
DESIGNATION: Chairperson of Automotive, Construction Equipment & Renewable Energy (ACERE)
INDUSTRY: Diversified

Darwish embarked upon her career with MHD LLC in 1994 and has had an upwardly steady corporate career trajectory since then. MHD LLC is a leading business house in Oman that established in 1974, with diverse businesses and association with international brands which include Land Rover, Volvo, Ford, Dell, Michelin Tyres, and Daikin, to name a few. Under her leadership, the business has transformed and expanded exponentially.

An inspiration to industry peers, she leads the organisation’s diverse operations in Oman and is a beacon of women empowerment. She credits her leadership skills and success to her father, Mohsin Haider Darwish and carries his legacy forward by raising MHD Group to greater levels of success. For Darwish, growth is at the top of every agenda and her vision for MHD LLC includes expanding their footprint into new sectors by forging new partnerships and bolstering relations with their existing business partners.

Currently the chairperson of Areej Vegetable Oils and Derivatives SAOC and Duqm United Logistics, she is also a board member of Muscat University, Unicef Leadership Circle as well as Dar Al Atta. Aligned with Oman Vision 2040, in 2014, Darwish had established her own business under the name of Areej Mohsin Haider Darwish (AMHD LLC) and has initiated Blessing & First Impression Artwork, two key business segments under her company umbrella.

NAME: Aziz Fakhroo
COMPANY: Ooredoo
DESIGNATION: Group managing director and CEO
INDUSTRY: Telecoms

Spearheading the growth of Ooredoo Group, Fakhroo has been in his current role since November 2020 and a board member of Ooredoo Group since 2011. Prior to his current role, he served as deputy undersecretary for Budget, Treasury and Financial affairs at the Ministry of Finance. Also a board member at Accor SA since 2015, Fakhroo also served as the co-head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Qatar Investment Authority.

With a rich and diverse portfolio of experience, in March 2021, he was appointed as a member of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums as well as a Board member of KATARA Hospitality. Also, Fakhroo was appointed on the Board of Commissioners of Indosat in December 2021.

An award-winning international communications company operating across the MENA region and Southeast Asia, Ooredoo is a Qatari multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Doha, Qatar. Serving consumers and businesses in 10 countries, Ooredoo Group continues to invest in their networks to ensure seamless connectivity that caters to our customers’ growing digital needs and is empowering customers across their global footprint to access the internet.

Working as a real digital enabler across their markets, Ooredoo strives toward helping simplify lives and enjoy rewarding digital experiences. Noteworthy deals steered by Fakhroo include a $750m telecommunication tower deal with Edge Point Indonesia as well as the $6bn merger with CKK Hutchinson in Indonesia.

NAME: Badr Jafar
COMPANY: Crescent Group
DESIGNATION: Managing director
INDUSTRY: Diversified

Badr Jafar is also the president of Crescent Petroleum; chairman of Gulftainer; Pearl Petroleum; Dana Gas; OMV of Austria; MOL of Hungary; and RWEST of Germany. A member of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing, he also fulfils the roles of several advisory positions in the humanitarian and development sectors, is a member of the UNESCO International Commission on the Futures of Education and is a member of the Board of overseers of the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

In 2010, he founded the Pearl Initiative, a non-profit organisation in cooperation with the UN Office for Partnerships, to promote good governance within corporations across the Gulf. Aligned with his enthusiasm in fostering social entrepreneurship in the MENA region, Jafar co-founded the Arab World Social Entrepreneurship Programme (ASEP) with Ashoka and is on the board of governors of the Synergos Arab World Social Innovators (AWSI).

Also the chairman of Endeavor UAE, a network supporting high-impact entrepreneurship, Jafar serves on the board of advisors of Sheraa and Gaza Sky Geeks. Actively involved with both local and international higher education institutions, Jafar serves as a member of the International Advisory Council of the American University of Beirut, Advisory Boards of Cambridge Judge Business School, MIT Legatum Centre for Development and Entrepreneurship, and the Business Advisory Council of the American University of Sharjah.

NAME: Dani Richa
COMPANY: BBDO Worldwide
DESIGNATION: Chairman and CEO MEA
INDUSTRY: Media and marketing

W ith over three decades of experience in the advertising and marketing industry, Richa is also a member of the BBDO Worldwide Board; group chairman, chairman of the board of Omnicom Media Group MENA, and CEO of the Impact BBDO group of companies. He also serves as chairman of the Board of Omnicom Media Group MENA. In his 30 years with the group, Richa also served as the president and regional chief creative officer of Impact BBDO which boasts a footprint stretching from Algeria to Pakistan.

Richa has worked for BBDO Worldwide for over two decades after becoming a partner in the company in 1995. He embarked upon his advertising career at Leo Burnett in 1986 in Lebanon, followed by a move to BBDO, Cyprus one year later, where he served as the senior art director to executive creative director for six years. After a one-year enlistment at Publicis, Richa re-joined BBDO in 1995 as a partner and group executive creative director.

Boasting a portfolio of leading regional players, he is diligently involved with multiple clients, including Mercedes-Benz, Etisalat, HP, PepsiCo, GE, J&J, and Mars, and more. Having served two terms as the chapter president of the International Advertising Association, Richa has been involved in multiple cultural and industry associations. He was also Knighted the National Order of the Cedar for his contributions to the advertising industry.

NAME: Eaman Al Roudhan
COMPANY: Zain Kuwait
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Telecoms

Previously in the role of the chief regulatory officer of Zain Group, Al Roudhan was appointed to her current role in December 2015. As a results-focused telecommunications executive with over two decades of experience spent in various executive management and leadership roles within Zain Kuwait and several Zain Group affiliates, her career in the company began in the Kuwait operations, where she launched the first mobile prepaid service in the country that went on to dominate the country’s prepaid mobile customer base.

Spearheading key projects after assuming the role of CEO, Al Roudhan helped shape a new period in Zain’s history with the commercial launch of 5G wireless technology in June 2019, making Zain the first operator to offer 5G technology in the GCC region with nationwide coverage. She helmed the signing of the smart metres project with the Ministry of Electricity and Water, considered one of the largest projects in Kuwait’s ICT sector and testament to the country’s efforts to uptake the e-government services and digital transformation.

Throughout her career at Zain, she has orchestrated numerous strategic alliances with international and regional operators, led teams, and developed resources across technology, commercial, strategy, wholesale, and regulatory affairs. She is a member in several international standards and regulatory affairs bodies, including the GSMA Arab World regional interest group and the GSMA Chief Regulatory Officer Group, CROG.

NAME: Elda Choucair
COMPANY: Omnicom Media Group
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Media and marketing

One of the few women in a C-suite position in the regional advertising industry, Choucair has steered multiple projects to accelerate the group’s transformation, including technological developments in automation, predictive modelling, and ecommerce. A 16-year veteran at the group, she has held senior account positions at OMD and led PHD for over a decade during which under her leadership, grew sevenfold and became a key player in the region.

In 2016, she was named CEO of PHD MENA, followed by her role as COO of the Holding Group, and in 2021, was appointed as the CEO. An active industry figure across multiple groups, Choucair is the vice-chair of the Advertising Business Group (ABG), board member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) GCC and the International Advertising Association (IAA) UAE Chapter, and a founding board member of the Unstereotype Alliance, and the D&I Middle East Council powered by PWC.

In her role, Choucair is responsible for retooling and reconfiguring the services and talent of the agency and 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 required for its agencies and people to thrive. Some of the group’s key highlights including the group’s expansion into new Middle Eastern markets. During her role as COO, she was dedicated to the group’s response to the pandemic.

NAME: Elham Mahfouz
COMPANY: Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK)
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

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, she held the role of general manager of International Banking. She took on the responsibility of deputy CEO in April 2012 and was later appointed as the CEO in 2014.

One of Kuwait’s largest financial institutions with an expansive retail and corporate banking franchise, CBK was established in June 1960. As the second oldest bank in Kuwait, CBK is an intrinsic player in Kuwait’s burgeoning economy, offering mega project finance to retail banking and more.

As one of the most renowned and prominent women in Kuwait, in addition to her current role, Mahfouz oversees three departments, including retail banking, treasury and corporate credit.

Having embarked on her banking career around 35 years ago as a credit analyst, and having worked with several key Kuwaiti financial institutions, Mahfouz has a wealth of experience across top-executive positions, including as the general manager of their New York Branch, as the acting general manager of International Banking, and in December 2010, she held the role of general manager of International Banking. In April 2012, she took on the responsibility of deputy CEO, later to be appointed as the CEO in November 2014.

NAME: Elie Habib
COMPANY: Anghami
DESIGNATION: Co-founder and CTO
INDUSTRY: Media

Known as the region’s Spotify, but better, Anghami is the MENA region’s leading freemium music streaming service. After Habib recognised a wide gap in a proper digital music service in late 2012, he seized the opportunity and with his partner, Eddy Maroun, launched Anghami, which means ‘my tunes’ in Arabic in November 2012 in Beirut, Lebanon. Anghami relocated its headquarters to Abu Dhabi as part of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), according to its official website.

And today, Anghami boasts over 73 million users in the MENA region, Europe, and the US, offering over 30 million Arabic and international songs. With offices in Dubai, Beirut, Riyadh, and Cairo, in addition to music, offers Arabic and international podcasts. More than just a library of regional music, they offer Video Expressions, which enables a user to create their own videos on top of music from Anghami.

Regional first

A pioneer in the Middle East, Anghami also launched a joint venture label with Sony Music Middle East ‘Vibe Music Arabia’ which aims to create modern Arabic music with a global appeal by investing in emerging Arab artists in the GCC, Levant and KSA. Another win for Anghami was when it became the first Arab technology company to be listed on NASDAQ and the first Arab company to list on this market in over 25 years.

NAME: Elissa Freiha
COMPANY: WOMENA
DESIGNATION: Founder
INDUSTRY: Entrepreneurship

A unique voice for women’s empowerment in the Middle East, Freiha initially launched the platform Womena as an angel investor in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and since then, has evolved into a women-centric content and media production company. A feminist media company that creates inspiring and compelling women-focused content to build a lasting impact, Womena showcases documentaries, photography, articles, podcasts, and more.

For the past 10 years, the platform has been targeting and addressing the issues women have with inequality across many levels of society today. As a catalyst for change in the world we live in, Womena works multiple ways, from spearheading impact driven storytelling to an early head start in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Having invested in over 35 companies, she is driven by a passion for education, deal-making and female empowerment in UAE’s SME space. Through both social networking and regional events, the platform aims to build, connect, and inspire a growing network of entrepreneurs, investors, leaders and creatives.

Freiha is also the executive producer at Womentum; a collaboration with Standard Chartered Bank and accelerator programme that supports female entrepreneurs across sectors across MENA. And in 2021, Freiha was appointed as a board member of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, which aims to attract up to 300 digital startups to the emirate in two years and proposes regulatory changes to support the digital economy.

NAME: Essa Kazim
COMPANY: Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)
DESIGNATION: Governor
INDUSTRY: Finance

In addition to his role as the governor of DIFC, the global financial centre in the MEASA region, Kazim is also the chairman of Borse Dubai, deputy chairman of Supreme Legislation Committee in Dubai, a member of the Securities and Exchange Higher Committee as well as a member of the Supreme Fiscal Committee in Dubai.

He embarked upon his career in the Research and Statistics Department of the UAE Central Bank in 1988 as a senior analyst. Later in 1993, he moved to the Dubai Department of Economic Development as the director of Planning and Development and later, was appointed as director general of the DFM from 1999 to 2006.

Currently on several advisory boards and committees, Kazim is a member of the Higher Board of Directors of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), member of Etisalat’s board, chairman of DIFC Authority board of directors, chairman of DIFC Investments board of directors, and a board member of the Free Zones Council. He serves as a board member for multiple international and regional educational institutions.

Already an established financial hub, the original expansion of the Innovation Hub in May 2021 was announced by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE and President of DIFC, with quadrupling its size from 7,432 sq m to 29264 sq m.

NAME: Fadi Ghandour
COMPANY: Wamda Capital
DESIGNATION: Executive chairman
INDUSTRY: Investment

The founder of Aramex, Ghandour is one of the most pivotal investors in the Middle East and North Africa’s burgeoning startup scene who is also the founder of Aramex. Wamda Capital is a venture capital firm with a $75m growth fund that not only invests in early-stage tech startups, but also establishes entrepreneurship ecosystems across the region.

Preceding this, he held the position of CEO for over 30 years at Aramex, which he co-founded in 1982. Under his leadership, Aramex evolved into a leading emerging market logistics company with over 250 offices in 90 countries. Still active on the Aramex board, as a first, Ghandour took Aramex public; first to Nasdaq and then on Dubai Financial market.

Underpinned by an entrepreneurial spirit, Ghandour has perpetually been a part of investing, founding, and launching other companies and non-profit organisations on the side. Just some of these industries include fitness and wellness, digital tech, hospitality, and security.

Also, an active philanthropist, he founded Ruwwad Al Tanmeya, a community development NGO which supports displaced communities in Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Egypt through education, financial inclusion, and civic engagement. He also co-founded and supports Al Riyadi, one of the leading not-for-profit sports clubs in Jordan and has also served and continues to serve on several global and regional boards of companies and educational institutions.

NAME: Fahad Al Hassawi
COMPANY: Du
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Telecoms

Athought leader in the industry and a prominent figure in the ICT sector, Al Hassawi oversees the telecom operations at du’s digital lifestyle and innovation divisions, including infrastructure development, technology, network investment, and the continuous 5G rollout. He has also been instrumental in paving the way for the next generation of Emirati entrepreneurs and business executives.

He is also guiding du through its digital transformation programme to enhance customer experience and maximise its business and operational capabilities. As a thought leader in the industry, he has been instrumental in paving the way for the next generation of Emirati entrepreneurs and business executives.

Having juggled multiple leadership roles since du’s establishment in 2006, Al Hassawi was the chief commercial officer at du and deputy CEO of EITC overseeing telecom operations. He has led a broad scope of operations across various business units, including enterprise, consumer, brand, and communication, planning and strategy, government relations, and customer experience.

He has also played a key role in building over 200 partnerships and undersigning of MoUs to enhance network experience, customer experience and engagement and overcoming customer and service interruptions. Al Hassawi holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Communication and a BTEC National Diploma in Engineering, both from the Etisalat College of Engineering, as well as a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami.

NAME: Dr Faisal Alayyan
COMPANY: Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT)
DESIGNATION: President and CEO
INDUSTRY: Education

Ahighly accomplished leader in the education sector, Dr Alayyan has over two decades of experience in capacity development, project management, and planning. The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) is the largest higher education institute and biggest youth body in the UAE. At HCT, he has spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at empowering students to achieve their full potential and contribute to the development of their communities. And under Dr Alayyan’s visionary leadership, HCT is known for its reputation for excellence and innovation, and ripe for expansion.

Prior to his current role, Dr Alayyan served as the vice president of Rabdan Academy, where he was instrumental in establishing the institution as an independent educational entity under the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

Focused on developing national capabilities, helped to foster the qualification of Emiratis across multiple sectors, including safety, emergencies, crises, defence, security, and disaster management. During the span of his career trajectory, Dr Alayyan has held several leadership positions in key governmental entities, including Khalifa University, the Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority, and the Tawazun Economic Council.

He also serves on the boards of several key organisations including as an advisory board member of the College of Education at UAE University, Emirates Reit, CERT, as a board member of Emirates Schools Establishment, and IAT vice chairman of the board of trustees.

NAME: Faisal Al Bannai
COMPANY: EDGE
DESIGNATION: CEO and managing director
INDUSTRY: Technology

With a solid reputation for building companies and high-calibre teams, Al Bannai was appointed at the start of 2022 as the executive chairman of the board of directors at EDGE and secretary general of ATRAC. He went on to launch Axiom, a mobile phone retailer in 1997, which grew from only four employees to one of the region’s largest phone distributors and retailers.

In 2014, he applied his knowledge and tech experience to launch cybersecurity company Dark Matter which he ultimately sold in 2019 to a private equity firm prior to assuming his new role at EDGE as CEO and managing director. Also, secretary general of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Khalifa University of Science, he has been at the helm of the team responsible for driving policy and regulation for agile decision-making; defining Abu Dhabi’s research strategy across academia and industry; and consolidating funds for efficient investment.

EDGE is one of the biggest military suppliers in the world that is headquartered in Abu Dhabi. An advanced technology group, EDGE consolidates more than 20 entities into four core clusters, namely, platforms and systems, electronic warfare and cyber technologies, and missiles and weapons. The company includes industry 4.0 technologies and has inculcated digitisation, while steering higher quality to succeed within the defence industries and advanced technology industries.

NAME: Fatima Al Jaber
COMPANY: Al Jaber Group
DESIGNATION: COO
INDUSTRY: Construction

In her current role at the Abu Dhabi-based Al Jaber Group, which was founded by her father, Obaid Khaleefa Jaber Al Marri in 1970, Al Jaber graduated from the UAE University in Al Ain in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering. And prior to her appointment at the firm, Al Jaber worked across several positions with the Abu Dhabi government, including managerial and technical positions.

Al Jaber played a key role as the assistant undersecretary for technical services at the Abu Dhabi Public Works Department, followed by the role as the Assistant Undersecretary for the Building Projects Section at the Abu Dhabi Municipality.

In 2009, Al Jaber went on to become the first Emirati woman elected to the board of directors at the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce. She also served on the board of the Abu Dhabi Chamber for two terms. Also, one of the founding members and the Chairperson of the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen’s Council from 2010 to 2014, Al Jaber is also the Chairperson of the UAE Businesswomen’s Council from 2011 to 2014.

Her key responsibilities include logistics, overseeing the management of contracting, trading, industrial, investment and real estate subsidiaries. On Al Jaber Group’s board as an executive director, she is also on the boards of Abu Dhabi Takaful Company and the National Investor. She is a regular speaker at business conferences across the region.

NAME: Georges Richani
COMPANY: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK)
DESIGNATION: Group CEO
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

With over three decades of banking experience in treasury and capital market investment management as well as international credit, and more, Richani joined ABK in November 2020. Prior to this, he played a pivotal role at the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) and from 2012, he was appointed in the role of the CEO of the Group of Overseas Branches and Subsidiaries. Richani is a member of numerous senior-level management committees at NBK and has served as a board member of several subsidiaries.

Market leader

For the last several years, ABK is established as a leader in infrastructure financing in Kuwait which is a key component of Kuwait Vision 2035. Headquartered in Kuwait City, ABK was established 55 years ago and provides a full suite of services in retail banking, wholesale banking, and investment services.

For the last several years, ABK is established as a leader in infrastructure financing in Kuwait which is a key component of Kuwait Vision 2035. Headquartered in Kuwait City, ABK was established 55 years ago and provides a full suite of services in retail banking, wholesale banking, and investment services.

Expanding in other markets

As the first Kuwaiti bank to launch a branch in the UAE, the bank obtained a Category 2 license in 2018 to upgrade and enhance its operations in DIFC. ABK opened the DIFC office with a strategic aim to centralise its offshore loan portfolio. In 2022, this license was upgraded to a Category 1 Banking License by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), which not only improves the banking potential between ABK and DIFC, but also bolsters DIFC’s position as the MEASA region’s global financial centre.

NAME: Ghaith Al Ghaith
COMPANY: Flydubai
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Aviation

A hands-on leader with decades of commercial aviation experience, Al Ghaith was selected by the Dubai government to head budget carrier flydubai since it launched on 1 June 2009. With several achievements to his name, he has implemented products and pioneering technologies to improve the passenger experience, while ensuring that costs remain low.

Responsible for flydubai’s strategic direction, Al Ghaith collaborates closely with Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the group’s chairman. Prior to this role, for 14 years, he was the executive vice president for commercial operations worldwide for Emirates.

He joined Emirates as a management trainee in 1986 and in 1988, transitioned to deputy passenger sales manager for the UAE and next to deputy manager for overseas development and marketing. He became the UK and Ireland’s area manager in 1991, and then general manager for commercial operations for North America and Europe in 1993.

Dubai’s flagship budget airline flydubai is on track to continue expansion with an additional 150 new aircraft that are joining its fleet by 2029 as Dubai International Airport looks set to achieve pre-Covid-19 traffic levels by the end of 2023. The airlines now fly to more than 110 destinations in 53 countries and are constantly adding new cities to their network as it continues to grow. Over 70 million passengers have chosen flydubai, making it the second largest carrier by passenger numbers operating out of Dubai International (DXB).

NAME: Hana Al Rostamani
COMPANY: First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)
DESIGNATION: Group CEO
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

With over 20 years of experience in banking and financial services, Al Rostamani 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 internationally 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 sits on her family business AW Rostamani Group’s board of directors. She also served as an independent director at Emirates Integrated Telecommunication Co. (Du) and was the vice chairperson of Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Services. A graduate of George Washington University in the US, she is the chair of the Global Council on the Sustainable Development Goals, with a key interest in development goal 7.

Commissioned by FAB to support corporate leaders in understanding sustainability towards supporting the UAE 2050 net-zero ambition, the new Frontiers in Sustainability initiative is a unique executive education programme that will provide a holistic understanding of the sustainability agenda to help gain traction for change aimed specifically to C-suite executives at major UAE private and governmental entities. The programme’s 2023 launch coincides with the UAE preparing to host COP28, the 28th United Nations climate change summit.

NAME: Ghassan Aboud
COMPANY: Ghassan Aboud Group (GAG)
DESIGNATION: Founder and chairman
INDUSTRY: Diversified

An international businessman, philanthropist, and entrepreneur based in the UAE, Aboud is the founder and chairman of the multi-business conglomerate, Ghassan Aboud Group (GAG). Following his short-lived career in media, in 1994, he recognised the potential for international traders in Dubai with the launch of his trading company. And just around three decades later, his small automotive trade venture expanded to become a successful conglomerate, spread across multiple business sectors and a global market reach. Notably, the group has been a front runner in public-private partnerships with two major projects in the food and automotive sectors.

The rise to global expansion

Today at the helm of over 2,500 employees, his Group is based in the UAE with additional offices in Jordan, Turkey, Belgium, and Australia across industries spanning retail, hospitality, media, food, digital marketplaces, automotive, and more. The group launched Live Point Art Production in 2008, followed by Crystalbrook Collection, a hotel development and management company in Australia, and then Grandiose Supermarket in 2016 with hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores across the UAE.

He also steered GAG’s foray into digital ecommerce with its B2B marketplace BuyGro launched in 2020 in the UAE which integrates over buyers from cafes, grocery stores, and restaurants. This was followed by the launch of another successful marketplace for auto parts, with the stated ambition of disrupting traditional business models.

About Ghassan Aboud Group

Engaged in several key business sectors, including catering, healthcare, digital marketplaces, hospitality, logistics, automotive, retail, media, and FMCG, Ghassan Aboud Group is an international conglomerate was established in 1994 and today, has transformed to become a respected conglomerate holding several highly coveted brands across multiple sectors, both internationally and in the region. Backed by their motto, ‘Building a better future, together’, the group has achieved key successes with their services, products, and experiences as they ambition towards even more accomplishments and expansion in the future.

GAG’s multiple industries

Inculcating the 21st century principles of digital transformation, sustainability, customer centricity, and reliability, GAG consists of multiple companies within key industries spanning both internationally and across the region.

With a robust portfolio of automotive products, GAG is a leading exporter of automotive products supplied to over 100 countries with solid experience spanning over 28 years and continues to disrupt current industry approaches to business with its cutting-edge digital solutions for auto parts, vehicles, and lubricants. Also supplemented by the power of technology and convenience, the group provides food and FMCG services via their food distribution and award-winning catering subsidiaries.

Retail and logistics

Across retail, GAG’s retail arm, Grandiose Supermarket, prides itself as a sustainable and responsible retailer. Grandiose is well entrenched in the UAE as the fastest growing grocery retail chain, with an emphasis on premium food and shopping experience. Across logistics, through GAG’s seamless supply chains, provides storage, transportation, and supply chain needs as a preferred 3PL logistics partner.

Hospitality and healthcare

Within hospitality, GAG adheres to unwavering efforts toward sustainability, as evidenced in their Crystalbrook Collection, considered leaders in #responsibleluxury. In healthcare, GAG aligns to international standards across a range of specialties and sub-specialties to provide stellar healthcare based upon a patient centric approach, underpinned by advanced technological innovations. Furthermore, GAG’s healthcare distribution business delivers prime pharma and medical products to the UAE.

Media and digital marketplaces

Across media, GAG is enabling businesses to attain their full potential across the fields of arts, media, and journalism. And with innovative digital marketplaces, the group is empowering SMEs in the region and globally to foster increased profitability, lower costs, seamless end-to-end transactions, and more.

Inculcating social responsibility

Passionate about philanthropy and the need to give back to society, Aboud is constantly endeavouring to support communities in need through sustained long-term philanthropic initiatives which directly provide key benefits to the underprivileged in society. Amongst his key humanitarian initiatives includes Orient for Human Relief, a reputed non-profit humanitarian organisation that is working in the front lines to alleviate suffering and save lives. Aboud supports several initiatives that provide a diverse range of support services to communities in need including education, medical assistance, relief activities, in addition to vocational training to individuals for an improved outlook.

Public – Private Partnerships (PPP): Abu Dhabi Food Hub-KEZAD and the Global Auto Hub

Abu Dhabi Food Hub-KEZAD is an exclusive marketplace built to facilitate domestic and international food trade in the UAE and the wider region. Strategically located between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, KEZAD is a 3.3 sq km project is a joint venture between Abu Dhabi Ports Group and Ghassan Aboud Group, in collaboration with Rungis, is a future-focussed supply chain platform and an integral part of UAEs food security agenda.

Ready to become the largest integrated ecosystem for the trading of all food commodities in the region, it will comprise of traders, government enablers, private commercial service providers, logistics services providers, and value add service providers. The hub will cater to a diverse selection of food products including dairy, seafood, fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, gourmet products, dry foods, and dry commodities, as well as flowers.

In addition to the physical trading, through a robust first-of-its-kind platform, Abu Dhabi Food Hub – KEZAD will steer digital trade that supports inbound-outbound trading formalities, as well as ecommerce, all on a single-window digital platform. Supported by an ecosystem of general commercial services, logistics services providers, and government-backed services, the hub will boast modern infrastructure facilities and will ultimately become the region’s new centre for food trading and logistics.

The Global Auto Hub is another public private partnership between the GAG and the Abu Dhabi Ports Group of similar magnitude and importance. The hub seeks to establish a regional market for automotive products, enhancing UAE’s prospects to become a key player in the global automotive eco system.

A joint venture for halal certification

In February 2023, GAG and Halal Quality Control (HQC) Group announced the launch of Halal certification solutions for UAE companies producing and exporting Halal goods. The joint venture will provide business solutions and accreditation that maintain high standards and regulations in line with international halal requirements to foster the growth of the UAE’s halal economy and boost trade to the whole region through an online application process on its dedicated online platform.

According to the second edition of the Halal Guidebook released in 2022, the Halal economy is estimated to be worth $3.2 trillion by 2024, with the UAE already having established itself as a key player in producing and exporting goods and products across several industries as demand surges.

NAME: Hassan Al Thawadi
COMPANY: Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC)
DESIGNATION: Secretary general
INDUSTRY: Sport

Akey figure in global sports, Al Thawadi was appointed to his current role at the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), the organisation created for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, that had spearheaded the coordination between the private and public entities to ensure that infrastructure and development projects were delivered on time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Prior to this role, Al Thawadi held the role of the CEO in Qatar’s 2022 Bid Committee which helped to promote Qatar’s ultimately successful attempt to bring the FIFA World Cup to the Middle East for the first time, and where he worked closely with Bid Chairman, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani.

He also serves as the chairman of the 2022 FIFA World Cup LLC, the joint venture between SC and FIFA that is responsible for organising and staging the event. He was also appointed in 2013 as a special advisor to FIFA’s World Cup Organising Committee.

A graduate in Law from the University of Sheffield, Al Thawadi also holds multiple board and committee positions on several key local and international entities, including the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, Qatar Rail, Katara Hospitality, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Media City, Qatar Museums, and Qatar International Islamic Bank, and in July 2020, was appointed to the board of Qatar Investment Authority.

NAME: Hatem Dowidar
COMPANY: E&
DESIGNATION: Group CEO
INDUSTRY: Telecoms

At the helm of e&, Dowidar joined Etisalat Group in September 2015 as its group chief operating officer and was appointed as the CEO, International of Etisalat Group in March 2016. He also sits on the subsidiaries’ boards in several countries, including Morocco, Egypt, and Pakistan. Dowidar began his career in AEG/Deutsche Aerospace (Daimler Benz Group) in Egypt, before moving into marketing at Procter & Gamble, where he was responsible for several managerial roles.

He initially joined Vodafone Egypt in 1999 as the marketing director (CMO) and later became the CEO of Vodafone Egypt from 2009 to 2014. He is currently a board member of Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily), Maroc Telecom, Etisalat Misr (Etisalat Egypt), Pakistan Telecommunications Company (PTCL) and Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Previously, Dowidar served as a board member for GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications), Etisalat Nigeria, Attijariwafa Bank Egypt, Barclays, and Vodacom Africa.

He initially joined Vodafone Egypt in 1999 as the marketing director (CMO) and later became the CEO of Vodafone Egypt from 2009 to 2014, where he steered profitability in challenging and competitive environments. He has a long track record of achievements in the various leadership positions he held at Vodafone Group and its subsidiaries, including Group Core Services director, CEO of Vodafone Malta, CEO of Partner Markets with partnerships covering over 45 markets and regional director, Emerging Markets.

NAME: Helal Al Marri
COMPANY: Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism
DESIGNATION: Director general
INDUSTRY: Tourism

In addition to his role at the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Al Marri is also a member of the Executive Council of Dubai as well as the director general of the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA). With responsibilities that span both the leisure and business aspects of Dubai’s value proposition, he is responsible for the planning, oversight, and delivery of Dubai’s vision and aspirational targets for the sector.

He is also at the helm of DWTCA, which includes the UAE’s leading event venue and the largest event and exhibition centre in the whole region. Alongside this, he serves as a board member at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ICD, Taaleem PJSC, and Emaar Malls PJSC.

Leading Dubai’s tourism drive

The Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism is tasked with meeting seven targets to further strengthen Dubai’s leading position in tourism and economy. It is also tasked with making Dubai one of the top five global cities in major economic indicators, attracting 100,000 companies in three years as well as 400 global economic events annually by 2025.

In his capacity, Al Marri is mandated to manage various sides of the business including exhibitions and conferences; real estate; and hospitality. Al Marri has steered multiple creative global campaigns consistently launched across multiple traditional, digital, and social media platforms to highlight the city’s multi-faceted appeal to audiences in international markets.

NAME: Huda Kattan
COMPANY: Huda Beauty
DESIGNATION: Founder and CEO
INDUSTRY: Retail

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 enrol at a prestigious makeup training school in Los Angeles, (California), USA.

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, and in November 2018, Kattan further expanded her repertoire to include fragrance by collaborating with her sister Mona to launch the brand Kayali. Later, Kattan went to launch her own skincare line, Wishful Skincare in 2020.

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 owns 51 percent of the business, with the remainder owned by her family or an employee option pool.

NAME: Ibrahim Alkoshy
COMPANY: SAUDIA
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Aviation

An airline captain and a 30-year veteran of the aviation industry, AlKoshy has been steering Saudia’s ongoing transformation to enhance operational efficiencies and to digitally transform. Saudia plans to expand its fleet and network to align with the targets of Vision 2030 from a recently launched terminal as its core operational hub in Jeddah.

An alumnus of the prestigious Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Florida, USA; as well as Cranfield in the UK, he is also a board member on several aviation safety bodies, both regionally and internationally. Under AlKoshy’s leadership, other Saudia initiatives have earned it recognition as a 5 Star Global Airline and a diamond rating in the APEX Health Safety category.

Driven by sustainability efforts, Saudia operated the world’s longest net-positive flight on 12 May 2022 in a collaboration with aviation consultancy SimpliFlying and enviro-tech business CarbonClick. For commercial passenger flight SV227, from Jeddah to Madrid, Saudia offset 346 tons of carbon emissions, which included radiative forcing impacts, which made this a net-positive flight.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight was the foray of Saudia into the Sustainable Flight Challenge, a concept one of the world’s three major airline alliances SkyTeam. Another aspect was that the flight included the world’s first in-flight sustainability lab, in which passengers can pitch their ideas on ways to making air travel more sustainable.

NAME: Isam Al Sager
COMPANY: NBK
DESIGNATION: Vice chairman and group CEO
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

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 in the Corporate Banking Group to rising the ranks in 1987 as the head of Domestic Credit and Marketing.

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 transformation to now include an international presence in 16 countries. Also the chairman of NBK, Egypt, he is a board member of multiple NBK subsidiaries and serves on MasterCard’s Board of Directors.

First in Kuwait

Kuwait’s first indigenous bank since its inception in 1952, and as the first shareholding company in the entire Gulf region, NBK has been known as ‘The Bank You Know and Trust’ and is bolstered by the vision to be the trusted bank of choice driven by their people, expertise, and core values.

Offering a full spectrum of innovative financial and investment services and solutions to individual, corporate and institutional clients, NBK offers high asset quality, consistent profitability, and strong capitalisation as an advanced banking institution. Spanning many of the world financial and business centres, NBK also boasts Kuwait’s largest overseas branch network.

NAME: Issam Kazim
COMPANY: Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM)
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Tourism

Launched in December 2013 as an affiliate of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), Kazim has played a monumental role in building and developing the DTCM’s team from the ground up. He steers the entire gamut of activities, including the marketing, branding, and promotion of the emirate of Dubai.

At the helm of negotiating and facilitating global partnerships, he has been pivotal in facilitating the development of relationships with partners, industry stakeholders, and investors that contribute to Dubai’s overall surge in tourism. Kazim is also a member of the board for the Dubai Media Council, and acts as a key media spokesperson regularly as the face of Dubai Tourism for interviews, presentations, and key events around Dubai, in addition to visiting government bodies, VIP delegations, and other personalities.

Since Kazim has undertaken his post at DTCM in February 2014, his achievements include building innovative data-driven platforms and destination tools to enrich the Dubai experience for visitors. He also scaled up the Visit Dubai social and digital ecosystem. According to data from DET, visitors rose 134 percent from the same period in 2021 as Dubai hosted 11.4 million overnight international visitors in the first 10 months of the year. Moreover, the same DET data revealed that during the 10-month period in 2022, Dubai recorded an average occupancy rate of 72 percent at its one-to-three-star hotels.

NAME: Hussain Sajwani
COMPANY: DAMAC Properties and the DAMAC Group
DESIGNATION: Founder and Chairman
INDUSTRY: Real Estate

A UAE national, is the founder and 100% owner of the global property development company, DAMAC Properties.

A self-made billionaire, Sajwani is ranked 600 in the world’s top billionaires (as per Forbes’ World’s Real-time Billionaires list) and has been recognised as one of the most powerful Arabs, among many other accolades.

Sajwani is a pioneer of the Middle East’s property market. In the mid-90s, he privately built hotels to accommodate the influx of people coming to Dubai for business and trade. In 2002, he identified the market opportunity and established DAMAC Properties which has grown to become one of the largest property development companies in the Middle East and further afield. 

To date, DAMAC Properties has delivered over 43,700 homes and has 30,000 in development with projects in 15 cities around the world including Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Beirut, Amman, Doha, Baghdad, Maldives, Toronto, Miami and London. To manage these homes, DAMAC Properties established its own management facilities company which is ISO 9001 certified.

DAMAC’s international projects include the 50-storey DAMAC Towers Nine Elms, a flagship project in central London which is branded with Italian fashion icon VERSACE.

Further afield, DAMAC Properties is also developing in Toronto in a partnership with Canadian developer Marlin Spring and has recently acquired grade A, sea-facing land in the upscale neighbourhood of Surfside in Miami Florida to build a branded iconic tower.

As a natural addition to the real estate company, DAMAC Properties founded its own hotel management company to manage all its hotel units that it developed. Today, the Company oversees eight hotel properties under the brands Radisson, Paramount, Rotana and DAMAC Maison. Also, the Company is building a luxurious hotel resort in the Maldives, which will be run and operated by Mandarin International.

As market leader, DAMAC Properties has joined forces with the most recognisable lifestyle brands to bring distinguished living concepts. Projects include luxury apartments and villas with interiors by fashion-houses Versace Home, Fendi Casa, de GRISIGONO, Cavalli and Just Cavalli and the uniquely conceptualised Paramount Hotels & Resorts, which delivers serviced living at its most opulent.

NAME: Jamal Abdulla Lootah
COMPANY: Imdaad
DESIGNATION: Group CEO
INDUSTRY: Facilities Management

A visionary leader and key businessman in Dubai, Lootah is a primary driving force behind Imdaad, the Dubai-based group of companies established in 2007 which deliver a comprehensive suite of sustainable integrated Facilities Management (FM) services. Under his stewardship, the company has consistently broadened the scope of its offerings and succeeded in attracting and retaining multiple prestigious clients.

Renowned for his exceptional leadership style, excellent administrative capabilities, and capacity to create and uphold a strong company culture, Lootah embarked upon his career with the Security Department of the Dubai Ports Authority, and previously held the role of the director of Human Resources and General Administration at Dubai World. His passion for excellence is inspired by the ‘Be Number One’ approach favoured by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

He is the founder and current president of the Middle East Facilities Management Association (MEFMA), a non-profit organisation that serves as a dedicated resource for the sharing of industry knowledge and best practices, as well as is an active participant in the Dubai Leaders Programme. His ceaseless commitment towards promoting elevated operational standards, introducing environmentally friendly policies and spearheading digital innovation has significantly contributed to the development of the region’s FM industry.

NAME: Jassim Alseddiqi
COMPANY: SHUAA Capital
DESIGNATION: Managing director
INDUSTRY: Investment

Aserial entrepreneur, Alseddiqi is the founder of multiple real estate, technology, and financial ventures. He is currently the board member and managing director of SHUAA Capital, the leading asset management and investment banking firm in the Middle East, listed on the Dubai Financial market. SHUAA Capital was behind the deal to take Abu Dhabi-based streaming platform Anghami public.

Alseddiqi was integral to setting up the deal for the nine-year-old company which became the first Arab tech player to list on Nasdaq in New York after it merged with a special purpose acquisition company. Also the chairman of Salama Insurance, one of the largest insurance companies in the Middle East, Alseddiqi is also the chairman of Eshraq Investments, a billion dollar investment platform listed on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange.

He also serves on the board of Dana Gas, the Middle East’s largest private sector natural gas company. After having designed several investment strategies in the region. In 2011, he launched and managed Abu Dhabi Financial Group (ADFG), transitioning it into one of the most rapidly growing Middle East investment groups.

Alseddiqi coordinated the SHUAA and ADFG merger in 2019 and went to build the second largest investment management firm in the region with $14bn under management. He earned a BSc in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MSc in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University.

NAME: Khaled Al Huraimel
COMPANY: Bee’ah Group
DESIGNATION: Group CEO
INDUSTRY: Environmental management

Raising the bar of sustainable living in the UAE since August 2009, Al Huraimel has fostered the growth of Bee’ah Group to transform from a local waste management company into an integrated and award-winning environmental management establishment.

Firmly positioning the emirate of Sharjah as a world-class city, his innovative business insights helped mastermind Bee’ah’s key plan for environmental sustainability. Now overseeing a team of over 6,000 employees and serving millions of residents and numerous commercial establishments across the region, he has also been at the forefront of key collaborations with both private and public entities.

Just one of these collaborations was the partnership with Masdar towards the creation of revolutionary waste-to-energy plants, in addition to providing its services to government bodies like Abu Dhabi’s Tadweer. Al Huraimel steered the growth of several companies, including Arabian Global Investments, Nakheel and ENOC. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from King Fahd University in KSA, Al Huraimel also earned an MBA from the University of Bradford in the UK.

With a focus on promoting environmental preservation, Al Huraimel supports educational and awareness initiatives, including research opportunities with institutions. Within a short span, Bee’ah achieved landfill diversion rates of up to 70 percent, backed by state-of-the-art projects on integrated waste management, resource recovery and renewable energy generation.

NAME: Lubna Olayan
COMPANY: Saudi British Bank (SABB)
DESIGNATION: Chairperson
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

As of 1 January 2023, Saudi British Bank (SABB) reappointed finance heavyweight Olayan as the chair of the board of directors for another three-year term. First appointed to the role in 2019, Olayan is considered one of the most influential businesswomen in the region and became the first woman to chair a Saudi-listed entity when she was appointed to the role following the merger between Saudi British Bank (SABB) and Alawwal Bank.

The merger made the bank KSA’s third-largest lender and Olayan became the first woman in her country to run a publicly traded bank, and in 2022, she was appointed to join the World Economic Forum’s Board of Trustees.

Solid experience

Backed by decades of experience across key leadership roles, Olayan had also served as the CEO of Olayan Financing Company (OFC) for over 35 years, one of KSA’s largest conglomerates, until April 2019 when she resigned, but is still remains an active member of the board.

Founded by her father in 1947, Olayan Financing Company is a private multinational company engaged in manufacturing, services and investments, and distribution. In addition to serving as the president of the Suliman S. Olayan Foundation and the Alfanar philanthropy organisation based in the UK, Olayen is also a member of multiple boards of directors, trustees and advisory councils in international and local companies and universities.

NAME: Lujaina Darwish
COMPANY: MHD-ITICS (Infrastructure, Technology, industrial and Consumer Solutions)
DESIGNATION: Chairperson
INDUSTRY: Diversified

Acquiring her business acumen from her father and mentor, the late Mohsin Haider Darwish, the pioneering founder of one of the sultanate’s largest enterprises, MHD LLC, Darwish held the role of a lecturer at the Sultan Qaboos University, and later, as the head of the human resources development, prior to her current role.

Inculcating a people-focussed philosophy has enabled the MHD brand to strengthen and grow the MHD brand and create enduring partnerships with some of the world’s premier brands. In 2021, MHD LLC revealed its enhanced interest towards diversification and expansion into new markets and a focus on growth with a strategic division into two clusters, namely MHD ACERE which consists of automotive, construction equipment and renewable energy and MHD ITICS consisting of infrastructure, technology, industrial and consumer solutions.

She was elected to the country’s consultative council – Majlis A’ Shuraa, one of only seven women to be elected since its inception and holds the distinction of having been elected twice to this position.

She is the Board Member of Oman Olympic Committee, Oman Football Association and Chairperson of Women’s Football Committee. She was recently appointed as a board member of the Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF). Her associations span across organizations and she holds important positions such as the Honorary Chairperson of the Oman-China Friendship Association, Oman-India Friendship Association, Oman-Turkey Friendship Association and is a Board Member of Oman-Kuwait Friendship Association.

In November 2015, she was appointed member of the State Council (Upper House) by Royal Decree. An avid contributor to Oman’s cultural, social and entrepreneurial scene, she has supported women entrepreneurs. She is a member of the Omani Woman’s Association, and the GCC Women’s Forum.

NAME: Khalid Elgibali
COMPANY: Mastercard
DESIGNATION: Division President, MENA
INDUSTRY: Technology

Based in Dubai, Khalid Elgibali is responsible for leading Mastercard’s dynamic Middle East and North Africa (MENA) business. Since joining Mastercard in 2016, Elgibali has helped reinforce the company’s position as a technology leader and trusted payments advisor to regional governments that supports their digital agendas.

From diversifying revenue streams to building synergies with the region’s leading public and private sector stakeholders, he is on a mission to fuel the growth of the payments ecosystem in the region through Mastercard’s multi-rail strategy. Under Elgibali’s leadership, the company has marked several milestones in recent months as it fuels MENA’s evolving payments landscape.

In March, Mastercard entered a strategic partnership with e& that will see consumers and businesses in 16 markets benefit from new technologies and services. It also initiated an alliance with Infinios Financial Services, a Bahrain-based fintech, to accelerate the digitization of B2B travel payments in the region.

As the company drives innovation, it joined forces with the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) to leverage state-of-the-art digital solutions to enhance Saudi Arabia’s gaming and esports infrastructure. In Egypt, Mastercard signed collaboration agreements with Banque Misr and the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) to boost the country’s digital payments portfolio.
Mastercard also spearheaded the rollout of the first transit payment ecosystem in Jordan’s capital city, Amman, powered by Mastercard Payment Gateway Services (MPGS), in partnership with the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) and Network International.

Mastercard is dedicated to building a sustainable future. In a first for a payment network, from January 1, 2028, all new Mastercard plastic payment cards will be made from more sustainable materials. Mastercard also worked with Swedish fintech Doconomy to develop the Mastercard Carbon Calculator, which helps consumers understand the estimated carbon footprint of their purchases. In addition, Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition is working towards restoring 100 million trees globally by 2025.

Mastercard also partnered with Women Choice to create one million jobs for women across MENA. The company works to highlight the stories of inspirational women. Its efforts in this space include the launch of the book Lasting Legacy – Honoring 25 Visionaries to Celebrate 25 Years of Priceless and the limited-edition podcast series Her Voice that profiles female trailblazers.

NAME: Maher Merehbi
COMPANY: Arabian Construction Company (ACC)
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Construction

With 11 offices in the Middle East, India and West Africa, and a workforce of over 20,000 people and an annual turnover of $1bn, Merehbi helms ACC, which was founded in Lebanon in 1967 by the Merehbi and Mikati families, who still own and operate the business.

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, ACC has offices across the UAE, KSA, Egypt, Lebanon, England, Cameroon, the Ivory Coast, and India. The company primarily constructs buildings in the MENA region and has a dazzling portfolio of projects under its belt, from super high-rise luxury developments to smart buildings to hospitals. Also, part of the ACC brand is the construction of key oil and gas projects, which includes power plants, marine projects, and desalination plants, in addition to infrastructure projects.

With ACCs’ ongoing commitment toward development and change, the company is behind Etihad Towers, a beacon of the Abu Dhabi skyline. It includes office spaces, many retail and dining options, hotel suites, and luxurious serviced apartments.

Other projects include the Abu Dhabi World Trade Centre, the Emirates Palace Hotel, Etisalat’s offices in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Al Ain, the headquarters for Emirates Airline, and in Lebanon, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia building. One of ACC’s most illustrious projects is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi – one the largest mosques in the world.

NAME: Makarem Sobhi Batterjee
COMPANY: Saudi German Health (SGH) and Bait Al Batterjee (BAB) Group
DESIGNATION: President and vice chairman
INDUSTRY: Healthcare

Abusiness leader in KSA, Batterjee has over 20 years of experience across sectors that include healthcare, consulting as well as investment, and it is this wealth of experience that has led the complete transformation of the organisation.

Apart from his current role at SGH, he is also the president and vice chairman of the family-owned Bait Al Batterjee Group, a diversified organisation with over 25 subsidiaries. As the founder of Humania Capital, Batterjee is also the founder and CEO of New City Company, which builds shopping centres in the country.

Batterjee is the founding president of the Saudi Chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation, a global, peer-to-peer network of more than 13,000 influential business owners with 186 chapters in 58 countries. He is credited for bringing the Gold’s Gym franchise to KSA and building the largest, female-only gym in the world, and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and the Dubai Chapter of the Young Arab Leaders.

World-class healthcare

A legacy built by healthcare pioneers in Saudi Arabia over three decades ago, Saudi German Health (SGH) was founded by the Batterjee family, bringing world-class medical care to the region. SGH partnered with German University Hospitals to introduce advanced German healthcare expertise and standards to the community for the first time in KSA, and over time, has firmly established itself as a trusted healthcare provider.

NAME: Dr Maryam Buti Al Suwaidi
COMPANY: UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA)
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Finance

The first woman to occupy her position in the history of the SCA as of October 2021, Dr Al Suwaidi is also accredited by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as the first Emirati woman to be selected as a certified resident expert in evaluating anti-money laundering and terrorism financing regulations, after obtaining an International Diploma in Anti-Money Laundering from the International Compliance Association (ICA).

She initially embarked upon her career as a senior legal researcher at the Dubai Educational Zone, followed in 2022 at SCA as the director of Legal Affairs and Legal Advisor. Previously, she was appointed within a diverse range of roles, including as the director of the Issuance and Disclosure Department, deputy CEO for Legal Affairs, Issuance and Research Sector and deputy CEO of the Licensing, Supervision and Enforcement Sector.

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Sharia and Law from the United Arab Emirates University, Dr Al Suwaidi received her Master’s Degree in Commercial Law from the University of Wales, UK, followed by a PhD in Law from the University of Leeds in the UK.

Her extensive experience spans across several technical disciplines mostly related to securities and capital markets, such as the listing of securities, bonds, and sukuk, the regulation of financial markets, supervision, and enforcement, corporate governance, Islamic and conventional finance, compliance, Islamic and traditional jurisprudence, amongst others.

NAME: Mohamed Alabbar
COMPANY: Emaar
DESIGNATION: Founder and chairman
INDUSTRY: Real estate

Adriving force behind Dubai’s economic growth, Alabbar has steered the growth of Emaar Properties, Dubai’s biggest listed property developer by market value, widely recognised for Dubai Mall and The Burj Khalifa.

With retail businesses that span across over 20 markets around the world, Alabbar has interests in F&B, e-commerce, venture capital, logistics, hospitality, and technology. He is also the chairman of Eagle Hills developer and has steered the region’s F&B sector with Americana. He is behind Noon Food, launched to create a more sustainable ecosystem for businesses and consumers.

With the launch of his e-commerce firm noon in 2016, Alabbar has collaborated with government departments to provide a broad platform for start-ups in Abu Dhabi and Ajman. With the launch of his latest venture Zand, the world’s first combined digital corporate and retail bank, Alabbar is on a fast track towards the future of digitisation. Having developed multiple world-class mixed used projects, Alabbar’s retail businesses span across over 20 markets in the MENA region, US, Central and Eastern Europe, and South and Southeast Asia.

Alabbar is also a key investor in Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), a fund which offers tech exposure to investors in Turkey as well as in the MENA region. He also has a stake in global online fashion retailer Yoox Net-a-Porter Group through his Alabbar Enterprises.

NAME: Mohammed Alsharaf
COMPANY: iFM Holdings
DESIGNATION: Divisional CEO
INDUSTRY: Facilities Management

Alsharaf is a distinguished executive with over two decades of hands-on experience in asset and facilities management. In his current role at iFM Holdings, part of Eltizam Group, he leads the FM division for the Group and oversees the business entities within the department, Inspire Integrated and 800TEK.

Inspire Integrated provides comprehensive FM solutions across a range of sectors including infrastructure, industrial, nuclear and tourism, while 800TEK focuses on both B2B and B2C services including specialist services, project and fit-out services, commercial and home services. As part of his expansion strategy and vision, Alsharaf is leading the company’s FM services in the region and beyond.

Before joining Eltizam Group in 2017, Alsharaf held key roles across mega projects in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, gaining invaluable experience that helped shape his success in the FM sector. Upon joining the Group, he went on to lead major expansions in the Group’s FM activities with emphasis on operational service delivery.

Under his leadership, the company witnessed significant growth and achieved remarkable results across the board. Part of this success can be attributed to his strategic decision to bring outsourced functions in-house, which played a role in maximising productivity for the Group. Alsharaf directed the technological transformation of the company’s FM operations, transitioning to a paperless system that increased both customer satisfaction and employee happiness.

NAME: Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi
COMPANY: Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT)
DESIGNATION: Chairman
INDUSTRY: Government

Previously in the role of the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, in January 2023, Al Hammadi was made chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport. In addition to this role, he is also the chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, chairman of the board at ADX, an Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, and chairman of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development.

The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED) is a socio-economic development entity under the Abu Dhabi Government that aims to support and enhance UAE citizens’ entrepreneurial ventures. The fund further helps grow the investments of UAE nationals, especially those who are involved in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

He is also the chairman of the board of Etihad since 2021, vice chairman of Abu Dhabi Global market (ADGM) since October 2021, chairman of the board of Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) since February 2022, as well as the vice chairman of United Eastern Group since October 2002.

Al Hammadi has a wealth of experience working in the hospital and health care industry. Aiming to position Abu Dhabi as a benchmark for integrated sustainability planning, DMT’s sustainability initiative, estidama uses Pearl Rating Systems to encourage water, energy, and waste minimisation, as well as to bolster supply chains for sustainable and recycled products and materials.

NAME: Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Alajlan
COMPANY: Ajlan & Bros (and all its subsidiaries)
DESIGNATION: Deputy Chairman
INDUSTRY: Diversified

Established in 1979, Ajlan & Bros Group has expanded to become one of the largest private sector conglomerates in the Middle East region, 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 Holding 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, Ajlan & Bros has launched several commercial, housing, and industrial projects throughout different cities of 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 & gas, healthcare, food security, facility management, tourism, logistics, blockchain, industrial manufacturing, real estate, textiles, technology, mining and minerals, as well as FMCG, events & entertainment, gaming, financial services in addition to Fintech.

Managing multiple roles

In addition to his role as Deputy Chairman of Ajlan & Bros Group, Alajlan also holds several positions and memberships including, the Deputy Chairman of Ajlan & Bros; the Chairman of the Saudi Chinese Business Council; the 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 awards and 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 People’s Government of Xuzhou District, in the People’s Republic of China, for his contribution towards both economic and social development. He is a recipient of the Honorary Citizen Award for Zaozhuang City, Shandong District, awarded by the People’s Government of Shandong District.

Additionally, he holds an Honorary Work Merit & Medal from Siang City government, Giangsu Region, for his highly distinguished contribution to the economic structure and commercial projects development.

NAME: Mohammed Alshaya
COMPANY: Alshaya Group
DESIGNATION: Executive chairman
INDUSTRY: Retail

The visionary behind Kuwaiti family-owned business Alshaya, one of the largest international franchise operators in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Russia, Alshaya has helmed the development of the company, driving its rapid growth and expansion.
In 1990, he was appointed to the role of CEO and later in 2007, was made the executive chairman.

Today, the group is a stellar retail and franchise model with over 70 brands under its wings. He is also a member of the board of trustees at the Arab Thought Foundation, in addition to the chairman of the board of directors of one of Kuwait’s largest real estate developers Mabanee, of which the Alshaya family owns 34.1 percent.

He is also a member of several councils, including the Supreme Council of Education for the State of Kuwait; International Business Advisory Council for London; and the Supreme Council of Planning and Development.

With a portfolio that spans across Europe, the MENA region, and Turkey, the group operates in several sectors including health and beauty, pharmacy, food, fashion, home furnishings, pharmacy, and leisure and entertainment. Boasting local coffee shops, drive-thrus, online flagship stores, and restaurants, just some of the brands under the Alshaya Group umbrella includes Boots, The Body Shop, H&M, Starbucks, Mothercare, M.A.C, Debenhams, American Eagle Outfitters, P.F. Chang’s, The Cheesecake Factory, Victoria’s Secret, Pottery Barn and KidZania.

In February, Alshaya Technical, part of Alshaya Group, the master distributor of Thermoplan coffee machines in the region, opened its first Excellence Centre in the heart of Dubai Silicon Oasis – Phase 5.

The 800 sq m flagship centre welcomes customers, partners, and dedicated coffee business professionals on a journey that defines great coffee experiences. The floorplan, lighting, and furnishings are designed to engage customers, giving them freedom of movement and space to explore different machines and their capabilities. The centre also features a workshop, training rooms and a service centre equipped to service coffee machines.

“As the world becomes increasingly international in how it does business, staying attuned to global thinking is key to the success of companies in the Middle East” – Mohammed Alshaya

NAME: Mohamed Al Ramahi
COMPANY: Masdar
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Energy

Leading the strategic development of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), Al Ramahi has played an integral role in Masdar’s early implementation of advanced clean technologies at scale in major international markets as well as a catalyst for renewable energy in the Arab world.

Prior to his role as CEO, Al Ramahi joined Masdar in 2008 in the role of head of Internal Audit and Compliance and in 2011, was appointed to director of Corporate Services and Financial Affairs and then to chief financial officer. Prior to joining the company, he was head of the Internal Audit and Risk Management Office at leading oil and gas company GASCO.

In addition to his role of CEO, he is on several key boards; including as director of Shua’a Energy 2 PSC, the DFM-listed district cooling company Tabreed, and Medical Holding Company and is also the chairman of the Masdar Investment Committee.

Sustainable undertaking

Masdar was established in 2006 and as a global leader in sustainable urban development and renewable energy, it aims to support the diversification of both its economy and energy sources for the benefit of future generations as well as help the UAE’s leadership remain at the helm in the global energy sector. Masdar is fully owned by the Abu Dhabi government’s Mubadala Investment Company and aligns with the UAE’s transition towards a knowledge-based economy.

NAME: Mohammed Qasem Al Ali
COMPANY: National Bonds
DESIGNATION: Group CEO
INDUSTRY: Finance

National Bonds is the UAE’s Sharia-compliant savings and investment company owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai. In his role, Al Ali steers the company’s expanding portfolio of enterprises while managing the new and innovative savings initiatives.
With over 20 years of local and international experience, he has a diverse background with experience in senior management roles in the commercial divisions within the Emirates Group as well as has served as the general manager in the UK and Ireland.

He has also held the role of vice president of Customer Service and Operations at dnata at Dubai International Airport. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Aviation from the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT), US; Al Ali also earned an IATA diploma in Airline Management.

A leading investment company fostering an innovative Sharia approach to financial products and services, National Bonds was established in 2006 and is catering to corporations, retail customers, as well as high-net-worth individuals. National Bonds offers direct wealth accumulation through an all-in-one Sharia-compliant Mudaraba based saving scheme, the first of its kind in the world.

Steered by their core belief in the power of savings to enable a stronger economy, National Bonds is helping its customers achieve their own financial future objectives and is committed to keep shaping brighter future for generations.

NAME: Mohamed Salah
COMPANY: Liverpool FC
DESIGNATION: Footballer
INDUSTRY: Sport

AChampions League and Premier League winner with Liverpool, Salah was born in a remote rural village Nagrig, Egypt. Skilled at the sport from a very young age, Salah tolerated nine-hour commutes five days a week just to play in Cairo before his exceptional skills caught the eye of a scout from El Mokawloon, a Contractors FC soccer club in Cairo. Under its auspices, Salah debuted in May 2010 in the Egyptian Premier League.

He signed a four-year contract with Basel in April 2012, and that same year, he played in the European Champions League and UEFA Europa League. In the 2012-2013 season, he steered the success of FC Basel in the Swiss League and Swiss Cup competitions and managed the win for FC Basel to win the Uhren Cup award in the following season.

He subsequently made his debut in February 2014 when facing against Newcastle United. He was lent to an Italian club, Fiorentina where he joined AS Roma. Following his best performance, in 2016, he was offered a permanent contract by Roma, but Liverpool made him an offer in 2017, and he went on to become the first Egyptian player on the team. With Liverpool, he won the top scorer and became one of the most successful players in the Premier League at age 29.

Salah also inspired his native country to the Africa Cup of Nations final in February 2022 and capped another magnificent campaign with individual accolades.

NAME: Mostafa Kandil
COMPANY: Swvl
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Transport

Founded in 2017 in Cairo, Egypt and now headquartered in Dubai, Swvl is a bus transport app that bridges the gap between mass transit and ride-hailing and enables commuters to reserve seats on private buses functioning on fixed routes and using its mobile app, pay the fares. Prior to his role with Swvl, Kandil embarked upon a car classifieds platform Carmudi in the Philippines and held the role of head of operations in Rocket Internet.

He went to found Swvl in 2017 with Mahmoud Nouh and Ahmed Sabbah as a bus-hailing service in Egypt and other ride-sharing services in emerging markets. And today, Swvl operates in 115 cities in 18 countries across Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Svwl’s differentiated proprietary technology stack features dynamic routing of high-capacity vehicles enabling a heavily reduced walk to station distances and prices for riders as well as superior vehicle utilisation and earnings levels for drivers.

Underpinned by strong ESG principles, Swvl advances social and economic equity while reducing over 15 million person-hours congestion, and since its inception, has prevented more than 113 million kg of Co2 emissions.

Swvl became the second Arab technology company to be listed on Nasdaq following Anghami, the music streaming platform. This follows from the approval of a merger with special purpose acquisition company (Spac) Queen’s Gambit Growth Capital, the first blank-cheque company led entirely by women.

NAME: Mussabeh Al Kaabi
COMPANY: ADNOC
DESIGNATION: Executive Director of Low Carbon Solutions and International Growth
INDUSTRY: Energy

Following ADNOC’s announcement of their strategy to support the UAE ‘Net Zero by 2050’ initiative, as of January 2023, Al Kaabi was appointed to his current role at ADNOC’s new Low Carbon Solutions and International Growth unit, which will focus on new energies and low carbon solutions. This includes international growth in gas, LNG, and chemicals, as well as the company’s renewable energy and hydrogen portfolios and its position as a leader in carbon capture and storage.

In his previous role at Mubadala, Al Kaabi headed over 10 portfolio companies within Mubadala’s $40bn integrated international energy portfolio. Initially embarking upon his career at ADNOC, Al Kaabi worked across a diverse span of key senior technical and managerial roles before helming ADNOC’s exploration division.

In 2013, he joined Mubadala Petroleum in the role of chief growth officer responsible for mergers and acquisitions, exploration, and new business development. From 2014 to 2017, he also served the group as CEO of Mubadala Petroleum, Mubadala’s fully owned exploration and production company during which he locked in significant cost efficiencies enabling the portfolio with value-added assets.

He also serves on the board for multiple companies including as chairman of Yahsat and Mubadala Petroleum; vice chairman of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD), Mubadala Health, and Masdar. Al Kaabi was also appointed to the Board of Emirates Global Aluminium in 2020.

NAME: Naaman Atallah
COMPANY: Nakheel
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Real estate

Playing a pivotal role in realising Dubai’s vision, Atallah has helmed Nakheel to become a world-leading master developer whose iconic projects boast retail, leisure, residential, and hospitality developments and master communities, including Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Islands, Palm Beach Towers and Tilal Al Furjan.

With over two decades of diverse experience in the real estate sector in the Middle East and India, previously he has held the position of CEO in India’s Piramal Realty and was also the CEO at Dubai Properties. Here he launched new products and communities which increased revenue and brought Dubai Properties back into the limelight.

He was also at Emaar Properties as their COO and served as group managing director of Hamptons International, the UK based property services of Emaar. As executive director Business Development, Atallah also led the launch of the world’s first Armani Hotel and Residences.

Among many of Atallah’s achievements includes steering the restructuring of Nakheel’s business strategy with a delivery focused model while keeping customers as a core focus. Appointed on several positions at real estate industry bodies, he has an advisory role on the Investment Committees of Real Estate Funds, and is also on the real estate division of the Misk Foundation for the advancement of Saudi youth as a board member.

NAME: Nadhmi Al Nasr
COMPANY: NEOM
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Construction and real estate

Al Nasr is an experienced engineer and leader who has led a robust career at Saudi Aramco. Previously, he has held multiple senior leadership positions, including as the interim president, while working at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Al Nasr was appointed in July 2018 to helm NEOM.

After graduating from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Al Nasr started his career at Saudi Aramco in 1978 where he had steered the execution of the kingdom’s Master Gas System, the largest industrial project of its kind at the time. This was followed by the Refinery Programme, Southwest Refinery, and later Ras Tanura Refinery until he was appointed as the project manager overseeing the Ghawar oil field capital programmes. This included the Ghawar oil field crude expansion programme in 1991 which was completed in 1993.

He was then promoted in the role of manager of Saudi Aramco’s oil and gas pipeline projects. He took over the Shaybah Development Programme in 1995 and by 1998, managed to complete it one year ahead of schedule and under budget.

The Shaybah mega-project is widely regarded as one of Saudi Aramco’s most ambitious and successful ventures. In July 2018, he was appointed by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Chairman of NEOM, to helm NEOM, KSA’s $500bn futuristic giga-project backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

NAME: Naguib Sawiris
COMPANY: Orascom Investment Holding (OIH)
DESIGNATION: Executive chairman and founder
INDUSTRY: Diversified

One of Egypt’s wealthiest investors, Sawaris is also the founder of investment bank Beltone Financial Holdings and more. OTH underwent a merger deal with VEON (formerly VimpelCom Ltd.) in April 2011, making it the sixth largest mobile telecommunications provider in the world.

Today, he underpins the success of Orascom Investment Holding, which holds a diversified investment portfolio focusing on sectors with opportunity for community impact and transformation in Africa and Egypt and includes destination development and telecommunications.

Also the chairman of Ora, with high-end real estate developments around the world, Sawaris is also the chairman of La Mancha Holding, the private natural resource investment vehicle of the Sawiris family group with equity investments in Endeavour Mining, Golden Star Resources and Altus Strategies.

Orascom Investment Holding was born out of the split of assets between Orascom Telecom Holding and VEON (formerly Vimpelcom) that has mostly focused on telecoms operations. As the industry matured, OIH diversified from a telecom and technology-based firm to an investment holding company in different sectors, including real estate development, financial services, food industries, cultural development, logistics, and transportation.

Seeking to invest in countries and sectors with the potential to make a real difference, the goal of OIH is to transform these areas into global businesses and in turn, to maximise value for their shareholders and create an enduring impact on the countries they operate in.

NAME: Naif Al AbdulKareem
COMPANY: Bank AlJazira
DESIGNATION: CEO and managing director
INDUSTRY: Banking

With over two decades of diverse experience in the banking sector, AbdulKareem was appointed to his current role in late 2020. Prior to this, he had served on the boards of HSBC Saudi Arabia as well as SABB Takaful in various key leading positions, including as a member of the Board of Director of SIMAH and HSBC Saudi Arabia; as the chairman of the Board of Directors of SABB Insurance Agency; as the deputy managing director of Personal Banking and Wealth Management at SABB; as well as a member of the Board of Directors and the executive committee of Sanid and SABB Takaful.

Aligned with the goals of Vision 2030, Bank Aljazira partnered with JCB International of Japan to allow JCB acceptance throughout its POS and ATM network in the Kingdom. JCB Cards are a major global payment brand and a leading payment card issuer and acquirer in Japan, used by more than 140 million cardholders and accepted at about 37M locations globally.

This partnership aligns with Saudi Payments, the national foundation of digital payments that aims to accelerate the transition to a society that is less dependent on cash, in line with the aspirations of the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP) towards achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 in addition to those goals of the Saudi Central Bank’s strategy.

NAME: Najla Al Midfa
COMPANY: Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa)
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Government

Launched in 2016 with a mandate to build the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sharjah, in her role at Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre, better known as Sheraa, Najla Al Midfa is responsible for developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sharjah, and support entrepreneurs as they build and grow innovative start-ups that will contribute positively to the region’s economy.

Prior to Sheraa, she held a senior position at Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, focused on SME financing, and was a consultant at McKinsey and Company’s New York office. Her previous professional experience spans across roles in Shell and PwC, and is also a board member of the Emirates Development Bank, United Arab Bank, and Emirates Schools Establishment.

She is also a co-chair of the 4th Industrial Revolution Working Group in the UK-UAE Business Council and the founder of Khayarat, a platform that enables young Emiratis to make informed career choices. She is also vice-chairman Young Arab Leaders, a founding board member of Education for Employment UAE, and Women Corporate Directors GCC.

Since Sheraa’s launch, the government-backed incubator has supported 157 start-ups supported startups, which have collectively raised $141m capital raised by startups, generated revenue of $198m, and created over 1,400 jobs. With an aim to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, Sheraa aspires to build a strong and globally connected ecosystem, and position Sharjah as a vibrant startup hub.

NAME: Nasser Al Huqbani
COMPANY: Health Holding Company
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Healthcare

In his current role since January 2023, previously, Al Huqbani held the role of president and CEO at Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group (HMG) and was instrumental in building the group’s reputation as a leader in the private healthcare industry and as a top healthcare brand.

He was responsible for the development and operation of over 22 healthcare digital hospitals and healthcare facilities across the GCC. Prior to this, he held the position of director of the User Support Department at the Institute of Public Administration for six years.

He is also a member of the board of directors in the First Riyadh Health Cluster, the Saudi Patient Safety Centre, Saudi Serco Services Company and a member of the American College of Health Care Executives Institutions (ACHE).

In June 2022, the Health Holding Company (HHC), a new holding company, was announced by the Saudi government, which was formed to take over healthcare services normally provided and managed by the country’s Ministry of Health. Steered by Al Huqbani, HHC will be instrumental in digitising and advancing the KSA’s healthcare system and will take over plans and strategies once done by the Ministry of Health (MoH).

The establishment of the HHC is also a key element of Vision 2030 plans, enabling the HHC to focus on expanding virtual medical services and digital health programmes.

NAME: Nemat Talaat Shafik
COMPANY: London School of Economics (LSE)
DESIGNATION: President and vice chancellor
INDUSTRY: Education

A visionary economist, Shafik was born in Alexandria, Egypt in a family of educators. She attended the American University in Cairo. Her career has been underpinned by academia and public policy. In September 2017, she was appointed to her current role from director.

She holds a BA at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, a MSc at LSE and her DPhil at the University of Oxford and had become the youngest ever Vice President of the World Bank by the age 36. Previously, she taught at the Wharton Business School as well as at Georgetown University, followed by a role between 2008 to 2011 as the Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Development.

From 2011 to 2014, Shafik was appointed as the deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, followed by her appointment to deputy governor of the Bank of England from 2014 to 2017 where she was a member of all the monetary, financial, and prudential policy committees.

She has also served and chaired several boards and currently serves as the Supervisory Board of Siemens, the Council of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Economy Honours Committee, and a Trustee of the British Museum. In 2015, Shafik was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, and in July 2020, she was made a crossbench peer in the House of Lords.

NAME: Nidal Abou-Ltaif
COMPANY: Avaya International
DESIGNATION: Senior vice president, global head of sales
INDUSTRY: Technology

In addition to his current role, Abou-Ltaif is the president for the company’s EMEA and APAC operation, Avaya International. Since joining Avaya as the regional sales leader for the Middle East in 2003, he has rewired the business by building a winning team that can execute on aggressive go-to-market strategies.

Through a combination of strategic acumen and operational excellence, he has been instrumental in transforming Avaya into a business communications powerhouse that powers the experiences of the world’s top private and public organisations. Under his leadership, innovation is co-created between the company’s representatives and their customers, with the resulting technology solutions solving genuine, real-world challenges.

Using this approach, Abou-Ltaif has presided over the launch of the Happiness Index on Blockchain, which enabled organisations to dynamically manage the customer journey to achieve greater satisfaction, and Avaya’s ‘Metaverse Experience’ concept, which extends contact centre capabilities into new, virtual territory.

As a champion of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) within Avaya, he is closely aligned to, and driving, Avaya’s CSR efforts, and has a track record of supporting diversity in the technology industry, having personally recruited a large number of women to his leadership team. And his belief in expanding the role of young talent in driving transformation resulted in the creation of the Avaya Academy, which nurtures young talent with paid placements across the Avaya workforce.

NAME: Noor Sweid
COMPANY: Global Ventures
DESIGNATION: Managing partner
INDUSTRY: Venture capital

With a zeal for enabling disruptive technology companies and their emerging market founders to solve real problems, Sweid is considered a key venture capitalist in the MENA region.

Sweid started her career in the US as a biotechnology and pharmaceutical strategy consultant. She boasts several firsts, including being the first Arab woman to scale, IPO and operate a public company in the MENA region.

In April 2008, she listed Depa, an interior contracting company, on the NASDAQ Dubai and the London Stock Exchange for $1.1bn. Her previous roles include CIO at The Dubai Future Foundation, and founder of ZenYoga studio chain, the largest chain of yoga and Pilates studios in the Middle East which she sold in 2014 to Cedarbridge. She is also the director for MIT Sloan and TechWadi, the chairperson of the Middle East Venture Capital Association, and the independent chairperson of the board for Clue Health.

An international venture capital (VC) firm that is headquartered in Dubai, Global Ventures invests in founders and ideas across emerging markets. They support global-minded entrepreneurs who are using technology to transform emerging markets and are leading growth-stage companies.

A collaborative diverse team which now has a presence in North America, Europe, KSA, and Egypt, the Global Ventures team have a combined years of experience in building and scaling companies.

NAME: Olayan Alwetaid
COMPANY: Saudi Telecom Co. (stc)
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Telecoms

Appointed to his role at stc since 28 March 2021, Alwetaid is also the chairman of SAMENA and a GSMA board Member. Backed by over two decades of experience, he has climbed an upward trajectory across several key senior leadership roles at stc, including as the senior VP for the consumer sector; stc Bahrain’s CEO, in addition to vice chairman of the BoD of stcPay.

He leads multiple boards of directors of stc subsidiaries including Integral, CCC, and Channels, in addition to holding the responsibility of chairman of several committees of these boards.

Transforming from a telecommunications provider to an advanced digital player in the region, stc is backed by multiple achievements across cloud services, cybersecurity, digital transformation, application programming interface (API) management, and big data, and are aligned toward the successful achievement of the three key pillars of Vision 2030, namely a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation.

During the PIF’s Private Sector Forum held in Riyadh on 14 to 15 March, stc signed several new strategic agreements with domestic companies in a move to increase the production of local content. The first agreement is with Ebttikar, which provides recycling services and the preservation of raw materials and is aimed at supporting sustainability efforts. Another was with Holoul to provide smart solutions for conference rooms and private offices.

NAME: Patrick Chalhoub
COMPANY: Chalhoub Group
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Retail

A luxury retail distribution company based in the Middle East and headquartered in Dubai, the family business began in 1955 in Syria which later shifted base and its activities to Beirut. The Kuwaiti invasion sparked the move of the group and activities to the UAE in 1990.

Chalhoub joined the business and went on to develop a regional distribution platform in the Jebel Ali Free zone and by 2001, was appointed co-chief executive officer alongside his brother. Chalhoub Group joined exclusive collaborations with several brands, including Sephora and Christian Louboutin, to name a few.

With a global footprint, the group operates through multiple channels, including via mobile apps, online, as well as through their 680 stores. In the recently launched Dubai Hills mall, the group has opened over 10 stores.

Steered by his expertise, Chalhoub Group joined exclusive collaborations with several brands, including Sephora, Dior Couture, alongside the launch of fully owned concept stores, including the Level Shoe District in Dubai Mall. From the onset, the group has had sustainability ingrained in its DNA and over time, and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, has been ambitioning toward including sustainability across their value chain.

As a board member of the United Nations Global Compact, Chalhoub has helped to steer the business in upholding the UNGC principles of environmental protection and labour rights.

NAME: Pierre Choueiri
COMPANY: Choueiri Group
DESIGNATION: Chairman and CEO
INDUSTRY: Media

Choueiri Group was launched over 40 years ago as a family-owned business by Antoine Choueiri. At the helm of the Group today, Choueiri embarked upon his media career first with Al Ain Media management in 1988 before moving to Tihama MEMS and Regie Vision.

It was in 1994 when he shifted base to Dubai to establish Choueiri Group’s most prominent group of companies and associated media partners as the managing director, followed by his appointment as CEO, and in 2010, he took over his current role.

With a reach of 27 million in the TV MENA region; digital reach 98 million, over 100 partners, and 11 markets, just some of their key companies include Arabian Media Company, Arabian Outdoor, Diginet Arabia, Times International, and more. Worldwide offices include Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Cairo, Riyadh, in addition to their representative offices in Paris, Tokyo, and Warsaw.

At the forefront of new innovations and digital advancements in the industry, Choueiri Group’s DigiNet Arabia (DNA) announced on 1 January 2022, their five-year long collaboration as the exclusive media representatives for Brag in the UAE, one of Abu Dhabi Tourism’s preferred creative agencies and also, one of Dubai Tourism’s most awarded event agencies for the past eight years. The Brag Agency conceptualises and manages mega events, activations and festivals that foster community development and break through the region’s creative boundaries.

NAME: Randa Muhammed Sadik
COMPANY: Arab Bank
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

Prior to the appointment to her current role in February 2022, Sadik held the role of deputy CEO for over a decade at Arab Bank, Jordan’s biggest lender. Backed by 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 where Sadik was the Group general manager of the International Banking Group.

With leadership skills that have helped steer Arab Bank’s growth and expansion plans, within the Arab Bank Group, she holds multiple positions, some of which include board member of Oman Arab Bank, chairman of the Board of Arab Tunisian Bank, chairman of the Management Committee of Al-Arabi Investment Group and, the vice chairman of Arab Bank Australia Ltd.

Her leadership skills and proven track record have proven instrumental in Arab Bank’s growth and ambitious expansion plans to lead both regionally and locally. She holds an MBA degree from the American University of Beirut. Recently, Arab Bank has provided support to the Women’s Economic Empowerment project in collaboration with Dar Abu Abdullah.

In this capacity, Arab Bank will empower 10 women beneficiaries from ‘Dar Abu Abdullah’ through financing five greenhouses that operate on hydroponic technology, after enrolling these women in programmes to help them maintain a stable source of income and improve their standard of living.

NAME: Rashid Al Ghurair
COMPANY: Cafu
DESIGNATION: Founder and CEO
INDUSTRY: Retail

Focused on disrupting the status-quo by introducing core consumer-first, transformational service, Al Ghurair’s brand is the Middle East’s first fuel-booking application that aims to make refuelling cars more convenient.

In his current role at CAFU, the region’s leading fuel delivery and vehicle services platform, the company has evolved from a fleet of 20 trucks in 2018 to become the platform of choice providing all vehicle services, with over 300 vehicles connecting the community with a wide network of maintenance and service partners.

He also serves as a board member for the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, focused on navigating the shift to a digital economy to ensure Dubai remains competitive globally for key innovative start-ups. In November 2022, CAFU appointed an advisory board to serve as strategists and thought partners to help bolster the company on its upward growth trajectory, as well as provide insight on more sustainable mobility solutions for the future.

Al Ghurair is actively involved in Al Ghurair Investment as a board member, driving the group’s interest across its commodity businesses which includes Al Ghurair Resources and Al Ghurair Foods. He also oversees the development of the company’s real estate portfolio, as well as serves as a member of the board of trustees for the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, a family owned, global philanthropic education initiative.

NAME: Reem Al Hashimy
COMPANY: UAE Ministry of State for International Cooperation
DESIGNATION: Minister
INDUSTRY: Government

Sworn in as Minister of State for International Cooperation in February 2016, Al Hashimy also holds the responsibility within the Ministry for the UAE’s bilateral relations with Sub Saharan African countries, India, Pakistan, and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Since her first ministerial appointment in February 2008, she continues to manage the International Affairs Office of the UAE Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Previously, she has also served as the chairperson of Dubai Cares, and was also formerly the chairperson of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority.

Dr Al Hashimy has also served as the commercial attaché, and subsequently deputy chief of the UAE Embassy to the United States of America and is the chairperson of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Relations and French at Tufts University, followed by a Master’s Degree from Harvard University, both in the US; and holds a PhD Degree from Tsinghua University, China.

In November 2013, she was pivotal in her role of Dubai’s winning bid to host Expo 2020, as the first time in Expo history that it was held in the MENASA region. In preparation for the event, Dr Al Hashimy was both the managing director of the Dubai Expo 2020 Higher Committee and the director general of the Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau.

NAME: Rola Abu Manneh
COMPANY: Standard Chartered UAE
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

As the CEO of Standard Chartered UAE, Abu Manneh is the first Emirati woman to head a bank in the UAE and has been responsible for transforming the UAE business into one of the biggest five markets globally for the Standard Chartered Group. She is also a member of the board of directors of the Dubai International Chamber, whose mission is to represent, support, and protect the interests of the business community in Dubai. Additionally, in January 2023, Abu Manneh added a new role to her career trajectory as the director on the board of Standard Chartered Bank (Pakistan) Ltd.

Backed by a wealth of experience

Prior to her role at Standard Chartered, Abu Manneh was the Head of Corporate & Investment Banking for Abu Dhabi at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). In this role, her responsibility was to maintain relationships between FAB and its client base, including government, government-related entities, elite customer groups, family corporations, local corporations, multinational corporations, and commercial banking services.

Prior to this, Abu Manneh served as general manager of FAB’s Wholesale Banking Group, which comprised of Project Finance Syndications, Financial Institutions Group and Global Transaction Banking. A proud UAE national, Abu Manneh completed her studies at the University of London – Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, and has a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics & Operational Research.

Championing female empowerment

Over the years, she has championed the cause of women empowerment and entrepreneurship through different initiatives and is committed to supporting the wider community by providing university students with mentorship programmes, in collaboration with leading partners, which aim to prepare participants with the necessary skills to succeed in their chosen professions. Abu Manneh is a member of the Global Council for Sustainable Development Goal 5, Gender Equality (‘SDG5’) and the NYUAD Vice Chancellor’s Leadership Council.

Financial performance

Under her helm, Standard Chartered UAE delivered a resilient and strong performance throughout 2022. Despite the volatility and uncertainty, the UAE franchise achieved a 15.2 percent growth in income and a 41 percent growth in operating profit, the highest in the last eight years. The bank’s operations in the UAE also recorded 16 percent Return on Tangible Equity (RoTE) with Standard Chartered participating in all key landmark transactions across the country.

About Standard Chartered

Standard Chartered is a leading international banking group, with presence in 59 of the world’s most dynamic markets and serving clients in a further 64. The bank’s purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through its unique diversity and its heritage and values are expressed in its brand promise, #here for good. Standard Chartered is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges.

The need for climate adaptation

To investigate the need to climate adaptation, in January 2023, Standard Chartered announced the launch of its research report titled The Adaptation Economy, which investigates the need for climate adaptation investment in 10 markets – including China, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan – reveals that, without investing a minimum of $30bn in adaptation by 2030, these markets could face projected damages and lost GDP growth of $377bn: over 12 times that amount.

Examples of climate adaptation projects include the creation of coastal barrier protection solutions for areas vulnerable to flooding, the development of drought-resistant crops and early-warning systems against pending natural disasters.

Abu Manneh said: “The UAE is at the forefront of fighting climate change with a solid commitment to achieve its Net Zero target by 2050; therefore, setting an example not only on a regional level, but on the international level as well. Adaptation is a shared necessity, and as our research highlights, a lack of action would probably create a shared societal burden of exponentially increasing costs.”

She further added that the financial sector has a crucial role to play in directing capital towards adaptation and creating the proof points to demonstrate that investing in adaptation can be a commercially viable attractive proposition for the private sector and would reflect positively on the overall economic growth.

Driving a culture of diversity and inclusion

Driving commerce and prosperity through a culture of inclusion, Standard Chartered has three key methods toward tackling the issue of diversity, namely: great place to work, great place to bank, and support for their communities.

At the heart of the bank’s business purpose, being here for good, supplier diversity refers to a supply chain that integrates businesses owned by diverse individuals or groups, including those owned by minorities, micro and small businesses, and women, as well as the non-diverse corporations whose D&I profiles are aligned to their Supplier Diversity principles. The core ambition is to foster mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers that reflect the diverse cultures and communities we live and work in.

Supporting financial and education

Aligned with the bank’s purpose to drive prosperity through its unique diversity, Standard Chartered launched, back in 2014, Women in Tech – a programme designed to support female-led entrepreneurial teams with business management training, mentoring and seed funding.

The programme aims to improve the lives of people and their communities by lifting participation and unleashing the full potential of women and micro businesses. In the UAE, Standard Chartered has accelerated four cohorts, comprising of dozens of startups, who collectively raised over $5m from various venture capitalists to expand their businesses.

This year, Women in Tech will be launching its fifth cohort in May 2023 with the objective of further empowering UAE-focused women led businesses and providing them with relevant guidance and mentorship through accelerator programmes, in addition to equity-free grants to fund their ventures.

“The UAE is at the forefront of fighting climate change with a solid commitment to achieve its Net Zero target by 2050” – Rola Abu Manneh

NAME: Ronaldo Mouchawar
COMPANY: Amazon MENA
DESIGNATION: CEO and co-founder/vice president
INDUSTRY: Ecommerce

An ingenious tech entrepreneur who led ecommerce giant Amazon to become the largest digital retailer in the region, after graduating, Mouchawar started his career at information technology firm EDS in image processing and video scanning for car manufacturers, healthcare organisations and publishing companies.

As the web started gaining traction in the US in the early 2000s, he returned to the Middle East and created an Arabic language portal Maktoob, the first successful web portal in the Middle East. Under Maktoob, helmed by Mouchawar, Souq.com was created as a listings-based auctions site in 2005. Just one year later, he purchased the Souq.com domain name and launched their Dubai’s Internet City office with only five employees at that time. As business took off over the next few years, Souq.com expanded into Egypt and KSA.

Maktoob was purchased for a reported $164m by Yahoo! in 2009. By the end of that year, Souq.com was reportedly recording around $1m per month in sales and had become an independent business. The brand expanded to become the largest e-commerce retailer in the region but was later bought by e-commerce giant Amazon for a record-breaking $580m.

Subsequently, Mouchawar was then appointed as the vice president in 2017 of Amazon in the region. In addition to his current role, Mouchawar is a regular investor, mentor, and speaker for tech startups in the Middle East.

NAME: Saad Sherida Al Kaabi
COMPANY: Qatar Energy
DESIGNATION: CEO and Minister of State for Energy Affairs
INDUSTRY: Energy

Al Kaabi joined Qatar Energy as a student and immediately upon graduation, he was appointed in Qatar Energy’s Reservoir and Field Development Department, where he advanced through multiple roles, including commercial, technical, petroleum engineering, and supervisory positions.

Transitioning to the role of the manager of Gas Development responsible for North Field management and development, Al Kaabi and his team steered the swift launch of multiple mega gas projects which were based upon innovative technologies. These made a major contribution towards Qatar’s rapid rise to become known as a leading global LNG and GTL capital.

In addition to his position as President and CEO, on 4 November 2018, he was appointed as the Minister of State for Energy Affairs and Cabinet member of the State of Qatar, and Deputy Chairman of Qatar Petroleum. Al Kaabi leads two of Qatar’s most important business assets, Qatar Petroleum, in charge of oil and gas activities, and Industries Qatar.

Al Kaabi earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Energy and Gas Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in the USA, and in his role as the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, just some of his core responsibilities include the overall policy of and development of national industries, as well as the optimal utilisation of the country’s natural resources as per relevant laws; and the overall responsibility for all energy issues, amongst others.

NAME: Saeed M. Al Ghamdi
COMPANY: Saudi National Bank (SNB)
DESIGNATION: Managing director and group CEO
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

Embarking upon his career at the Ministry of Defence and Aviation as a computer engineer, Al Ghamdi later moved into the banking industry at Al Rajhi Bank in 1991 in various roles, including as the chief information officer to the vice president.

Prior to his current role at SNB, a bank that resulted from the merger between the National Commercial Bank (NCB) and the Samba Financial Group, Al Ghamdi held the role of the NCB chairman, backed by over three decades of experience in leading positions in the Saudi financial and banking sector.

Here, he steered the bank’s digital transformation and optimised its operational efficiency to make it a leading financial institution in KSA.
He has also been an adviser to the governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) and an advisor to the chairman of the board of directors of the NCB. He serves on the board of the Real Estate General Authority and Misk Foundation and is a member of the consultative board of the College of Industrial Management at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

As the largest institutional and specialised financier in the kingdom backing KSA’s landmark deals and mega projects, SNB owns both NCB Capital and Samba Capital and Investment Management which collectively form the biggest asset manager, brokerage, and investment bank in KSA and align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

NAME: Salem Khalaf Al Mannai
COMPANY: Qatar Insurance Company (QIC)
DESIGNATION: Group CEO
INDUSTRY: Insurance

Founded in 1964, Qatar Insurance Company (QIC) was the first domestic insurance company in the Gulf state which has grown to become the leading insurer in Qatar and the MENA region.

A postgraduate from the University of South Wales in the UK, Al Mannai has held various key positions within Qatar Insurance Group, Al Mannai started his career with QIC in 2001, in the motor department. In 2006, he joined the Marine department of QIC as a senior underwriting officer and was appointed as the assistant vice president for Cargo.

Next, he rose through the ranks and was appointed as deputy group president and CEO of QIC MENA region. Al Mannai has been instrumental in bringing innovative solutions to cement QIC Group’s position as a pioneer in the insurance industry arena, both in the MENA region and across international markets. QIC Group is aligned with the Qatar National Vision 2030.

Founded in 1964, QIC was the first domestic insurance company in the Qatar and today, as the largest insurance company in the MENA region, QIC is listed on the Qatar Exchange. In recognition of QIC’s brand excellence, the company has been recognised with a series of accolades, including Insurance Brand of The Year in The Middle East, and Insurance Brand of The Year in Qatar, by Global Banking and Finance Review Awards 2021.

NAME: Samer Soliman
COMPANY: Arab Financial Services (AFS)
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Financial technology

Spearheading a fintech and digital payments strategy for the MEA region as a whole and backed by the application of latest technologies, Samer Soliman is ushering in Arab Financial Services’ (AFS) future-forward payments digitisation trajectory. In addition to continuing the AFS tradition of pioneering new, smart payment solutions and services to the region, his visionary leadership is helping to foster the company’s financial inclusion efforts.

A futuristic company with exciting ambitions for 2023, AFS will include a new market focus in existing and upcoming AFS geographies; product innovation to steer digital payments solutions; as well as strategic partnerships to turbocharge the MEA region’s payments landscape.

Soliman has also directed multiple inward-focused initiatives to foster a more inclusive company culture, including employee upskilling with AFS Learn and Lead; AFS open discussion platform: Ask the CEO, and a drive towards greater workforce nationalisation, female inclusivity, and gender equality in the workforce, that has seen him back a companywide increase in the number of women in the workplace.

With over two decades of experience, prior to his current role at AFS, Soliman has held multiple senior leadership roles at Network International, including as the Managing Director for the Middle East. Other roles include Product Advisory Board Member of UnionPay International; Chairman of Network International Jordan, Managing Director of Network International Egypt, among others. He is also a Board Member of SP Jain Global School of Management; Advisor to the Board at Sarwa Digital Wealth Ltd.; and is currently appointed as the Chairman of Arab Financial Services (Egypt).

In the past one year alone, Soliman’s relentless drive has steered AFS’s strategic expansion and revenue growth, starting with the decision to increase the company’s authorised share capital to $150 million and its issued and paid-up share capital by $98 million. This was followed by the establishment of the company’s Egyptian entity: AFS (Egypt) which enables the latest payments solutions and innovations with AFS products offering, including data and AI, payment acceptance, and Dynamic Currency Conversion.

And in its commitment to support aspiring Fintech start-ups in the region, AFS’s Regional Partner Programme is providing a platform for new and existing Fintechs to launch, expand and scale their products across the region. The company also launched Payments Pro, an end-to-end spends management tool that provides a seamless solution for all digital payments needs.

With diverse digital payment solutions for Banks, FI’s, Corporates, Merchants and Retailers, a strong in-house technology hub and a team geared to deliver the best and the latest payments solutions at speed, 2023 is set to be an exciting year for AFS, with Soliman leading the way.

NAME: Sarah Al Suhaimi
COMPANY: Lazard
DESIGNATION: Chair MENA
INDUSTRY: Finance

A prominent figure in finance in KSA, in addition to her current role at Saudi Tadawul Holding Group (formerly the Saudi Stock Exchange Company) as the chairperson of the group board of directors, Al Suhaimi plays a key role in Lazard’s financial advisory business in the MENA region.

This established a precedent for more women to take on prominent roles in KSA and demonstrates Lazard’s accelerated efforts in the kingdom to align with Vision 2030 to diversify its economy away from oil while investing in new industries. The firm has been licensed to provide financial advisory services since 2010 and serves investment banking clients through its Riyadh office.

Prior to her role, Al Suhaimi served as the CEO of NCB Capital bank from 2014 to 2021 and was a member of the board of directors. Under her leadership, the bank executed multiple large investment banking mandates earning league table status in DCM and M&A. From 2013 to 2015, she held the role of the vice-chairperson of the Advisory Committee of the Capital Market Authority (CMA) board of directors.

Previously, she has also led the asset and wealth management division at Jadwa Investment Company, where she was also the chief investment officer and member of the Jadwa Management Committee. She is a board member of Saudi Airlines; a trustee of the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation and a We-Fi Leadership Champion.

NAME: Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri
COMPANY: Minister
DESIGNATION: Chairwoman of UAE Space Agency; Minister, UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology; Minister of State for Public Education and Future Technology
INDUSTRY: Government

A member of the UAE Prime Minister’s office, in her role in The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, Al Amiri spearheads efforts to strengthen the UAE’s industrial base through the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and through the research and development in the advanced science and technology sector, to drive the shift towards a knowledge economy.

This, in turn, contributes to the overall mandate of the Ministry to strengthen the UAE’s industrial base, ensure in-country value, and raise the competitiveness of local industries.

As the Minister of State for Advanced Technology, she was appointed as chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency in 2020, where she is responsible for guiding the Agency within the space sector, ensuring its contribution to the national economy and to the UAE’s sustainable development.

When the UAE announced its goal to send a probe to Martian orbit by 2021, the country’s 50th anniversary, Al Amiri was named deputy project manager and science lead on the mission. A first in gender representation as her team included 80 percent women, Al Amiri’s team designed the spacecraft for the mission and named it Hope.

In 2014, she led the establishment of the Advanced Aerial Systems Programme, a project that resulted in a successful 24-hour flight of the unmanned vehicle, which recorded the highest altitude of any aircraft over UAE airspace.

NAME: Dr. Sultan Al Jaber
COMPANY: Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC); UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology MENA
DESIGNATION: Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Group MD and CEO
INDUSTRY: Government

In his role as Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Dr Al Jaber oversees efforts to further expand the UAE’s industrial development as well as to promote in country value, leveraging technology as a key enabler while entering the Fourth Industrial Age.

The ministry’s core mandate is to boost industrial competitiveness and help steer economic growth industrial sectors, while embedding advanced technology at the centre of the UAE’s industrial base.

He has also spearheaded the UAE’s clean energy agenda at Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s pioneering renewable energy initiative. He was also responsible for managing, developing, and enhancing strategic geopolitical, social, and economic partnerships with several nations, as well as served as the chairman of the UAE National Media Council from 2015 to 2020.

In his current role at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) since 2016, Dr Al Jaber has led ADNOC’s foray into the global capital markets for the first time, completed the first ever IPE of an ADNOC business (ADNOC Distribution) and attracted significant FDI from strategic and private equity investors to stimulate smart growth across ADNOC’s upstream, midstream, and downstream value chain.

And to ensure ADNOC stays ahead of global energy demand and remains a key contributor to the UAE’s economy, Dr Al Jaber has prioritised the adoption of breakthrough technologies including blockchain, AI, and big data.

NAME: Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Kabeer
COMPANY: Almarai
DESIGNATION: Co-founder
INDUSTRY: Retail

An accomplished businessman, Al Kabeer is one of the founders of Almarai, the world’s largest vertically integrated dairy foods company. He is also one of the founders of Zain Saudi Telecom, UAE’s Dana Gas, and Bahrain’s Al Salam Bank.

He is also the chairman of several other companies, including Arabian Union for Cement Industries, Arabian Shield, Global Downstream Industries and Global Chemical industries. Headquartered in KSA, Almarai is ranked as the number one FMCG brand in the MENA region and a market leader across the GCC.

Identifying an opportunity to transition and expand KSA’s traditional dairy farming industry to align with the needs of a rapidly expanding domestic market, in around 1977, Al Kabeer helped launch Almarai, first with processing fresh milk and laban, expanding to modern processing plants and dairy farms.

During the early 1990s, Almarai entered a period of restructuring and reinvestment that took it from a decentralised structure to a centralised structure. By late 2005, the Group witnessed a second, larger central processing plant, incorporating a new cheese plant, and two new super farms. In the same year, Almarai transitioned from being a privately owned company to a publicly-listed company.

Today, after more than 40 years of sustainable growth, Almarai has diversified its product portfolio to include juices, bakery, and poultry under the brand names Almarai, L’usine, 7DAYS, Albashayer and Alyoum.

NAME: Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem
COMPANY: DP World
DESIGNATION: Group chairman and CEO, DP World; Chairman-Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation
INDUSTRY: Logistics

A leading businessman, Bin Sulayem’s expertise and visionary leadership has spearheaded Dubai’s rapid expansion, including free zones and ports, and has contributed toward UAE’s upward growth trajectory. He has also steered the infrastructural development supporting Dubai’s thriving tourism industry, amongst other sectors. He is a board member of the Dubai Executive Council, the Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop One, and of the UAE Federal Tax Authority.

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. This propelled it to become one of the largest global port operators and trade enablers in the world with 78 marine and inland terminals in six continents.

He also managed the rapid development of the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) into a business park of more than 7300 companies, and established Nakheel, a real estate and tourism property development firm that has created many iconic Dubai projects including The Palm, the world’s largest man-made islands.

Another achievement includes establishing and leading Istithmar World which focuses on private equity with a portfolio of investments in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East including retail, financial services, and more. He also pioneered the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), a market for gold and precious metals, diamonds and coloured stones, and other commodities.

NAME: Talal Al Dhiyebi
COMPANY: Aldar
DESIGNATION: Group CEO
INDUSTRY: Real estate

Backed by experience in asset management and diverse real estate sectors, including mixed-use, retail, residential, commercial, education and infrastructure large scale developments, previously, Al Dhiyebi has held several key senior positions within the Group, including as the chief development officer and executive director of Asset Management, amongst others.

Prior to his current role, Al Dhiyebi was responsible for undertaking various leadership roles within the company since it merged in 2013 with Sorouh. Behind multiple mega projects including Ferrari World and Yas World in Abu Dhabi, Aldar is the considered to be the largest real estate development and asset management company in Abu Dhabi.

Also the vice-chairman of Aldar Education, Al Dhiyebi is the chairman on multiple boards, including Aldar Estates, SODIC, Aldar Education, Aldar Investments, Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, Abu Dhabi Housing Authority and Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and more.

Since 2005, the company has been shaping Abu Dhabi’s urban framework with key projects that include Yas Island’s F1 circuit and Gate Towers in Shams Abu Dhabi on Al Reem Island. Aldar announced the launch of the first-of-its-kind holistic health and wellbeing residential development in the UAE in March 2023.

Located in Saadiyat Grove, ‘The Source’ will feature 204 penthouses and apartments, with design elements inspired by holistic health and wellbeing. Unique offerings for residents will include premium fitness facilities, wearables, meditation rooms, and sleep applications.

NAME: Talal Al Ajmi
COMPANY: VI Markets
DESIGNATION: Founder
INDUSTRY: Trading and finance

A young Kuwaiti entrepreneur, Al Ajmi’s passion towards financial markets and trading made him become a key figure within the field, both in Kuwait and the Middle East. He embarked upon his journey of success at an early stage during his academic years in university, where he managed couple of small family businesses with his cousins and brothers.

When he returned to Kuwait, Al Ajmi wanted to pursue his dream and opted to work at an investment company to gain more knowledge. After working for a few years, he was inspired to move forward and build his empire. He held various positions in several financial companies and eventually included the role of a financial broker which would be a steppingstone to his new career as an entrepreneur.

In 2010, he founded and established Version International Markets in Kuwait and currently holds the position of CEO and a board member at One Financial Markets, the main partner. VI Markets provide the investors in Kuwait a tailored online trading service, partnered with One Financial Markets, which was established in London in 2007.

One Financial Markets is regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and offers global presence with local expertise through its wholly owned and affiliated offices throughout the Middle East, Europe, South America and Central and Southeast Asia.

Because he believed that through education anything is possible, he had always wanted to start an initiative that served the women in Kuwait and the Middle East; knowing that they shared the same desire to enter the financial markets but were shy to open up during workshops done by the company.

So, the idea of Yasmeen came up, a forum exclusively for women designed to support female empowerment in business and the world of financial investment through bespoke educational services and outstanding personal support, tailored training and trading solutions that supports growth and pursue commercial and educational goals.

He changed the concept of trading within this market through providing them with the right education (workshops and seminars) and obtaining the FCA licenses, that insured credibility and professionalism.

“Today, any trader who wishes to link his account with any investor can do so through copy trading. This new technology will provide the market with new investors and change the market movement along with its trends” – Talal Al Ajmi

NAME: Talal Bayaa
COMPANY: Bayzat
DESIGNATION: Co-founder and CEO
INDUSTRY: Technology

Responsible for fostering the leadership and strategic management for UAE based technology startup Bayzat, after Bayaa noticed a gap in the financial products market, he launched his company alongside his school friend and now co-founder, Brian Habibi.

The platform is the first one-stop-shop to offer a real-time comparison of health insurance rates in UAE and much more. This UAE-based employee benefits platform also includes HR Administration services that help companies automate all their administrative work, from data entry to managing employee records. The duo led Bayzat to where it is today and it is now known widely as the company that provides a world-class employee experience using streamlined HR, payroll, and insurance technology.

Prior to Bayzat, Bayaa held a position at a private equity and corporate finance firm, followed by a role at an investment bank for two years. Today, steered by the duo, Bayzat is widely known as the company that provides insurance and smart HR solutions that is trusted by over 1000 companies in the UAE.

Bayzat’s Performance Management module enables regional businesses a focus on digitisation by working to simplify and empower lives with using world-class technology. The module is ideal for the UAE landscape as the nation aims to create 20 unicorns by 2031 and is already the leader in the MENA region in terms of tech transformation, digital acceleration and embracing innovative ideas.

NAME: Talal Said Marhoon Al Mamari
COMPANY: Omantel
DESIGNATION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Telecoms

With over 26 years of experience working for Omantel, Al Mamari was appointed in his current role in June 2014. Prior to his appointment, he held several leadership positions, the most recent as Omantel’s chief financial officer.

He was instrumental in several projects and projects carried out by Omantel, including leading Omantel team for the acquisition of 21.9 percent in Zain Group, the restructuring of Omantel by bringing the mobile and fixed operations together, and the full legal merger of Oman Mobile with Omantel, to name a few.

On a mission to create value for shareholders and to drive Omantel towards achieving its growth plans, Al Mamari also serves on the boards of the Al Amal Fund, the Zain Group, and the Oman Corporate Governance and Sustainability Centre.

With telecoms leveraging digital innovation at the core of strategies to meet the requirements of the future, through its subsidiary company Oman Data Park, Omantel strives toward enabling large corporates and enterprises to migrate to cloud. They are doing this by designing cost-effective solutions that streamline the customers’ operations without compromising on data security.

In April 2023, a five-year contract was signed between Omantel and Bank Dhofar to provide the bank with a wide suite of data centre offerings, ranging from co-location and connectivity solutions to bespoke hybrid solutions followed by steps for workload migration into cloudification.

NAME: Tareq Al Sadhan
COMPANY: Riyad Bank
DESIGNATION: President and CEO
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

Prior to his current role, Al Sadhan held the position of the senior executive vice president at Riyad bank. His career trajectory includes more than 18 years of experience across several key roles at KPMG Saudi Arabia, where he eventually become one of the firm’s youngest partners in its history.

During his last five years at the company, he held multiple key leadership roles, including the CEO, the managing partner, and the chairman of the advisory committee. Prior to his current position, Al Sadhan worked in KSA’s public sector, including as the deputy governor for supervision at the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA); as the advisor to the chairman in the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD); as well as the acting director general at the General Authority for Zakat and Tax (GAZT).

A member of the 2020 World Economic Forum’s Stewardship Board for the Middle East and North Africa, Al-Sadhan is also a fellow of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in addition to the Saudi Organisation for Certified Public Accountants.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Administration Science from King Saud University as well as a Master’s Degree in Business Management from École des Ponts ParisTech, France. He also holds a Diploma in International Business from the University of Edinburgh, as well as a Diploma in Leadership Development and Strategy from INSEAD.

NAME: Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi
COMPANY: Minister of State for Foreign Trade and Minister in charge of Talent Attraction and Retention, UAE Ministry of Economy
DESIGNATION: Minister
INDUSTRY: Government

Appointed to his current role following the new UAE Government structure in July 2020, Dr Al Zeyoudi was assigned a file to attract the best talents and competencies to serve the strategic direction of the UAE. He also oversees the development of non-oil foreign trade sectors and the expansion of global partnerships, in addition to enhancing the investment climate in the country, to cement its position as a major business destination at the regional and global levels.

Previously, he had held the position of Minister of Climate Change and Environment during which he supervised the implementation of the UAE’s strategies locally, advancing environment and climate actions.

He began his career as a petroleum engineer at the Abu Dhabi Marine Area Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO) following an appointment at Masdar, where he worked on the development of renewable energy technologies and solutions. His key achievements include setting the Ministry’s general policy and strategic direction concerning international trade; develop, approve and follow up on the completion of the Ministry’s strategic plan and executive programs, amongst others.

Dr Al Zeyoudi also developed the strategic direction and general national policy to attract high-quality talents and the best minds to the state, fast-track the country’s shift to a knowledge-based economy, enhance science and technology capabilities, and follow-up on their implementation in coordination with concerned federal and local authorities, amongst many others.

NAME: Waleed Al Mogbel
COMPANY: Al Rajhi Bank
DESIGNATION: Managing director, CEO and board member
INDUSTRY: Banking and finance

With over 24 years of experience working in the financial and banking sector across auditing, tax, financial and management consultation, throughout his career with Al Rajhi Bank, Al Mogbel has been helming multiple executive positions, including as the chief financial officer in 2010, and the chief operations and information technology officer in 2014.

In 2019, he was appointed as the deputy CEO of the bank and has actively participated in the accomplishment of many transformational, strategic projects for Al Rajhi Bank throughout his career. Al Mogbel is also a board member of Al Rajhi Takaful and the chairman of Emkan Finance and neoleap.

Founded in 1957, Al Rajhi Bank’s first branch opened in Aldirah, KSA, and since then, has expanded to now include 4,824 ATMs, 515 branches, and over 13 million customer accounts. With over 60 years of experience in banking and trading activities, the various individual establishments under the Al Rajhi name were merged into the umbrella Al Rajhi Trading and Exchange Corporation in 1978.

In 1988, the bank was established as a Saudi joint stock company under the name of Al Rajhi Banking and Investment Corporation which later was renamed as Al Rajhi Bank. With an established base in Riyadh, Al Rajhi Bank is deeply rooted in Islamic banking principles and is instrumental in bridging the gap between modern financial demands and Sharia intrinsic values.

NAME: Walid Hanna
COMPANY: Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP)
DESIGNATION: Founder and CEO
INDUSTRY: Venture capital

At the helm of one of the largest and most active venture capital firms in the MENA region, Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), Hanna has over 18 years of experience overseeing more than 50 VC investments. Today, MEVP is a venture capital firm focused on tech investing in MENA, with offices in Dubai, Beirut, Cairo, Riyadh, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi.

In May 2017, Mohamed Alabbar acquired a non-controlling stake in MEVP. Prior to founding MEVP, Hanna served as the CEO of Dubai International Capital’s venture division, the Arab Business Angels Network (ABAN). And prior to this, he has served on the investment-management team of Abraaj Capital.

Several key startups in the MENA region have been co-founded, invested in, led and exited by Hanna, across a wide range of industries with a focus on technology. Between 2001 and 2006, he held the role of managing partner of Orange Investment Holding, a Beirut based company.

In Lebanon, he has co-founded, invested in and led several start-ups, across a range of industries, including technology, consumer finance and hospitality. MEVP is a Middle East-focused venture capital firm that invests in the early and growth stages of innovative technology companies run by talented entrepreneurs in the Middle East. With companies including Anghami, The Luxury Closet and Wego, MEVP lists more than $300m in assets under management across four funds.

NAME: Yasir Othman Al Rumayyan
COMPANY: Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP)
DESIGNATION: Governor of Public Investment Fund (PIF) and chairman of Saudi Aramco
INDUSTRY: Government

W ith experience that encompasses over two decades working in some of KSA’s key financial institutions, Al Rumayyan embarked upon his career at Saudi Hollandi Bank as the head of international brokerage between 1999 and 2004, before joining the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) as the head of securities listings.

He has been in his current role with the PIF since 2017 and has helped spearhead their deal to buy the English football club Newcastle United, giving PIF 80 percent of the ownership in the $407m takeover. Aligned with Vision 2030, some notable examples of PIF-owned giga-projects include NEOM and The Red Sea Development Co, which has signed over 800 local and international contracts worth more than $5.3bn as of April 2022.

In his current role at PIF, Al Rumayyan has been leading all areas of operation of the sovereign wealth fund, which sits at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and economic transformation strategy.

Al Rumayyan holds key positions on the boards of some of the world’s most influential companies and organisations, most notably as the Saudi Aramco chairman since September 2019. He is also the chairman of the Decision Support Centre. He is an advisor to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia; holds board roles with Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Industrial Development Fund SoftBank Group Corp and Uber Technologies.

“The Crown Prince supports the PIF’s efforts to enable the private sector to unlock opportunities and diversify the economy by investing in new sectors, enhancing competitiveness, increasing local content, and creating new jobs in line with Vision Saudi 2030” – Yasir Othman Al Rumayyan