‘Influence’, the dictionary tells us, is defined as “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself”.
In recent years, Arabian Business has published our Arab Power List, which this year felt like it needed a reboot, an update for the more nuanced world we find ourselves in, especially post-Covid.
So this year, we unveil our Most Influential Arabs 2022 edition, which showcases just some of the individuals across the Arab world who are making a difference in the world.
This year too, we’ve endeavoured to return to our roots, our DNA, with more business figures than ever, and perhaps fewer celebrities featured – those that make the list are successful entrepreneurs and brands in their own right.
Of course, it’s important to state, that this isn’t an exhaustive list, no edition could capture in one snapshot the entirety of inspirational and influential Arabs working hard to make their mark. For every individual featured there are countless others who could, and perhaps should, have been featured.
Instead, this is 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.
| Name | Name |
|---|---|
| Abdalla Al Owais | Abdulla Al Khalifa |
| Abdallah Abu Sheikh | Abdullatif Alshamsi |
| Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair | Adel Ali |
| Abdulaziz Al Sowailim | Ahmad Al Zaini |
| Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Al Saud | Ahmed Al Qaseer |
Name: Abdalla Al Owais
Designation: Chairman
Company: Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Sector: Industry
Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Expo Centre Sharjah since May 2014, Abdalla Sultan Al Owais is also the chairman of Rawabi Emirates Group. With rich and diverse experience across various sectors, he was the vice chairman of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry since 2014, was 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.
Al Owais embarked upon his career after he graduated from the United Arab Emirates University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management in 1990. With a strong and distinguished track record, he began working in the Ministry of Economy and Commerce between 1990 and 2003. Then from 2003 to 2006, he joined the Ministry of Energy as the Deputy Minister.
Also the chairman of Al Rawabi Dairy, the UAE’s biggest dairy that was established in 1989, Al Owais has successfully steered and shaped Al Rawabi’s journey to become a pioneer dairy company in the Middle East, setting new standards across global best practices in safety standards, hygiene, health and animal welfare.
Name: Abdallah Abu-Sheikh
Designation: Co-founder and CEO
Company: Barq EV
Sector: Transport
A top tech, serial entrepreneur in the MENA region, Abdallah Abu-Sheikh is known for introducing innovative, future-ready platforms steered by digitisation, mobility, and sustainability. His previous project RIZEK, a localised digital marketplace, launched in 2020 and managed to secure $10m in funds.
His most recent venture, Barq EV, is a network of tech-driven electric vehicles developed to service the last mile delivery sector in MENA, with key solutions to the transport industry’s demand for efficiency, comfort and rider safety. His earliest projects achieved $700m in assets within three years of entering sub-Saharan Africa and were focused on renewable energy.
At the forefront of the environmentally friendly mobility sectors in the region, Barq EV builds electric vehicles that are customised for the region, boost operational efficiencies, and reduce carbon emissions.
Name: Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair
Designation: Chairman
Company: Mashreq Bank
Sector: Banking and finance
Prior to his role as chairman of the board of directors of Mashreq Bank, Al Ghurair was the CEO of Mashreq Bank for around 30 years. It was under his leadership that Mashreq Bank has vastly expanded from a small local bank to a renowned customer- centric financial institution here in the region that is known for its innovative products and services.
Al Ghurair 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 and is one of the biggest and most successful business groups in the Middle East. He holds an Honours Degree from the California Polytechnic State University (USA) in Industrial Engineering.
Previously, he 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 as co-chairman of the Arab Business Council-World Economic Forum (WEF).
He has also been a member of the board of trustees of New York University, as well as a member of the Consultative GCC Council for the GCC Leaders and President of The Knowledge Fund.
Name: Abdulaziz al Sowailim
Designation: Chairman and CEO
Company: EY MENA
Sector: Banking and finance
Abdulaziz 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 12 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. To support the career ambitions of aspiring finance professionals, he has lectured at several universities across the region, sharing his experiences and insights on the industry.
Al-Sowailim believes 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.
In March 2020, EY launched the Falcon program, an initiative focused on expediting the career journey of GCC nationals onto the EY MENA partnership track. By placing people at the centre, 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.
He also spearheaded the implementation of EY’s global sustainability program, EY Ripples, in the MENA region. It aims to positively impact the lives of one 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.
Could you share a short reaction to how your industry and business performed in 2021 – 2022?
The industry has certainly bounced back since 2020; we are now beyond navigating challenges and have been pinpointing new opportunities across the MENA region, predominantly in the GCC. The consultancy market in particular, experienced a return to growth in 2021, with KSA and the UAE seeing the most activity.
The need for advisory and transaction services grew across all industries, most notably in cybersecurity, TMT, and the public sector, as organisations looked to implement digital transformations while managing risk. With countries across the GCC slowly emerging from lockdown procedures at the end of 2020, the demand for strategy support in the entertainment and leisure sector increased in 2021.
Governments helped ease the transition back to public engagements with events such as EXPO 2020 in the UAE and the Formula 1 race in KSA. Overall, there has been a noticeable shift in approach from short-term planning back to medium and long-term planning. We are still in the midst of 2022, but barring any global or regional shake-ups, it can be expected that the momentum will continue until the end of the year.
What is your outlook for the industry and its clients for the year ahead?
For our clients across consultancy, strategy and transactions, tax, and assurance, the focus will remain on accelerating digitisation and innovation as well as launching new transformation programs. In addition, as governments look to streamline their processes while also integrating global standards, we will see an increased effort in aligning compliance solutions – particularly in the financial services sector.
Clients are also making a concerted effort to implement ESG practices within their organisations and track nonfinancial metrics. At the moment, most companies in the region are measuring impact to add value as that compliance requirements are still minimal. But as governments continue to announce sustainability efforts, those who have been deliberate in their own activities will find themselves ahead of the curve. With COP27 and COP28 both taking place in the MENA region, we can expect to see more boardrooms discuss sustainability KPIs as a necessity rather than an option.
Name: Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Al Saud
Designation: Minister of Energy, Saudi Arabia
Company: Ministry of Energy
Sector: Government
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud was appointed as the minister of Energy in September 2019 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In his role, HRH is responsible for coordinating the kingdom’s domestic and international energy policies in line with the goals of Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia. This includes managing the energy activities within the Kingdom, in addition to regulating the oil, gas, electricity, nuclear and renewables sectors in the interests of the Kingdom, both in the short and long term.
Prince Abdulaziz also directs Saudi international policy with regard to relations with producers, which includes both through OPEC and OPEC+, 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.
A wealth of experience
Prince Al Saud attained 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 Saudi Arabia. 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.
Before his role as the Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz served in several noteworthy capacities in the Ministry spanning over three decades; this includes as 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 also as an adviser to the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
Name: Abdulla Al Khalifa
Designation: Group CEO
Company: Qatar National Ban
Sector: Banking and finance
Abdulla Mubarak Al Khalifa boasts a diverse business and finance career that spans across over two decades. He has held numerous posts within the QNB banking group, including chief business officer and executive general manager, and since 2018, Al Khalifa has served as a board member for Ooredoo, Qatar’s multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Doha. His wealth of experience spans across risk management, finance, business, M&A, sales and marketing, and strategic planning.
Al Khalifa joined the company in March 1996. A graduate in the corporate banking team, he was considered a future leader and was sent to gain international experience at Chase Manhattan.
Later in 2007, he was appointed to the role of general manager for QNB’s Corporate Banking Group, and led QNB on an upward trajectory and expansion. He is also the chairman of QNB Capital which was established in 2008.
Name: Abdullatif Alshamsi
Designation: President and CEO
Company: Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT)
Sector: Education
A pioneer amongst academic leaders in the Middle East, Dr Abdullatif Alshamsi is at the helm of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in the UAE which has a student population of around 25,000 in its 16 campuses.
Alshamsi received his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Boston University in the US, and then went on to attain his Ph.D. from Duke University, USA in 1997. Prior to this role, he was the managing director of the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) for seven years, where he launched the Applied Technology High Schools, Fatima College for Health Sciences, and Abu Dhabi Polytechnic.
He started his career at UAE University as assistant professor, then he was appointed an assistant vice chancellor for Research. Later, he founded a University-wide Internship and Work Integrated Learning. AlShamsi has more than 70 research publications in world-class scientific journals.
Name: Adel Ali
Designation: CEO
Company: Air Arabia
Sector: Transport
Adel Abdullah Ali is renowned for being a forerunner in the development of modern aviation and his achievements and contribution in the wider Arab region towards air transport and the tourism sector are recognised globally. In October 2003, Air Arabia was launched and went on to become the MENA region’s first low-cost carrier and was a catalyst for a low-cost carrier niche in the market.
In addition to his role as chief executive officer of Air Arabia, Ali is also the chairman of Sharjah Information Systems Associates, Alpha Sharjah catering, Alpha Aviation Academy and Cozmo Travel. He is also a board member of Sharjah Aviation Services and is on the board of Air Arabia (Maroc), based in Casablanca’s Mohamed V International Airport and Air Arabia (Egypt), based in Alexandria’s Burj Al Arab International Airport. Today, Air Arabia’s portfolio includes tourism and hospitality services across the globe.
Name: Ahmad Al Zaini
Designation: Co-founder and CEO
Company: Foodics
Sector: Technology
Ahmad Al Zaini is the powerhouse behind Foodics, the leading cloud-based technology and payments platform for restaurants in the MENA region, based in Saudi Arabia. A serial entrepreneur by nature, Foodics is actually Al Zaini’s third venture. He observed a lack of technology in the food and beverage (F&B) sector in 2014, particularly in the ordering process, while many restaurants were also facing oher operational challenges.
Together with his co-founder, he consequently built on this idea and developed a whole tech stack over time and a fully integrated ecosystem. Al Zaini thrives on introducing new technologies that change how people interact and connect with their favourite food brands. Today, Foodics is an end-to-end restaurant management and Fintech ecosystem that empowers F&B owners and merchants to run their operations more seamlessly and efficiently, thereby fast-tracking their own business growth in the process.
Earlier this year, Foodics made its first acquisition with the full ownership of POSRocket, the second largest restaurant Cloud technology provider in MENA. He also 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. Other investors included Sequoia Capital India and existing investors including STV, Endeavor Catalyst and Vision Ventures.
With more than 500 employees, today, Foodics has grown from its Khobar beginnings to eight offices spanning Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and The Netherlands. Formally licensed as a Fintech company by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), it caters to every segment of the F&B sector from traditional dine-in restaurants, cafés, quick service restaurants, bakeries, food trucks through to cloud kitchens. Under Ahmad’s leadership, Foodics has successfully processed over 5 billion orders through the platform, making it one of the most promising SaaS companies to emerge from the MENA region.
Name: Ahmed Al Qaseer
Designation: Acting CEO
Company: Shurooq
Sector: Tourism and investment
Facilitating the growth of businesses across sectors, in addition to strengthening Sharjah’s status as a key investment, tourist and trade destination in the region, as the acting CEO of The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), Ahmed Al Qaseer plays a key role in Shurooq’s efforts to achieve world-class projects and boost efforts to foster national and foreign investments into Sharjah. He also oversees the operational execution and the management of all multi-sectoral projects under Shurooq’s portfolio, including its tourist and heritage destinations across Sharjah.
In 2006, Al Qaseer joined Al Qasba Development Office as the business development manager and later in 2008, was promoted to the role of director of business development. A key member of the team, Al Qaseer 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 the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) in 2009.
Later, he assumed the responsibility of managing Shurooq’s properties in addition to its leasing, sales and operations. as well as its operations, sales, and leasing, as the director of property management. He soon was promoted as the chief operating officer of Shurooq, and was made responsible for the operational execution of Shurooq’s portfolio of destinations and projects.
Shurooq’s latest projects
At Arabian Travel Market 2022, five projects by Shurooq were launched, including The Chedi Al Bait boutique extension, The Najd Al Meqsar Village overlooking Khorfakkan. The Lux Al Jabal Resort, a 187,000 m2 project, which will be on the slopes of the Soueifa mountain. Also, the Lux Al Bridi Resort in Al Dhaid, scheduled for a 2023 opening, in addition to the Nomad by Mysk; a collection of 20 fully-equipped trailers which will be located on Al Hamriyah Beach.
Name: Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Designation: Chairman and CEO
Company: Emirates Airline and Group
Sector: Transport
Over the past 35 years, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum has been a driving force of Dubai’s superlative economic development; particularly with successfully expanding the aviation sector which is a large facet of Dubai’s GDP. Moreover, Sheikh Ahmed has been at the forefront of formulating economic, investment and fiscal policies and strategies aligned with Dubai’s vision.
Sheikh Ahmed 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, of which he was made the chairman. Today, he is the chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, including dnata, one of the world’s premier providers of travel and air services, as well as other aviation related entities.
Sheikh Ahmed holds numerous government positions and plays an increasingly pivotal role in leading the emirate’s finance and energy sectors and has been the recipient of several accolades from various governments and multinational organisations.
An award-winning airline, Emirates has a global footprint across six continents and has been profitable for over 30 years under Sheikh Ahmed’s leadership. Dubai Duty Free has become one of the biggest single airport retail operations in the world with $2.54bn in annual sales in 2020.
He said: “Thanks to the vision and support of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Dubai Ruler, Dubai has taken proactive steps and initiatives to deal with the pandemic and enable the rapid recovery of the travel and tourism sector in the emirate.”
Name: Ahmed Mohamed Shalaby
Designation: President and CEO
Company: Tatweer Misr
Sector: Construction and real estate
Dr Ahmed Shalaby, PhD is the president and CEO of Tatweer Misr, a leading real estate development company is Egypt and a founding member of its board of directors, a position he held since mid-2014. Drawing on his extensive planning and business management experience, Shalaby supervises the day-to-day operations of the company, including the business development and the strategic planning for Tatweer Misr’s projects.
In addition to his work with Tatweer Misr, Shalaby is also a professor of Architecture and Urban Development at the Department of Architectural Engineering at Cairo University, as well as a former visiting assistant professor at the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University, USA. Shalaby also holds several prestigious positions including being co-chair of the Real Estate committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham), vice-chairman of the Real Estate Export Council, and board member at the Egyptian-Emirati Business Council.
Diverse experience
An established engineer in the field of architecture, urban development and a real estate expert in his own right, Shalaby has over 25 years of experience as an architecture consultant and in developing and managing real estate portfolios in Egypt.
Prior to the inception of Tatweer Misr, he has held several prominent positions; he worked for the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities as a technical advisor to the minister, whilst working with Al Fawares Holding where he was responsible for real estate investments.
After that he spent a year working at El Mostakbal for Urban Development, where he held the position of advisor to the chairman. During his time with El Mostakbal, Shalaby played an integral role in the development of Mostakbal City; one of the largest mixed-use urban developments in the New Cairo area.
Name: Ajlan Alajlan
Designation: Chairman
Company: Ajlan & Bros
Sector: Diversified
Considered an international pioneer in the manufacturing of traditional men’s clothes, as well as textiles and readymade clothes in KSA and the Arab Gulf countries, Ajlan bin Abdul Aziz Alajlan has steered the Group on an upward trajectory of growth and expansion.
Established originally as a textile business in 1979, a segment where it remains a key player in the Middle East region, Ajlan & Bros is also considered to be one of the biggest investment and commercial groups in the Kingdom. With its main office located in Riyadh, today, it employs over 10,000 people in 10 countries across 70 companies.
With 40 years of work spanning across the commercial, industrial and investment fields, Ajlan also holds several positions/memberships including chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federation of GCC Chambers; chairman of the Federation of Saudi Chambers; and the chairman of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
He is also a member of the Council of Riyadh Region; member of the Board of Directors of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology; 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.
Others include chairman of Economy and Development Committee in the Council of Riyadh Region; chairman of Dispute Resolution Commission, that arise between Chambers in the Council of Saudi Chambers, in addition to the chairman of the Development Initiatives Committee at the Council of Saudi Chambers.
A diversified portfolio
In line 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, and 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.
Name: Akbar Al Baker
Designation: Chairman
Company: Qatar Airways Group
Sector: Transport
A key figure in the global aviation industry, Akbar Al Baker’s vision and commitment enabled the transformation of Qatar Airways to transform from a small regional carrier into one of the world’s leading airlines in just 20 years. Today, Qatar Airways flies one of the most state-of-the-art fleets serving over 130 destinations across six continents.
Al Baker is also 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.
Born in Doha, Al Baker is a graduate in Economics and Commerce and worked at various levels in the Civil Aviation Directorate before being made responsible for launching Qatar Airways in 1997.
In April 2022, Qatar Airways launched Qverse, a virtual reality experience for visitors to the airline’s website and boasts 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. Al Baker has a private pilot’s license and is also the chairman of Qatar Tourism.
Name: Alain Bejjani
Designation: CEO
Company: Majid Al Futtaim (MAF)
Sector: Retail
Dubai-based lifestyle conglomerate operating in 17 countries and 13 diverse industries, Alain Bejjani has been instrumental in transforming the business to be ‘fit-for-purpose’ and sustainably serve the 560m customers visiting its destinations annually. Since the start of his tenure as CEO since February 2015, Bejjani has taken the company from strength to strength, increasing its geographic footprint, profits, revenues, and employment.
Amplifying its position as the leading privately-owned conglomerate across the region, he has firmly positioned MAF for long-term growth and success. With several key achievements under his helm, he launched the MAF School of Analytics & Technology, a platform for leadership in understanding, predicting and responding to customer preferences.
A trained lawyer, he was also the vice president of Legal and head of Business Development for MAF Properties, which is the company’s largest operating business. With a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Law and a Master’s degree in Civil and Corporate Law from Université Paris-Est Créteil, Bejjani was selected as co-chair of the World Economic Forum 2020 Stewardship Board for the MENA region.
Name: Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud
Designation: Chairman
Company: Kingdom Holding Company (KHC)
Sector: Investment
An international businessman and global investor, HRH Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud 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 brand and strategic regional interests. Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, KHC was founded in 1980, publicly traded since 2007, and is known for its diversified portfolio of global powerhouse brands and high performance regional investments.
A few of its international investment segments include mobility solutions, digital technology and social media (Lyft, Careem, JD.com, Twitter), media and entertainment (NewsCorp, 21st Century Fox, Euro Disney S.C.A., Time Warner), and finance (Citigroup, Saudi Fransi Bank). KHC also has ownership or interests in luxury hotels and hospitality management, including the George V in Paris, the Plaza Hotel in New York and London’s Savoy Hotel.
Global hotel brands include the Fairmont Raffles, Movenpick, Swissotel and Accor, while in KSA, real estate interests include the Kingdom Tower in Riyadh and investments in petrochemicals with Tasnee; education, healthcare with Kingdom Hospital, as well as aviation (NAS Saudi Arabia).
Alwaleed Philanthropies
For over three decades, Alwaleed Philanthropies has worked on supporting initiatives in four key areas, which includes empowering women and youth; bringing cultures together; providing vital disaster relief; and lastly, developing communities, especially in the education, health, and infrastructure sectors.
Known as ‘philanthropy without boundaries’, the group has supported and initiated projects in over 164 countries irrespective of race, religion, or gender. According to its official website, over $4bn has been spent on social welfare, with over 1,004 completed projects, spanning over 189 countries.
Name: Amina Al Rostamani
Designation: Board member and director
Company: AW Rostamani Group (AWR)
Sector: Diversified
Executive board member, shareholder and director at AW Rostamani Group, Dr. Amina Al Rostamani is also the COO of the group, overseeing its HR, IT and strategy functions. Also heading the group’s properties division, she is the CEO of AWR Properties.
She is also active across several boards in other sectors, some of which include her roles as non-executive board members at HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, Al Jalila Foundation, Sandooq Al Watan, Dubai Chambers, Dubai Media Council, and Ajman University’s Board of Trustees; in addition to her role as an advisory board member at Tharawat Family Business Forum.
With degrees at both the Bachelor and Master levels, as well as a PhD in Engineering from George Washington University, Washington DC, Al Rosatamani is a recognised expert on wireless technologies, and her work has been published in several leading journals and publications.
A conglomerate of 14 companies across seven distinct sectors, this includes leading multinational brands in travel and consultancy, automotive, logistics, retail, real estate, construction, and information technology. This family-owned business was launched in the 1950s in Dubai, and today, AWR Holding have grown to become one of the most progressive and innovative business houses in the region, defined by its core values: excellence, integrity and commitment.
Name: Amin Nasser
Designation: President and CEO
Company: Saudi Aramco
Sector: Energy
Amin H. Nasser leads the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals enterprise, and 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.
One of these positions 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 under Nasser’s leadership is now building on its upstream leadership position with key investments and joint-venture partnerships in the Kingdom by bolstering its presence in the downstream and chemicals segments of the petroleum value chain.
He is also heading Saudi Aramco’s ambitions to create cleaner energy and products through investments in promising technologies, including renewable energy applications, next-generation fuel-engine interfaces, crude oil-to-chemicals processes and entrepreneurial start-ups aimed at cleaner energy solutions. Nasser is also leading industry-wide efforts to minimise greenhouse gas emissions, such as the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI).
A champion of Saudi youth advancement and development
Actively engaged in the advancement of people through education and training, Nasser champions the advancement and development of Saudi youth and is an active supporter of the company’s Young Leader’s Advisory Board (YLAB), a program which connects Saudi Aramco leadership with its young professionals. With a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; in 2020, he received The Chemists’ Club Kavaler Award by ICIS, and was named as Energy Intelligence’s Energy Executive of the Year.
He is also a member of the International Advisory Board of the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals; the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council (IBC), the Board of Trustees of the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology; the JP Morgan International Council, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Presidential CEO Advisory Board.
Name: Anas Jwaied
Designation: VP and GM Emerging Marketing
Company: Micro Focus
Sector: Technology
As the VP and GM for emerging markets within Micro Focus, Anas Jwaied oversees a region encompassing over 100 countries across the Middle East & Africa (MEA), as well as Eastern Europe (CEE), Israel, Russia, CIS and Brazil. With 27 years of key management roles leading diverse teams within the technology sector across Four continents, and having held several executive positions at Hewlett Packard and Hewlett Packard enterprise, Jwaied was entrusted during the 2017 spin merger (of HPE and Micro Focus) with the role of managing director for Micro Focus MEA.
Today, Jwaied puts forward exhaustive knowledge of both the public and private sector industries, and draws upon diverse successes along key clients; namely, telecoms and service providers, financial services and banking, oil and gas, healthcare and utility services, manufacturing and distribution. Jwaied continues to build on these continuous successes to further align his regional teams, partners and customers while they evolve through their digital transformation journey and co-create the ‘new normal’ post-Covid era.
Core expertise
Just some ofJwaied’s core expertise includes Software and Enterprise IT business, sales leadership and management, professional service and support, channel and alliances, OEM, General, P&L management, HP leadership roles across Europe, Middle East & Africa, as well as account management and technical sales.
He is also an expert in system integration as well as direct and indirect sales management. From February 1995 to January 2000, Jwaied was the business manager of the HP Software Network and System Management, he later moved to Software Sales and Business manager, Middle East and North Africa from February 2000 to October 2001. He went from strength to strength as he was appointed as regional sales director of HP Software, Middle East in from 2001 to 2007.
Next, he went from VP of Sales Software, Middle East, Mediterranean & Africa (MEMA), vice president of HP Software, Alliances and Channel Business, EMEA region with a dual role as head of HPE software, Central Eastern Europe and Israel (CEE&I) region, Hewlett Packard enterprise; Upon the Spin/Merge of HPE and Micro Focus in 2017, Jwaied became the Managing Director of Micro Focus MEA into his current role at from November 2020.
Career highlights
With more than two decades of digital transformation successes with corporate enterprise, commercial, small, and medium business, Jwaied has robust knowledge and a deep passion for go-to-market strategies as well as driving and sustaining long-term sustainable growth plans. Anchored in a solid academic and professional training foundation, he holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Computer and Communication Engineering in addition to regular leadership and senior executive programs.
Jwaied brings strong leadership enterprise to the table as well as expertise within myriads market and capacities and has a proven track record of board market and sales experience of delivering and executing highly effective solutions. Continuously working to seek, identify and innovate systems and processes for generating incremental revenue streams, Jwaied has resided in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and currently resides in Dubai.
Proud to have visited over 80 countries, in addition to travelling, Jwaied is passionate about exploring and practicing various sports and physical activities such as motorsport, Padel, hunting, camping, and horseback riding. His unique leadership style dips into considerable international experience and multicultural awareness and he is known to energise teams to achieve high-performance results while still maintaining the individual at the centre of the operation. As a people-led individual, Jwaied does not manage; rather he coaches sales excellence.
Name: Areej Darwish
Designation: Chairperson
Company: MHD ACERE
Sector: Diversified
Areej Mohsin Haider Darwish embarked upon her career with MHD LLC in 1994, and has had an upwardly steady corporate career trajectory since then. Through meticulous planning, sound leadership, determination, and foresight, under Darwish’s leadership, the business has grown to new heights. 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 business partners.
Currently chairperson of Areej Vegetable Oils & Derivatives SAOC & Duqm United Logistics, she is also a board member of Muscat University, Unicef Leadership Circle & Dar Al Atta. Aligned with Oman Vision 2040, for the future, Darwish is exploring possibilities of further diversification and believes in continuing the quest for excellence by preparing themselves to keep pace with the fast-paced business environment. MHD LLC has been the recipient of several awards, including Menaa Award for Best Corporate Brand Award in 2019.
Name: Ashraf El Afifi
Designation: President
Company: Henkel IMEA
Sector: Industry
President of Henkel in India, Middle East and Africa and the corporate senior vice president of the Laundry & Home Care High Growth Region (Middle East/Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America), Ashraf El Afifi joined Henkel Egypt in 1992 as a brand manager in his home country and worked his way through the ranks on an upward trajectory.
At just age 34, he was appointed as the managing director of Henkel Egypt. El Afifi has been with Henkel for 30 years in various roles and countries, including two assignments in the Henkel headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany.
In the role of regional president for IMEA since 2010, El Afifi was the first leader from an Emerging Market to be promoted to the top management level within Henkel in 2011. A graduate from the American University in Cairo in 1991, El Afifi also attained several certificates from leading international business schools including Harvard Business School and INSEAD.
Henkel’s presence in the region
In addition to his IMEA role, El Afifi is heading the Henkel Laundry and Home Care businesses in Latin America and Asia Pacific. As part of his combined responsibilities, El Afifi oversees over 25 countries with a large scope of cultural and business diversity.
Over the past decade, he has contributed to reinforce the company’s presence in the IMEA region which has grown significantly to reach almost $2bn revenue in 2021. In line with Henkel’s Purpose, in 2019, Henkel partnered with Dubai Municipality’s Children’s City to launch a permanent science lab for children in Dubai.
As a partner of the cultural program of the German Pavilion at Expo 2020, Dubai Henkel worked towards motivating children to become resilient problem solvers and innovative thinkers. In addition, Henkel has led sustainability initiatives in Egypt, including recycling and clean living in collaboration with the renowned organisation, Plastic Bank.
Name: Ayman Jamal
Designation: Founder and producer
Company: Barajoun Entertainment
Sector: Media
With considerable expertise in developing and producing branded entertainment, media content, documentaries and animation, Ayman Jamal’s first full animation film was driven by Jamal’s passion for storytelling and sharing Bilal, which narrates a story about faith, hope and courage. Bilal drew enormous applause and gained recognition and awards worldwide since its release in 2016 and the film won Best Inspiring Movie on Animation Day at Cannes.
His ultimate goal is to present real heroes to the world, heroes that history has forgotten in order to inspire all mankind and present a new direction for animation movies appealing for all generations. Under Jamal’s creative ingenuity, Barajoun has developed its own style for lighting and texturing that differentiates it from other studios.
Based in Dubai, Barajoun was created from a juxtaposition of art and innovative technologies with storytelling. As a leading animation and visual effects studio, Barajoun covers an entire spectrum of animation and CGI production, from concept design to final render output. Underpinned by a goal to contribute to the development of the filmmaking industry in the region, Barajoun is the first animated studio of its kind in the Middle East. Jamal was included as one of the top 10 filmmakers in the Arab world in the May 2016 issue of Variety Magazine.
Name: Aziz Fakhroo
Designation: Group managing director and CEO
Company: Ooredoo
Sector: Telecoms
Spearheading the growth of Ooredoo Group, Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo is the managing director and CEO of Ooredoo Group since November 2020 and a board member of Ooredoo Group since 2011. Prior to his current role, he served as deputy under-secretary 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. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from ESLSCA University, Egypt, in Business Administration.
An award-winning international communications company operating across the MENA and Southeast Asia, Ooredoo is a Qatari multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Doha, Qatar. Serving consumers and businesses in 10 countries, with a consolidated customer base of over 121 million subscribers, in 2021, Ooredoo Group witnessed noteworthy deals, including a $750m telecommunication tower deal with Edge Point Indonesia as well as the $6bn merger with CKK Hutchinson in Indonesia.
Name: Badr Jafar
Designation: CEO
Company: Crescent Enterprises
Sector: Industry
In addition to his role as CEO, Badr Jafar is also the chairman of Gulftainer, the largest privately owned container port operator in the world; and Pearl Petroleum, a partnership between Crescent 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, Jafar 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 Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa) and Gaza Sky Geeks. He attended Eton College and earned a Master’s Degree in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, as well as a Master of Studies from the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School.
Engaged with higher education institutions
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. Badr founded the non-profit Middle East Theatre Academy (META) to motivate the region’s youth to express their talents through writing, directing, producing and acting.
Name: Dani Richa
Designation: Chairman and CEO MEA
Company: BBDO Worldwide
Sector: Media and marketing
With over three decades of experience in the advertising and marketing industry, Dani 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.
As a trailblazer and highly respected member of the international advertising community, in his 30 years with the group, Richa also served as the president and regional chief creative officer of Impact BBDO, transforming the agency into a strong regional leader with an extensive footprint stretching from Algeria to Pakistan.
Originally from Lebanon, Richa has resided in Dubai since 2009 and has worked for BBDO Worldwide for over two decades after becoming a partner in 1995. He was also featured in the Arabian Business magazine’s Power 500 list in 2011.
Name: Eaman Al Roudhan
Designation: CEO
Company: Zain Kuwait
Sector: Telecoms
Eaman Al Roudhan was appointed CEO of Zain Kuwait in December 2015. A results-focused telecommunications executive, Al Roudhan has over 25 years of experience spent in various executive management and leadership roles within Zain Kuwait as well as several Zain Group affiliates. Prior to her new appointment, Al Roudhan was the chief regulatory officer of Zain Group.
Al Roudhan’s successful career at Zain started in the Kuwait operation, where she launched the first mobile prepaid service in the country. Al Roudhan is a member in a number of international standards and regulatory bodies such as the GSMA Arab World regional interest group and the GSMA Chief Regulatory Officer Group (CROG).
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from Kuwait University and has attended programmes at Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT).
Name: Elda Choucair
Designation: CEO
Company: Omnicom Media Group MENA
Sector: Media and marketing
Elda Choucair is the CEO of Omnicom Media Group MENA, the media services division of the Omnicom Group. As the industry changes beyond recognition at light speed, Choucair is tasked with retooling and reconfiguring the services and talent of the agency for optimum performance in the new world.
She has championed multiple projects to accelerate the group’s transformation, including technological developments in automation, predictive modelling and eCommerce, and has passionately engineered the highest calibre of training and upskilling curricula required for its agencies and people to thrive.
A 15-year veteran at the group, Choucair has held senior account positions at OMD and led PHD for more than 10 years. Under her leadership, PHD grew sevenfold and became a key player in the region. Choucair’s remit expanded in 2019 to COO of the holding group before she was promoted to CEO in 2021.
Name: Elham Mahfouz
Designation: CEO
Company: Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK)
Sector: Banking and finance
As one of the most renowned and prominent women in Kuwait, in addition to her current role, Elham 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 working with several Kuwaiti financial institutions, Mahfouz has held top-executive positions, including as general manager of their New York Branch, acting general manager of International Banking, and in December 2010, 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. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo.
CBK is an intrinsic player in Kuwait’s burgeoning economy, offering mega project finance to retail banking and more.
Name: Elie Habib
Designation: Co-founder and CTO
Company: Anghami
Sector: Media
Known as the region’s Spotify, but better, Anghami is the MENA region’s leading freemium music streaming service. Elie Habib recognised a wide gap in a proper digital music service in late 2012 and seizing the opportunity, Habib and 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 160 employees with offices in Dubai, Beirut, Riyadh and Cairo. In addition to around 200K Arabic and International podcasts, Anghami provides over 57 million Arabic and international songs to stream and download to more than 80 million users in MENA, Europe and USA.
A pioneer of the region, 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 Saudi Arabia.
Another win for Anghami took place on 4 February 2022 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
Designation: Founder
Company: Womena
Sector: Entrepreneurship
Elissa Freiha initially launched the platform Womena as an angel investor in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and has since then, evolved into a women-centric content and media production company. Having invested in over 35 companies, Freiha is driven by a passion for education, deal-making and female empowerment in the UAE’s SME space.
Womena works to empower women-led startups and increase the number of women entrepreneurs in the regional ecosystem. Through both social networking and through its regional events, the platform aims to build, connect and inspire a growing network of purpose-driven entrepreneurs, investors, leaders and creatives.
She is also the executive producer at Womentum; a collaboration with Standard Chartered Bank and accelerator programme that supports female entrepreneurs across sectors, including technology, retail and pharmaceuticals in the MENA. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from the American University of Paris.
A platform focused on collaboration, impact and innovation, Womena is making investment more accessible and valuable in that every new member and every new investment helps to redefine the role of women in business. With over 13,000 members from across 25 countries, Womena creates documentaries, articles, podcasts and photography.
Name: Essa Kazim
Designation: Governor
Company: Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)
Sector: Banking and finance
Essa Kazim embarked upon his career in the Research and Statistics Department of the UAE Central Bank in 1988 as a senior analyst. 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 the Board of Etisalat, chairman of DIFC Authority Board of Directors, chairman of DIFC Investments Board of Directors, and a board member of the Free Zones Council. He also serves as a board member for multiple international and regional educational institutions.
The launch of Studio Launchpad
On April 2022, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) announced the launch of Studio Launchpad, the world’s first venture studio platform which is a key part of DIFC’s efforts to achieve the goals of its 2030 strategy. Supported by an international group of venture building experts, digital asset pioneers and emerging technology strategists. Studio Launchpad is designed to attract and engage a consortium of leading start-up and corporate venture studios.
With this initiative, Dubai will become the leading hub for venture building in MEASA and join cities like San Francisco, New York, Berlin and Paris. Over the next 5 years, over 20 studios will setup in the DIFC and are expected to launch over 200 new ventures of which over 100 will be scale-ups and 10 will gain unicorn status. Together they will create over 8,000 innovation jobs in Dubai and attract over AED2bn in venture capital.
The future of finance is bigger than any single company, government, or individual. DIFC is creating an environment where world-class entrepreneurs, leading venture studios and forward-looking corporations come together to imagine a new world where financial services are digitised, decentralised and ubiquitous.
Name: Fadi Ghandour
Designation: Executive chairman
Company: Wamda Capital
Sector: Investment
One of the most pivotal investors in the Middle East and North Africa’s burgeoning start-up scene, Fadi Ghandour is the executive chairman of Wamda Capital and also the founder of Aramex. Wamda Capital is a venture capital firm with a $75m (AED 275m) growth fund that not only invests in early stage tech start-ups, but also establishes entrepreneurship ecosystems across the region.
Preceding this, Ghandour 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, employing more than 15,000 people. Still active on the Aramex board, as a first, Ghandour took Aramex public; first to Nasdaq and then on Dubai Financial market.
A serial entrepreneur
Underpinned by an entrepreneurial spirit, Ghandour has perpetually been a part of investing, founding and launching other companies and non-profits 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 still supports Al-Riyadi, one of the leading not-for-profit sports clubs in Jordan. He also served and continues to serve on several global and regional boards of companies, education institutions and non-profits.
About Wamda
Wamda accelerates entrepreneurship ecosystems throughout the MENA region by joining Wamda’s multi-stage, sector-agnostic investment vehicle, focused on partnering with high growth technology or technology-enabled startups, as well as the leading knowledge platform offering integrated programmes including thought leadership and research, community development, Wamda’s fellowship programme Wamda X, as well as corporate and government advisory services to the various stakeholders of the MENA startup ecosystem.
Name: Fahad Al Hassawi
Designation: CEO
Company: Du
Sector: Telecoms
An expert in commercial strategy and organisational development, Fahad Al Hassawi has over 20 years of career experience. He first embarked upon his career with du in the role of executive vice president of human resources. Four years later, he transitioned into the role of chief human resources and shared services officer until 2013 when he assumed responsibility as the chief commercial officer. On an upward trajectory, Al Hassawi then served as the deputy CEO since October 2017.
In the middle of 2021, he transitioned to the role of CEO. Prior to joining du, Al Hassawi worked with Emirates for seven years across a diverse range of roles, including performance development manager. Du is 50.12 percent owned by Emirates Investment Authority, 19.7 percent by Emirates International Telecommunications, 10.06 percent by Mubadala Investment Company with the remaining shares in public hands.
Name: Faisal Al Bannai
Designation: Chairman of the board
Company: EDGE
Sector: 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 ATRC. 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 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, 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.
Name: George Richani
Designation: Group CEO
Company: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait
Sector: Banking and finance
With over 37 years of extensive banking experience, Georges Richani joined ABK as the Group CEO in November 2020. Prior to his role at ABK, Richani was instrumental in the expansion and success of the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK).
In 2012, he was appointed as the CEO of the Group of Overseas Branches and Subsidiaries, and led the company to become one of the leading Kuwaiti banks in the region. NBK offers a wide range of financial and banking services and products across all its markets in Kuwait, Egypt and the UAE, with operations spanning four continents, across in 15 countries.
Also a member of numerous senior-level management committees at NBK, Richani has served as a board member of several subsidiaries. With over 37 years of banking experience in treasury and capital market investment management as well as international credit, and more; he holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the American University of Beirut as well as a Master’s degree with honours in Business Administration in Finance from City, University of London, UK, in 1997.
About ABK Group
With a vision focused on reimagining ‘Simpler Banking’ and a workforce of more than 2000 employees, ABK endeavours to deliver speed and convenience through its network in Kuwait, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. Headquartered in Kuwait City, Kuwait, 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 continues to enjoy strong credit ratings and has been ranked by Global Finance as one of the top 10 safest banks in the Middle East region. ABK is established as a leader in infrastructure financing in Kuwait which is a key component of Kuwait Vision 2035.
In 2015, ABK expanded into Egypt and now has a presence in most of the Egyptian governorates through its network of branches. ABK Egypt offer services to retail, corporate, as well as small and medium enterprise customers.
In the UAE, ABK has two full service branches located in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and one wholesale banking branch in the DIFC while in Kuwait, its home territory, ABK has 29 centrally located branches in addition to more than 40 branches in Egypt.
Through its subsidiary, Ahli Capital Investment Company, the Bank provides a wide range of financial services such as asset management, portfolio management, wealth management, investment banking, custody and consultative services.
A regional banking hub with ABK-DIFC
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. 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, it also bolsters DIFC’s position as the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region’s global financial centre.
An upgrade that aligns with the bank’s expansion strategy, this positions ABK-DIFC as a regional offshore banking hub with the ability to serve financial institutions, multinational and institutional clients.
Also, ABK-DIFC recorded significant growth in the number of clients from the GCC as well as leading blue-chip entities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The ABK-DIFC upgrade also reinforces ABK’s growth strategy as from its establishment, their staff has increased by almost 60 percent and by 2026, the number of employees is expected to quadruple. This reflects the inspiring work environment provided by DIFC, coupled with the best international standards that promote growth and expansion.
Name: Ghaith Al Ghaith
Designation: CEO
Company: Flydubai
Sector: Transport
Culminating his 23-year career as executive vice-president commercial operations worldwide at Emirates Airline, Ghaith Al Ghaith was selected by the Dubai government to head budget carrier Flydubai, since its launch on 1 June 2009.
A hands-on leader, Al Ghaith has implemented products and pioneering technologies to improve the passenger experience, while ensuring that costs remain low. Prior to this role, he was the executive vice-president for commercial operations worldwide for Emirates, a role he held for 14 years.
Flydubai has created a network of more than 95 destinations served by a fleet of 63 aircraft. It operates a single fleet-type of 63 Boeing 737 aircraft and since its inception, boasts multiple noteworthy milestones. The company launched over 70 new routes that were either not served by a UAE national carrier or did not have air links to Dubai.
Name: Habib Wehbi
Designation: Chairman and CEO
Company: W Ventures Holding
Sector: Media and marketing
‘Be different, be daring, be anything that will translate your vision into success,’ is how Habib Wehbi grew his first business 27 years ago into W Ventures, a holding operating in a wide variety of industries, and managing a diversified portfolio in three major sectors, through its subsidiaries: W Group in Out-of-Home Media & Technology, BMI in Manufacturing, and W Invest in Start-ups with a focus on Tech. W Ventures Holding was made possible with the support of their major strategic partners who believe in their vision, trust their deliverables, and share their goals.
Leading the digital transformation across the region
Established in 1999, W Group works on digitising and optimising brand-consumer experiences, while transforming their media assets into technologically led and state-of-the-art landmarks. The Group’s mission is to transform the current advertising industry into a top-tier futuristic, experiential ecosystem.
W Group manages and invests in DOOH media and technologies, leading the digital transformation in the region through its subsidiaries Hypermedia and DigitAll, which began as a pioneer digital signage consultancy start-up back in 2014 that has grown into a Smart & Creative Solutions company that presents technologies for digital OOH interactions with high ROI.
Today, DigitAll invests in smart and connected technologies to expand services in measurable digital communication tools. It has also revolutionised Hypermedia’s most impactful DOOH media network in the UAE, using the latest technologies to leverage brand-consumer experience, through data analytics & measurements, programmatic DOOH and smart solutions.
Hypermedia obtained the advertising rights from RTA for the Dubai Metro project for the subsequent next 10 years, the biggest OOH strategic partnership in the country.
Aside from venturing in the media and communication sector, BMI HOLDING serves as the industrial arm of the group, partnered with RELY Industries in the UAE and KSA, one of the largest production powerhouses of its kind in the region in custom fabrication.
How did your industry and business performed in 2021-22?
We are all aware of the fact that DOOH is going to dominate the industry in the coming few years; therefore, we have dedicated a lot of time in the past few years to improving our capabilities to offer new solutions and opportunities to our clients. We positioned Hypermedia as the ‘OOH Media Tech Company’, through investing in new product and service innovations to enhance media environment in the region by using latest technology and data analytics tools.
As for DigitAll which started as a pioneer digital signage consultancy start-up back in 2014, has grown into a Smart & Creative Solutions company that presents technologies for digital OOH interactions with high ROI. Today, DigitAll invests in smart and connected technologies to expand services in measurable digital communication tools.
What is your outlook for the industry for the year ahead?
In such an aggressive market, we need to be ready to venture into new, uncharted territories. We must keep up with upcoming technologies and solutions that can distinguish us among our peers. In this transformative phase, W Group’s subsidiaries (Hypermedia and DigitAll) will be leading the charge in revolutionising the DOOH industry with the eventual aim of positioning the group as the leading tech company in media in the MENA region.
We have completed the digitisation phase of all our media assets, which is a large inventory, and integrated our high-tech solutions to better reach target audiences. We are also spearheading the programmatic DOOH endeavour along with a pool of smart media solutions that would provide our partners with data analytics and measurement tools. Our aim is to sustain our campaigns with a full 360-degree media experience to engage marketers with their consumers.
What is one key challenge the business has faced during the year and how is it being tackled?
In recent years, we were faced with several global ‘forces majeures’ that put us at an inevitable crossroad. We either had to pack up and go home or adapt and survive. But possessing the challenge-driven mind-set, we carved our own third lane and decided to expand and grow.
We drove-in new business opportunities, expanded our team – our biggest asset – and went head-first to tackle our obstacles during the Covid pandemic. One should be a firm believer in the people to face any crisis. When deadlocks occur, they force us to think and look for great opportunities that lie in every crisis.
Name: Hana Al Rostamani
Designation: Group CEO
Company: First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)
Sector: Banking and finance
An accomplished C-suite executive with over 20 years of experience in banking and financial services, Hana Al Rostamani, group chief executive officer, First Abu Dhabi Bank, previously served as the deputy group chief executive officer and head of personal banking at FAB, the UAE’s largest and safest financial institution.
As of September 2021, FAB’s total assets were noted at $268bn, and with her astute leadership and fresh perspectives, continues to lead the transformation of FAB’s consumer bank with a focus on inculcating a customer and digital-first mindset. Al Rostamani has also served as an independent director at du as well as was the vice chairperson of Emirates Institute for Banking & Financial Services.
Named group CEO of FAB in January 2021, Al Rostamani is the only female group CEO of a major UAE-headquartered bank and publicly listed corporation within the UAE. Her forward-thinking approach and leadership excellence have steered the FAB brand towards expansion internationally throughout the Middle East with the acquisition of assets such as the Egyptian division of Bank Audi, a Lebanese bank.
A graduate of George Washington University in the US, she currently chairs FAB Private Bank Suisse and is a member of the IMD Foundation Board and the MasterCard Advisory board, and also sits on her family business AW Rostamani Group’s board of directors.
Name: Hassan Al Thawadi
Designation: Secretary General
Company: Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy
Sector: Construction and real estate
Hassan Al Thawadi is the secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which is the organisation accountable to organising both private entities and public entities to guarantee that all of the infrastructure and development projects are punctually delivered for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Prior to his appointment in March 2011 as secretary general, he held the role as chief executive officer in Qatar’s 2022 Bid Committee, in which he worked closely with Bid Chairman, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, promoting Qatar’s ultimately successful objective to bring the FIFA World Cup to the Middle East for the first time.
Additionally, Al Thawadi serves as the chief executive officer of the recently created Local Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup in 2022; which is responsible for staging and organising the event.
He holds roles on several boards and committees at Qatar University’s College of Business and Economics, Msheireb Properties and Hassad Foods, Qatar Chamber for Commerce and Industry and Qatar International Islamic Bank.
A graduate in law from the University of Sheffield, he previously served as general counsel for Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Qatar Holding, entities both founded in 2005 by the State of Qatar to reinforce the national economy by growing Qatar’s long-term strategic investments and by diversifying into new asset classes.
Name: Hatem Dowidar
Designation: Group CEO
Company: e&
Sector: Telecoms
At the helm of e&, Etisalat Group’s recently launched new brand identity, Hatem Dowidar joined Etisalat Group in September 2015 as group chief operating officer and was appointed as chief executive officer, International of Etisalat Group in March 2016. He sits on the subsidiaries’ boards in Morocco, Egypt and Pakistan.
Prior to joining Etisalat Group, Dowidar was the group chief of staff for Vodafone Group based in London, reporting to Vodafone Group CEO. He brings 30 years of experience in multinational companies, and more than 24 years of these within the telecommunications industry across various leadership positions in multinational companies. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and Electronics Engineering from Cairo University and an MBA from the American University in Cairo.
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 kept the business growing with benchmark 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.
Name: Helal AlMarri
Designation: Director general
Company: Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism
Sector: Government
His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri is the Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism. He is a member of the Executive Council of Dubai, a member of the Board of Directors of the Investment Corporation of Dubai and also the Director General of the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA).
Almarri is chairman of Dubai Financial Market and is a board member at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Emaar Properties and Taaleem, and also served as a member of the Supreme Committee of the Expo 2020. Almarri’s responsibilities span enhancing Dubai’s positioning as the preferred destination for investment, business and leisure and for developing and strengthening the emirate’s economy.
Almarri holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the London Business School (LBS). Almarri is a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and previously worked at consulting firms, McKinsey and KPMG.
Strengthening Dubai’s competitive edge
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 and make it the world’s best city to live in and work. Also, 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.
It is also responsible for increasing the value of Dubai’s industrial sector to the economy by 150 percent in the next five years, expanding export markets for local products by 50 percent and increasing the number of tourists coming to Dubai by 40 percent to 25 million visitors by 2025, according to an official government statement.
In his capacity, Al Marri is mandated to manage various sides of the business including exhibitions and conferences; real estate; and hospitality – all collectively driving towards the company’s growth strategy in line with Dubai’s vision to create a global platform for business and tourism.
Name: Huda Kattan
Designation: Founder and CEO
Company: Huda Beauty
Sector: Retail
Dubai-based businesswoman best known for founding Huda Beauty in 2013, Kattan also co-founded the fragrance range Kayali in November 2018 and the Wishful Skincare line in 2020. Named as the most hyped celebrity brand in 2022 by Cosmetic Business, in 2020 and 2021, Huda Beauty was named the world’s most in-demand makeup brand by Cosmetify.
A lifelong passion for beauty led Kattan to enrol at a prestigious makeup training school in Los Angeles, cultivating a roster of clientele including A-list celebrities and a royal family. Soon after, 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.
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 led her to expand the range to include liquid lipsticks, lip contour pencils, and more.
A global cosmetics line valued at $1.2bn, Kattan currently has over 50 million followers on Instagram. In 2021, the 38-year-old makeup mogul took a stand against promoting unrealistic beauty standards following the launch of her skincare line, Wishful – a campaign that featured company staff, including Huda, without makeup, filters, or editing.
Name: Hussain Sajwani
Designation: Founder
Company: Damac Properties
Sector: Construction and real estate
After identifying a gap in the market, Hussain Sajwani established DAMAC Properties in 2002 which today, has expanded to become one of the region’s largest property development companies with projects in several global cities, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Baghdad, Jeddah, Riyadh, Amman, Doha, Beirut, Miami and London.
DAMAC Properties has one of the best track records in the luxury property development market and to date having delivered over 39,400 homes with 28,000 in various stages of planning and progress. Sajwani has been listed by Arabian Business as one of the most powerful Arabs in the world.
In addition to being an evolved investor and businessman, Sajwani has robust experience in global equity, capital markets, hospitality, retail, luxury fashion and data centres.
Name: Capt. Ibrahim Koshy
Designation: CEO
Company: Saudia
Sector: Transport
An airline captain and a 30-year veteran of the aviation industry, Capt. Ibrahim Koshy 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 alumni of the prestigious Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Florida, USA; as well as Cranfield in the UK, Koshy is also a board member on several Aviation Safety Bodies, both regionally and internationally. In November 2021, he was lauded with the Aviation Executive of the Year award by the Aviation Business Middle East Awards.
Other SAUDIA initiatives have earned it recognition as a five-star global airline and a diamond rating in the APEX Health and Safety category.
Name: Isam Al Sager
Designation: Vice chairman and Group CEO
Company: National Bank of Kuwait
Sector: Banking and finance
Prior to his current role, Isam Jasem Al Sager had been in the role of 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.
On an upward trajectory, in 1992, he was appointed as the general manager of Retail and Wholesale Banking Group and continued to climb the ranks to reach the position he is in today. With his diversified and vast experience of over 35 years at NBK, Al Sager has helped lead the bank’s transformation to become a pre-eminent regional institution with an international presence in 16 countries and around $79.1bn in assets.
Also the chairman of NBK- Egypt, he is also a member of the board of directors of multiple NBK subsidiaries, including NBK (International) PLC as well as serves on MasterCard’s board of directors.
Name: Issam Abdul Rahim Kazim
Designation: CEO
Company: Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM)
Sector: Government
Issam Kazim is the CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), which was established in December 2013 as an affiliate of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
Having built and developed DCTCM’s team from the ground up, as well as its large network of international offices, Kazim leads all activities vis-à-vis the branding, promotion and marketing of the emirate of Dubai.
Building global partnerships
He is instrumental in negotiating and facilitating global partnerships and plays an integral role in the development of relationships with industry stakeholders, partners and investors that contribute to the overall growth in visitation to the city. He also regularly acts as a key media spokesperson and the face of DET for events, presentations, interviews and visiting VIP delegations, influencers, public personalities and government bodies. Kazim is also a member of the Board of Dubai Media Council.
Kazim’s accomplishments since taking up his post at DCTCM in February 2014 include developing innovative destination tools and data-driven platforms to enhance the visitor experience in Dubai and scaling up the Visit Dubai digital and social ecosystem. He has also spearheaded ground-breaking global marketing campaigns such as ‘A Story Takes Flight’, starring Hollywood celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, the award-winning #BeMyGuest featuring Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and most recently ‘Dubai Presents’, a series of trailers featuring Hollywood stars, Jessica Alba and Zac Efron, as well as ‘Live Your Story’ and influencer-led campaigns targeting key source markets.
Kazim previously worked as Director of DXB Live and Commercial at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and successfully launched strategic live events including Dubai Music Week.
Name: Jamal Lootah
Designation: Group CEO
Company: Imdaad
Sector: Construction and real estate
At the helm of Imdaad, a Dubai-based group that offers sustainable and integrated facilities management services that boost physical assets operational efficiencies, Jamal Abdulla Lootah is also a sustainability advocate and innovation leader.
Lootah has been pivotal in the remarkable progression of Imdaad to transform into a gold-standard benchmark of efficiency and quality services spanning the Middle East, and is rigorously diversifying its range of services and expanding its client base to include some of the best companies in the region, namely Emaar Properties, Al Maktoum International Airport and Nakheel.
Lootah’s vision is to keep Imdaad ahead of its competitors through regularly investing in new technologies and maintaining high standards of services. This is parallel to a key commitment to environmental sustainability while investing more than AED 2m annually to grow and train its team members.
Name: Jassim Alseddiqi
Designation: Group CEO
Company: SHUAA Capital
Sector: Banking and finance
The leading asset management and investment banking platform, with $14bn (AED 51bn) in assets under management, Jassim Alseddiqi is known for his innovative and dynamic approach, 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 (AED 51bn) under management.
He is on the boards of Dana Gas, ADNOC Distribution and First Abu Dhabi Bank and as a key player in the Middle East entrepreneurial ecosystem, reflected in investments in Fintech companies, AI, PropertyTech, EduTech, PropertyTech, and E-commerce companies.
Name: Khaled Al Huraimel
Designation: Group CEO
Company: Beeah
Sector: Industry
Inculcating a pro-active, prompt leadership style that has raised the bar of sustainable living in the UAE since August 2009, Khaled Al Huraimel has fostered the growth of Bee’ah to transform from a local waste management company into a 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 sustainability.
Now overseeing a team of over 6,000 employees, 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.
Name: Khalid Elgibali
Designation: Division President – Middle East and North Africa
Company: Mastercard
Sector: Technology
Based in Dubai, Khalid Elgibali is responsible for leading the company’s dynamic business across the Middle East and North Africa – driving growth and innovation to meet market-specific needs, forming new partnerships, and delivering on Mastercard’s continued commitment to invest in the region.
Elgibali has held senior positions at leading financial institutions including HSBC Middle East, Standard Chartered Bank, Barclays and Citigroup. He brings a wealth of experience to the role alongside a deep understanding of the region’s economic and corporate landscape.
A technology leader focused on the future
Since joining Mastercard in 2016, Elgibali has helped reinforce the company’s position as a technology leader and trusted payments advisor to regional governments, enabling the successful execution of national-level programs that support their digital agendas and long-term visions.
From driving commercial growth through diversification of revenue streams, pioneering cutting edge technology solutions and building strategic partnerships with the region’s leading public and private stakeholders, Elgibali is on a mission to create a future-ready digital ecosystem through innovations in payments.
Most recently, Mastercard played a key role as a premier sponsor of Expo 2020 Dubai, rolled out its multi-rail strategy across key MENA markets, forged several government partnerships to drive financial inclusion and digital transformation, and empowered small businesses with key insights, funding, products and technology required during the Covid-19 pandemic under Elgibali’s leadership.
A polyglot fluent in six languages, including Arabic, English, French, Russian, Italian and Portuguese, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the American University in Cairo and attained his MBA from Strathclyde Graduate Business School in Glasgow, Scotland.
Name: Lubna Olayan
Designation: Chairperson
Company: SABB
Sector: Banking and finance
One of most influential businesswomen in the region, Lubna Olayan 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, becoming the first woman in her country to run a publicly traded bank.
She became chairwoman of the Saudi British Bank in 2019 and was reappointed to a three-year term in January 2020 following its merger with Alawwal Bank to create the kingdom’s third-largest lender. After zakat and income tax, SABB recorded a net profit of SAR3.2bn (AED 3.13bn) for 2021, a 177 percent increase since 2020.
She also served as the CEO of Olayan Financing Company for over 35 years, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest conglomerates. Founded by her father in 1947, Olayan Financing Company is a private multinational engaged in manufacturing, services and investments, and distribution.
Name: Lujaina Darwish
Designation: Chairperson
Company: Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC
Sector: 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, Lujaina Mohsin 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.
Name: Maher Merehbi
Designation: CEO
Company: Arabian Construction company (ACC)
Sector: Construction and real estate
With 11 offices and a workforce of over 20,000 people, ACC was founded in Lebanon in 1967 by the Merehbi and Mikati families, who still own and operate the business. And today, with an annual turnover of more than $1bn (AED3.67bn), the company is headquartered in Abu Dhabi, but has offices across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, England, Cameroon, the Ivory Coast, and India.
The company primarily constructs buildings in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and has a dazzling portfolio of projects under its belt, from super high-rise luxury developments to sophisticated smart buildings to hospitals. Also part of the ACC brand is the construction of key oil & gas projects, such as power plants, marine projects, and desalination plants; in addition to infrastructure projects.
A commitment towards development and change
The company’s longstanding relationships with their clients has played a pivotal role in providing excellent construction contracting services to government agencies and companies throughout the Middle East. With ACCs’ ongoing commitment towards 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.
Name: Makarem Sobhi Batterjee
Designation: President and Vice Chairman
Company: Saudi German Health (SGH) and Bait Al Batterjee (BAB) Group
Sector: Healthcare
Alegacy built by healthcare pioneers in Saudi Arabia over 30 years 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.
A business leader in the kingdom, Makarem Sobhi Batterjee has over 20 years of experience in healthcare, consulting and investment. Through his visionary leadership he has led the complete transformation and rejuvenation of SGH. Batterjee is also the president and vice chairman of the family-owned Bait Al Batterjee Group, a diversified organisation with over 25 subsidiaries.
He is also the founder of Humania Capital, a private equity fund that has successfully raised significant amounts for healthcare projects in the GCC and North Africa, he is also the founder and CEO of New City Company, which builds contemporary shopping centres in the country. He also owns the Golds Gym franchise in KSA and is the owner of JanPro, a commercial cleaning brand.
Networks and social entrepreneurship
Batterjee is the founding president of the Saudi Chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), a global, peer-to-peer network of more than 13,000 influential business owners with 186 chapters in 58 countries. For this initiative he received the Randi Carrol Award. He is credited for building the largest, and first-of-its-kind female-only gym in the world. He is also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and the Dubai Chapter of the Young Arab Leaders.
Batterjee has an MBA from London Business School and an honorary doctorate from the United Nations for Arts Middle East and Africa, awarded to him in recognition of his efforts to promote women empowerment. He is the youngest member and one of the few Arab members of the Bretton Woods Committee in Washington, DC.
The committee comprises international business leaders who champion global efforts to spur economic growth, alleviate poverty, and improve financial stability. He was also chosen as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos in 2008. He is also part of the Arab version of the US-based reality TV show Shark Tank.
Name: Maryam Al Suwaidi
Designation: CEO
Company: Securities and Commodities Authority
Sector: Banking and finance
With a wealth of experience in working in capital markets, Dr Maryam Buti Al Suwaidi is the first woman to occupy her position in the history of the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) as of October 2021. She was 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 the International Diploma in Anti-Money Laundering from the International Compliance Association (ICA).
Al Suwaidi embarked upon her career as a senior legal researcher at the Dubai Educational Zone. Then in 2022, she joined the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) as the director of Legal Affairs and Legal Advisor. Prior to her current role in SCA, 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 also, deputy CEO of the Licensing, Supervision and Enforcement Sector.
In recognition of the status and achievements of Emirati women and their effective role at the economic, financial and financial technology levels, Nasdaq Stock Exchange placed her photo on the front of its famous building in Times Square in Manhattan, New York City.
Name: Mohamad Ballout
Designation: CEO and co-founder
Company: Kitopi
Sector: Technology
The original co-founder of BMB Group, Mohamed Ballout later moved on to launch Ripples Capital in June 2016 where he forayed into the concept of incubation and the idea of virtual brands. This exposure to the start-up world became the impetus for Ballout to launch Kitopi in 2018 for F&B brands to scale rapidly, but with reduced start-up cost.
Kitopi’s mission is to satisfy the world’s appetite. With 4000+ employees and 200+ locations across the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, Kitopi operates a portfolio of invested and franchised brands, helping them grow and scale – both in the delivery and dine-in space. In addition to its markets of operations, Kitopi operates its global customer experience center in Dubai, UAE, its engineering hub in Krakow, Poland, and its robotics hub in Odense, Denmark.
Prior to founding Kitopi, Ballout co-founded BMB, which is now the largest confectionery business in the Middle East. He was critical in spearheading BMB’s growth across 32 markets and setting up the first fully-automated ethnic sweets manufacturing unit. He sold his shares to a private equity group in May 2016.
About Kitopi
Kitopi stands for Kitchen Operation Innovations, and is an interconnected network of smart cloud kitchens, it manages the details related to the brands’ delivery orders which enables its clients the time to focus on managing their internal business operations while working on a revenue-share basis.
Name: Mohamed Alabbar
Designation: Founder and managing director
Company: Emaar/noon
Sector: Construction and real estate
A key businessman in the Middle East and a vanguard behind Dubai’s economic growth with active interests in F&B, e-commerce, venture capital, logistics, real estate, hospitality, and technology, Mohamed Alabbar is also the chairman of Eagle Hills, a leading emerging markets real estate developer and of Americana Group, a multi-billion-dollar food business.
A pioneer of global real estate since 1997, Alabbar steered the growth of Emaar Properties by developing pivotal leisure, retail, residential, hospitality assets, and is most known for Dubai Mall and The Burj Khalifa.
A graduate in Finance and Business Administration from the Seattle University, USA; he holds several honorary doctorates, including from Seattle University, from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and from Sun Moon University in South Korea.
Always ahead of the game
Having developed multiple world-class mixed used projects, Alabbar’s retail businesses span across over 20 markets in the Middle East, the US, North & Sub Saharan Africa, Central & Eastern Europe and South East Asia. For Q1 2022, Emaar Properties recorded an increase in net profit of 241 percent to $8.02m (AED 2.239bn), compared to a net profit of $179m (AED 657m) achieved in Q1 2021.
And despite having established his stronghold over the Dubai property market with his company Emaar, his e-commerce firm noon, which he launched in 2016, has collaborated with government departments to provide a broad platform for start-ups in both Abu Dhabi and Ajman. And with Zand, Alabbar’s latest venture, is being considered as the world’s first combined digital corporate and retail bank to launch from the UAE.
“For some developers, the end of the process is when they hand the keys over. For Emaar, that’s when it begins. That’s when our post-delivery service starts, and what I see as the start of a life-long journey with Emaar. You didn’t just buy a home from Emaar; you bought a way of life – and there is no end date on that contract,” he said.
Name: Mohamed Al Hammadi
Designation: Chairman
Company: Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED)
Sector: Banking and finance
In addition to his dynamic leadership style, Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi has vast management experience in the private sector, in addition to several board memberships at key Abu Dhabi governmental and semi-governmental organisations, including Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
He also heads Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development’s Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), which oversees the development of investment plans and programmes aimed at attracting further local and foreign investments to Abu Dhabi.
With an aim to help ensure the sustainability of the emirate’s investment environment, ADIO promotes the emirate as an attractive regional and international investment hub. He is also the chairman of the Khalifa Fund.
Name: Mohamed Al Ramahi
Designation: CEO
Company: Masdar
Sector: Energy
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi is the CEO of Masdar, a global clean energy powerhouse active in over 40 countries.
Under his leadership, Masdar has developed into one of the fastest-growing renewable energy companies in the world, with a combined global project portfolio of 15 GW of clean energy capacity and investments valued at over $20 billion.
Al Ramahi joined Masdar in 2008 and has held senior leadership positions in the company for nearly a decade and a half, serving as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer prior to his appointment as CEO in 2016.
In addition to his role as CEO, Al Ramahi holds a number of prominent board positions. He is Chairman of the Masdar Investment Committee, Vice-Chair of the Global Council on Sustainable Development Goals, and serves on the Board of Directors for Masdar, Mubadala Health, Emirates Waste to Energy Company, the Catalyst, and Shuaa Energy 2 PSC, the company developing phase 3 of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai.
A natural collaborator, Al Ramahi is also an active member of several groups dedicated to facilitating strong international cooperation in the fields of business and sustainability. These include the French Business Group, Australian Business Group, the US-UAE Business Council, and the Sustainable Markets Initiative Taskforce for Energy Transition.
Al Ramahi holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Evansville in the United States.
Name: Mohamed Salah
Designation: Footballer
Company: Liverpool FC
Sector: Sport
One of the most exceptional forwards in European football and a Premier League and Champions League and Premier League winner with Liverpool, Mohamed Salah was born in a remote rural village Nagrig, in the Gharbia district of Egypt.
Skilled at the sport from a very young age, Salah tolerated gruelling 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 followed by a surge in his popularity.
Liverpool made him an offer in 2017, and he went on to become the first Egyptian player on the team. Again, along with Liverpool, he successfully won the top scorer and became one of the most successful players in the Premier League at age 29 with a projected net worth reported to be around $94m, as of February 2022.
Name: Mohammed Al Ali
Designation: Group CEO
Company: National Bonds
Sector: Banking and 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 and also served as the general manager for 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. In 2021, National Bonds investments increased by 36 percent to $43.3bn, reflective of a robust growth in the UAE’s culture of savings.
Name: Mohammed Alshaya
Designation: Executive chairman
Company: Alshaya Group
Sector: Retail
Kuwaiti family-owned business Alshaya was originally a shipping company established in 1890, which in 1983, embarked upon launching its first international franchise business. Today, the Group is one of the largest international franchise operators in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Russia with Mohammed Alshaya at the helm of shaping the development of the company, driving its rapid growth and expansion.
In 1990, he was appointed to the role of CEO and just a few years 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, including Victoria’s Secret, Starbucks, Pottery barn, Boots, The Body Shop, P.F. Changs, Cheesecake Factory, and Mothercare, to name a few. Employing over 44,000 people in over 2,800 cafes, stores and restaurants, Alshaya’s sharp business acumen has steered the brand towards expansion.
Name: Mostafa Kandil
Designation: CEO
Company: Swvl
Sector: 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 also 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 spans across over 100 cities in over 20 countries, providing intracity, intercity, business to government and business-to-business transport. The company has ambitious plans to expand to multiple countries including the US, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, Columbia, and South Africa.
Name: Muna Al Hashemi
Designation: Deputy CEO
Company: Batelco Group
Sector: Telecoms
Appointed deputy CEO in late 2017, Muna Al Hashemi rose through Batelco’s ranks, first as a trainee in 1994. An Engineer by profession, Al Hashemi joined Batelco as a graduate before quickly rising up the ranks to lead the Group’s local operations in Bahrain. She was named CEO of Batelco Bahrain in 2015. Despite one of the most competitive industry environments in the region, Al Hashemi’s invaluable adeptness at managing the operator’s business allowed Batelco Bahrain, once a monopoly before the industry was liberalised, to retain a leading market share in the country.
The company contributes up to 41 percent of the Group’s revenues. By 2015, she was CEO of Batelco Bahrain until her elevation to the management of Batelco Group, which has direct and indirect investments across 14 countries. She is also a board member of the fintech committee, the Supreme Council for Women (SCW).
Name: Musabbeh Al Kaabi
Designation: CEO
Company: UAE Investments Platform (Mubadala Investment Company)
Sector: Investment
Mussabeh Al Kaabi began his illustrious career first at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) where he held a series of increasingly senior technical and managerial roles over a span of 16 years and ultimately rose to lead ADNOC’s Exploration Division. In 2013, he joined Mubadala Petroleum in the role of chief growth officer responsible for mergers & acquisitions, exploration and new business development.
In addition to his current role at Mubadala’s UAE Investments Platform, Al Kaabi is a key player advising on all major investment decisions involving the gamut of the Company’s sectors and businesses. 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 and operational improvements improving the portfolio with value-added assets.
Name: Naaman Atallah
Designation: CEO
Company: Nakheel
Sector: Construction and real estate
Playing a pivotal role in realising Dubai’s vision, Nakheel is a world-leading master developer whose iconic projects boast retail, leisure, residential, and hospitality developments and master communities, including International City and Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT).
Their largest projects include Palm Jumeirah, Palma Jebel Ali, in addition to Dragon Mart and Ibn Battuta Mall. With over 25 years’ of diverse experience in the real estate sector in the Middle East and India, prior to his current role appointment in November 2020 with Nakheel, Naaman Atallah held the position of CEO in India’s Piramal Realty, followed by his role as the CEO at Dubai Properties where 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 also served as group managing director of Hamptons International.
Name: Nader Haffar
Designation: Chairman and CEO
Company: KPMG Lower Gulf
Sector: Banking and finance
For the past 25 years, Nader Haffar has been on the forefront of the ever-changing and highly demanding world of management consultancy. As chairman and CEO of KPMG in the Lower Gulf (UAE and Oman) since 2018, Haffar swiftly became the driving force of change within the firm.
Echoing KPMG’s values of integrity and excellence, he introduced firm-wide policies that led to dramatic growth in the last four years with a keen focus on Emiratisation and Omanisation, corporate social responsibility, and prioritising employees as a norm of the firm.
His tenure at KPMG is highlighted by the transformation of the audit practice and significant investments in quality. Both quality and integrity remain at the heart of everything the firm does: delivering on the ambition to be the most trusted and trustworthy firm for clients.
Haffar has also led consulting practices and transformative projects across USA, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE. He is a philanthropist and constantly gives back to the community through participation in various CSR activities such as 100 Billion Meals and the Special Olympics. In his spare time, a rare commodity since he became CEO, Nader enjoys listening to jazz and show jumping, and loves riding whenever he can.
A firm of choice
With KPMG’s diverse and skilled talent, Haffar has built trust, partnerships, and eminence for the firm while his vision and ambition to expand the firm’s services to reflect the needs of the UAE market is evident through KPMG’s iconic client list. As the firm of choice for its people, partners, and clients, KPMG provides service of the highest quality.
Under his vision, the firm continues to inspire confidence and empower change in its clients’ businesses and make an impact for the betterment of society. He firmly believes that the private sector plays a crucial role, alongside the leading light of the UAE government’s green initiatives, in its responsibility towards protecting environment. The massive transfer of KPMG employees to its new One Central offices contributed to a 60 percent decrease in energy consumption, and a 35 percent decrease in water consumption.
In March 2022, under Haffar’s directives, KPMG Lower Gulf signed the UAE Gender Balance Council’s “Pledge” to achieve 30 percent women representation in management by 2025. The firm has since focused on woman’s participation in decision-making roles from middle management to the highest levels of leadership.
In 2019, he was recognised for his influence by Forbes Middle East as one of the Top 50 Expat CEOs in the UAE. He was also voted Chairman of the Middle East and South Asia in 2021, a region that covers more than 25 office locations across 15 countries and territories. The region encompasses a combined talent pool of more than 8,000 professionals and associates, including over 500 partners and directors.
Could you share a short reaction to how your industry and business has performed in 2021-22?
We are in a post-pandemic environment where we are seeing not only recovery but also significant growth. Our advisory business grew by 40 percent, primarily due to the addition of a number of solutions and capabilities. With the introduction of corporate tax in the UAE and VAT in Oman, KPMG’s Tax practice has been a frontrunner in advising clients.
Quality continues to be our number one priority and our Audit practice has had a marquee year with iconic wins. This growth is a testament to the fact that we continue to remain the most trusted and trustworthy firm for our clients. By continuing to partner with businesses and government entities, KPMG has achieved revenue growth, year on year.
We aim to be the employer of choice for our people, and the 16.2 percent rise in employee numbers reflects that. We are proud of our Emiratisation efforts with the number of Emiratis joining us increasing by 35.6 percent. The industry as a whole has seen growth over 2021-2022, reflecting the confidence of the leadership as well as clients.
What is your outlook for the industry for the year ahead?
GCC economies have seen a relatively solid start to 2022 with strong growth in business activity and new work in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. However, it’s natural that market uncertainty and the increase in inflation could have an opposing impact on the global economy and pose key concerns in the future.
We know that flexible working is paving the way for the future and employers realise that the workplace is changing. Many companies are aligning priorities with a stronger emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. These measures need to be areas of necessity for companies going forward but are also putting intense hiring pressure for recruiters especially during the current search for talent.
The wide-spread social reforms in the UAE last year have led the country to attract new talent, a globally aligned stock market, digital infrastructure capabilities and greater economic competitiveness overall. It is likely we will see this translating into new social and digital innovations, a reshaping of the post-pandemic economy, and ranking the UAE higher on the “Ease of Doing Business” metric.
Name: Nadhmi Al Nasr
Designation: CEO
Company: NEOM
Sector: Construction and real estate
A portmanteau of Greek and Arabic words, NEOM is Saudi Arabia’s $500bn futuristic giga-project backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) being developed along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, near Jordan and Egypt. At the helm of NEOM is Nadhmi Al-Nasr who boasts superlative experience as an engineer.
In 1978, Al-Nasr embarked upon his career after graduating from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals in Saudi Arabia at Saudi Aramco where he spent his first three years in engineering services. Later, he worked on the execution of the kingdom’s master gas system as well as several refinery programs.
Later, as the manager of Saudi Aramco’s oil and gas pipeline projects, he steered the Shaybah Development Program, considered one of Saudi Aramco’s most successful ventures. After its completion, Al Nasr held several key roles, including managing director of Saudi Petroleum Overseas Ltd.
Name: Naguib Sawiris
Designation: Founder
Company: Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH)
Sector: Industry
With an estimated net worth of approximately $5bn, Naguib Sawaris is one of Egypt’s wealthiest investors and 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.
He is 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.
Name: Naif Al Abdul Kareem
Designation: CEO and managing director
Company: Bank Aljazira
Sector: Banking and finance
Sharia-compliant Bank Aljazira provides personal banking, corporate banking, investment banking, private banking, money transfer, and treasury services. With his wealth of over 21 years of experience in the banking sector, in late 2020, the bank announced the appointment of Naif Al Abdulkareem to his current role, who previously served on the boards of HSBC Saudi Arabia and SABB Takaful in various leading positions.
Some of these roles included as the chairman of the Board of Directors of SABB Insurance Agency, the deputy managing director of Personal Banking and Wealth Management at SABB, member of the board of directors and the executive committee of Sanid and SABB Takaful, and as a member of the Board of Director of SIMAH and HSBC Saudi Arabia. Established in 1975, Bank Aljazira is headquartered in Jeddah, with 78 branches spread across the kingdom.
Name: Najla Al Midfa
Designation: CEO
Company: Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa)
Sector: Entrepreneurship
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 the emireate, and support entrepreneurs as they build and grow innovative start-ups that will contribute to the region’s economy.
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 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.
Name: Nasser Al Huqbani
Designation: President and CEO
Company: Dr Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group (HMG)
Sector: Healthcare
At the helm of Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group 1996 to date, Nasser Al Huqbani has 28 years of experience and has been instrumental in building the group’s reputation as a leader in the private healthcare industry and as a top healthcare brand. He is responsible for the development and operation of over 22 healthcare digital hospitals and healthcare facilities across the GCC.
Prior to his current role, from 1994 to 2000, he held the position of director of the User Support Department at the Institute of Public Administration. Al Huqbani is a member of the board of directors of the First Riyadh Health Cluster, the Saudi Patient Safety Center, Saudi Serco Services Company and a member of the American College of Health Care Executives Institutions (ACHE).
One of the largest and fastest growing healthcare service providers in the Middle East, HMG boasts assets worth more than $2.9bn.
Name: Nidal Abou-Ltaif
Designation: President
Company: Avaya International
Sector: Technology
In the midst of rising global inflation, hot off the heels of a global pandemic, organizations around the world have realized that one of the most reliable things going is consumer and employee demand for great experiences. And Nidal Abou-Ltaif, President, Avaya International is helping public- and private-sector firms across the Middle East to realize the potential of this emerging ‘experience economy’.
Driven by a customer-centric, growth-focused mindset, it’s small wonder why the region’s top organizations trust Abou-Ltaif and his teams to deliver the experiences their customers demand. And he practices, rather than preaches – demonstrating core values around diversity, accessibility and equal employment opportunities year-on-year.
Abou-Ltaif has driven the launch of innovation hubs and customer experience centers here, helping public and private sector players to differentiate themselves on the global stage by the experiences they provide.
As a result, the digital transformation of the region’s top banks, government organizations, healthcare institutions and aviation firms is powered by Avaya technology implemented by Abou-Ltaif’s team.
What’s more, much of that technology is home-grown and exported around the world. Abou-Ltaif heads a team of in-house and outsourced software developers across the region. These teams develop global solutions and content that originates from the aspirations and needs of Avaya’s customers in the region.
Abou-Ltaif also ensures that Avaya’s solutions not only deliver positive business outcomes, but also provide equality of experience, particularly for the one in seven people worldwide with special needs. These efforts picked up speed over the pandemic, with access to services becoming an important marker of an organization’s ability to serve the public’s needs.
Banking services that can be used by hearing-impaired citizens, virtual learning solutions for special-needs children, and healthcare connectivity for the citizens of Beirut are just a few of the Avaya-developed solutions that are improving access to key services across the region.
Almost half of Abou-Ltaif’s leadership team are female, 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.
The experience economy may only just be getting started, but with Abou-Ltaif’s help, Avaya’s regional customers look poised to win in it.
Name: Noor Sweid
Designation: Founder and general partner
Company: Global Ventures
Sector: Banking and finance
With a zeal for enabling disruptive technology companies and their emerging market founders to solve real problems while changing the world with measurable impact, Noor Sweid’s previous roles include CIO at The Dubai Future Foundation, and founder of ZenYoga studio chain which she later sold in 2014 to Cedarbridge.
As one of the most important venture capitalists in the MENA region, Sweid has many 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. Apart from her roles on the board of Global Ventures’ portfolio of companies, 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.
Name: Olayan M Alwetaid
Designation: CEO
Company: Saudi Telecom Co (stc)
Sector: Telecoms
Olayan M Alwetaid was appointed to his role at Saudi Telecom Co. (stc), since 28 March 2021 and has over 20 years of experience. Previously at Aramco, Alwetaid later joined Saudi Telecom Company where he worked on an upward trajectory, including as the senior VP for the consumer sector and prior to this, held the role of the stc Bahrain’s CEO.
Also the vice chairman of the BoD of stcPay, Alwetaid 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.
A historic moment was marked recently on Telecommunications Day at the inaugural Mobile 360 Riyadh event marked on 17 May as stc became the first telecommunications company to join the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO) an observer organisation. This makes the Saudi telecom giant the first telecoms company to join the DCO.
Name: Patrick Chalhoub
Designation: CEO
Company: Chalhoub Group
Sector: Retail
A leading luxury retail distribution company based in the Middle East and headquartered in Dubai, the family business began in 1955 in Damascus, Syria when the first Christofle boutique was opened by Michel and Widad Chalhoub. They later shifted base and its activities to Beirut and in 1983, went on to launch their first Louis Vuitton boutique in the Middle East region. However, the Kuwaiti invasion sparked the move of the group and activities to Dubai in 1990.
Chalhoub joined the business and went on to develop a regional distribution platform in the Jebel Ali Free zone with Fendi, L’Oréal, Dior Parfums and Puig and by 2001, was appointed co-CEO. Steered by his expertise, Chalhoub Group joined exclusive collaborations with several brands, including Sephora, Dior Couture and Christian Louboutin and launched fully-owned concept stores, including Faces
and Tanagra.
Name: Pierre Choueiri
Designation: Group chairman and CEO
Company: Choueiri Group
Sector: Media
A leading media representation group in the Middle East, Choueiri Group was launched over 40 years ago as a family-owned business by Antoine Choueiri. At the helm of the Group today, Pierre 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.
Today, the Group’s companies market and manage the advertising space of more than 50 represented media including TV and newspapers and operates in 10 markets covering the MENA region, Europe and Japan through an extensive network of 12 subsidiaries, six representative offices and more than 700 committed executives.
Name: Randa Bessiso
Designation: Founding director, Middle East
Company: The University of Manchester
Sector: Education
Randa Bessiso believes in the power of continuous education to transform lives for the better and has been deeply involved with learning and development through her entire career.
A Lebanese national of Palestinian origin, Bessiso is the Founding Director of the Middle East Centre for The University of Manchester, established in Dubai in 2006, which is now the largest and fastest growing in the University’s international network.
Bessiso leads a regional team responsible for a portfolio of part-time flexible learning Master’s programmes for working professionals covering student recruitment, student support, corporate engagement, and supporting careers services and alumni relations. She has led the introduction of new educational products, services and initiatives, as well as additional industry-led specialist part-time Master’s programmes.
Bessiso is also responsible for regional engagement across governments, corporate strategic talent partnerships and social responsibility programmes, as well as collaborations with industry groups, government and professional bodies.
Today, the Middle East Centre has supported over 3,000 part-time Master’s students in the region making it one of the largest professional communities of its kind in the region.
Prior to joining the University, Bessiso was already involved in higher education as the regional lead for the UK government’s UK eUniversities Worldwide programme. Before moving into education, she was Vice President at PROJACS International (professional management and consulting services) in Kuwait.
Bessiso’s success as an influential female leader has been recognised with a number of regional awards, including annual inclusion in the Middle East 100 Most Influential Women/Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen lists, from 2014 to 2018.
She was also included in the Arabian Business annual Arab Power List 2021 and was also named among the 30 most influential women in the Arab World by Arabian Business in 2019. Bessiso is a regular media commentator and speaker at executive forums in the UAE on her special area of interest – women in business.
Name: Randa Muhammed Sadik
Designation: CEO
Company: Arab Bank
Sector: Banking and finance
Jordanian businesswoman Randa Muhammed Sadik was appointed in February 2022 to her current role following her role as the deputy CEO for over a decade. With over 36 years of banking experience in banking, some of these key positions include 24 years of experience across diverse leadership roles, including at National Bank of Kuwait where she held the role of the group general manager of the International Banking Group.
Within the Arab Bank Group, Sadik holds several positions, including chairman of the Management Committee of Al Arabi Investment Group. board member of Oman Arab Bank, chairman of the Board of Arab Tunisian Bank, as well as the vice chairman of Arab Bank Australia. 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.
Name: Rashid Al Ghurair
Designation: Founder and CEO
Company: CAFU
Sector: Retail
Rashid Al Ghurair is a globally focused entrepreneur and technology pioneer based in Dubai. With a visionary mindset, he is focused on disrupting the status-quo by introducing consumer-first, transformational services that make life better and easier for today, tomorrow, and beyond.
The world’s leading global fuel delivery and vehicle services platform, under his leadership, CAFU has evolved from a fleet of 20 trucks in 2018, to become the platform of choice for all vehicle services, with over 300 vehicles connecting the community with a wide network of maintenance and service partners.
Al Ghurair wears many hats as a widely successful entrepreneur with several ventures. He 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 the most innovative startups.
Name: Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy
Designation: Minister of State for International Cooperation
Company: UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Sector: Government
Sworn in as Minister of State for International Cooperation, in the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in February 2016, Reem Ebrahim 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 has and continues to manage, the International Affairs Office of the UAE Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Al Hashimy has served as the chairperson of Dubai Cares, a philanthropic organisation launched in 2007 by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. She was also formerly the chairperson of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, and also has served as the commercial attaché, and subsequently deputy chief of the UAE Embassy to the United States, in Washington DC. She is also the chairperson of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, which in 2015, merged the former Emirates Competitiveness Council and the National Bureau of Statistics to drive the UAE’s global competitiveness.
Steering Dubai Expo 2020
In November 2013, as the managing director (at that time) of Dubai’s World Expo 2020 bid, Al Hashimy was pivotal in her role of Dubai’s winning bid to host Expo 2020. Under her leadership as the director general, it was the first time in Expo history that it was held in the MENASA (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region).
In preparation for the event, 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
Designation: CEO
Company: Standard Chartered Bank, UAE
Sector: Banking and finance
In her current role since August 2018, Rola Abu Manneh is the first Emirati woman to head a bank in the UAE. In her role, Abu Manneh has been responsible for transforming the UAE business into one of the biggest five markets for the Standard Chartered Group.
Over the years, she has championed women empowerment and female entrepreneurship through different initiatives and is committed to supporting the wider community by providing university students with mentorship programmes.
Before joining Standard Chartered Bank, she was the head of Corporate & Investment Banking for Abu Dhabi at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and 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.
Name: Ronaldo Mouchawar
Designation: Vice president
Company: Amazon MENA
Sector: e-commerce
After graduating from Northeastern University in Boston, USA, in the late 1980s, Ronaldo Mouchawar began working at information technology firm EDS in the emerging field of 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.
He went on to create a commerce site with its own brand identity and in 2006, co-founded Souq.com, setting up offices in Dubai. The brand grew to become the largest e-commerce retailer in the region, and in 2017, was bought by e-commerce giant Amazon for $580m, in what was one of the biggest tech acquisitions in the region at that time. Mouchawar was appointed as the VP of Amazon in the region in 2017.
Recently, global ecommerce accelerator Pattern polled online shoppers in the UAE to understand how they use marketplaces like Amazon.
According to their research, 94 percent of UAE online shoppers polled reported purchasing from at least one Amazon site in the last 12 months including 83 percent who had bought from the marketplace’s local Amazon.ae site.
Name: Saad Sherida Al Kaabi
Designation: CEO
Company: Qatar Energy
Sector: Energy
Saad Sherida Al Kaabi joined Qatar Energy as a student and immediately upon graduation, he joined Qatar Energy’s Reservoir & Field Development Department, where he advanced through multiple positions, including commercial, technical, petroleum engineering, and supervisory positions.
Transitioning to 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 a leading global LNG and GTL capital. Al Kaabi leads two of Qatar’s most important business assets, Qatar Petroleum, in charge of oil and gas activities; and Industries Qatar.
LNG production boost
Qatar Energy has awarded a sizeable onshore engineering, procurement, and construction contract to a consortium of Spain’s Tecnicas Reunidas and China’s Wison Engineering for work on the first phase of its giant North Field expansion project. Qatar is spending billions to expand the capacity of its giant North Field, with the two expansion phases expected to cost up to $50bn. Qatar Energy is also progressing on the second phase of the planned expansion of the NFS (North Field South) project.
Name: Saeed Al Ghamdi
Designation: Managing director and Group CEO
Company: Saudi National Bank (SNB)
Sector: Banking and finance
Embarking upon his career at the Ministry of Defense and Aviation as a computer engineer, Saeed Al Ghamdi later moved into the banking industry at Al Rajhi Bank in 1991 in various roles, including chief information officer to vice president. SNB owns both NCB Capital and Samba Capital & Investment Management, which collectively form the biggest asset manager, brokerage and investment bank in Saudi Arabia.
Prior to joining SNB, Al Ghamdi held the role of chairman of the board of directors of the NCB and the adviser to the Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, and was an adviser to the chairman of the board of directors of the NCB. He led NCB to the forefront of the Saudi Arabian banking industry for five consecutive years by driving digital transformation across the organisation, developing the company’s business model and optimising its operational efficiency to make it a leading financial institution in the kingdom.
With a robust international presence in the Middle East, Turkey, and South Asia, SNB is a committed supporter of Saudisation and prioritises the importance of empowering women. With its new headquarters in Riyadh, SNB announced a net income after zakat and income tax of $1.2bn by the end of Q1 2022, and holds a leading position with its more than 7.4 million customers.
Name: Salem Khalaf Al Mannai
Designation: Group CEO
Company: Qatar Insurance Company (QIC)
Sector: Banking and finance
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. Salem Khalaf 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 & 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 Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Qatar National Vision 2030.
About QIC
Founded in 1964, QIC was the first domestic insurance company in the State of Qatar and today, QIC is the market leader in Qatar and a dominant insurer in the GCC and MENA region.
Name: Sarah Al Suhaimi
Designation: Chairperson of the Group board of directors
Company: Saudi Tadawul Holding Group
Sector: Banking and finance
Considered the largest exchange in the Middle East, in her current role, Sarah Al Suhaimi spearheads Saudi Tadawul Holding Group’s efforts to integrate the Saudi capital market with global peers by way of aligning the platforms operations and governing regulations. She is also a board member at the Saudi Telecom Company and the Saudi Arabian Airlines Public Agency and the Cultural Development Fund.
She is also a trustee of the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation and a We-Fi Leadership Champion. Prior to her role, Al-Suhaimi served as the CEO of Saudi National Bank Capital (SNB Capital) from 2014 to 2021 and was a member of the board of directors. 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 also served a two-year term as vice-chairperson of the Advisory Committee of the Capital Market Authority (CMA) Board of Directors. Her wealth of experience also includes her role as the chief investment officer when she led the asset and wealth management division at Jadwa Investment Company from 2007 to 2014.
The Saudi Tadawul Group was established in March 2021, following the transformation of the Saudi Stock Exchange into a Holding Group structure.
Name: Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri
Designation: Chairwoman
Company: UAE Space Agency
Sector: Government
A member of the UAE Prime Minister’s office, in her role in The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, Sarah bint Yousef 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, in order 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.
At present, she is also the Minister of State for Advanced Technology and was appointed as chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency in 2020. Her Excellency is responsible to oversee the Agency’s mandate of guiding the space sector, ensuring its contribution to the national economy and to the UAE’s sustainable development. She led the UAE Space Agency during historic missions, including sending a probe to Mars and an astronaut to the International Space Station. When the UAE announced its goal to send a probe to Martian orbit by 2021, Al Amiri was named deputy project manager and science lead on the mission.
Name: Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem
Designation: Group chairman and CEO
Company: DP World
Sector: Logistics
A leading businessman in Dubai with vast experience and visionary leadership, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem spearheaded the accelerated expansion of Dubai’s infrastructure, which includes the free zones and the ports which have contributed significantly to Dubai’s upward growth trajectory. He also contributed his leadership skills towards Dubai’s rapid infrastructural expansion which has supported Dubai’s successful tourism industry, amongst others.
With multiple achievements to his credit, just a few highlights 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 galvanised 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 is overseeing the rapid development of the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) into an unrivalled business park of more than 7,300 companies, establishing and leading Nakheel, and pioneering the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), a market for gold and precious metals, diamonds and coloured stones, energy and other commodities, to name a few. He was named as the MENA region’s first HeForShe Champion by UN Women in 2022.
The launch of DPMETAWORLD
At the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos in 2022, Sulayem announced the completion of its DPMETAWORLD, a new initiative aimed at bringing cutting-edge virtual solutions to real-world supply chain challenges.
Across the industries in which DP World operates, supply chains are moving from analogue to embrace new digital solutions and this project will enable DP World accelerate through metaverse capabilities to help propel efficiency and transparency across trade, education, and government services.
Name: Sultan Al Jaber
Designation: Group MD and CEO
Company: ADNOC
Sector: Energy
Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is a member of the UAE Federal Cabinet, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and the UAE’s special envoy for climate. In his role as Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, he oversees efforts to further expand the industrial development of the UAE.
In November 2020, Al Jaber was appointed as the UAE’s special envoy for climate, a role he previously served in from 2010 to 2016, while spearheading the UAE’s clean energy agenda at Masdar. He also serves as Group CEO and managing director of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), where, since 2016, he has guided ADNOC through a number of strategic firsts, including entering the global capital markets for the first time. He is at the helm of the company’s digital transformation in driving ADNOC’s 2030 strategy toward a more profitable and more sustainable and economic gas supply.
He is also the chairman of the board of trustees of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the world’s first graduate-level, research-based AI University. He serves on the board of Emirates Global Aluminium, and also, as the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Ports Company for 10 years, he witnessed the completion of Khalifa Port, and the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD).
Name: Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Kabeer
Designation: Co-founder
Company: Almarai Group
Sector: Industry
An accomplished businessman as well as a member of the House of Saud, Prince Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Saud 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 Saudi Arabia’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 decentralized structure to a centralised structure. The company replaced five decentralized processing plants with their first central processing plant and replaced 10 small decentralised dairy farms with four large dairy farms in Al Kharj in the central region.
Name: Talal Al Ajmi
Designation: Founder
Company: VI Markets
Sector: Banking and finance
Kuwaiti businessman Talal Al Ajmi is the founder and CEO of one of the leading and most recognised online brokerage firm in the Middle East. After its launch in 2010, Al Ajmi went on to become a member of the Board of Directors of VI Markets’ mother company, One Financial. Recognised for his outstanding visionary and leading style across multiple key platforms, Al Ajmi has been highlighted internationally by multiple entities, including as Visionary Leader of the Year 2021 by The Entrepreneur magazine and The Global Leader of the Year 2021 by the Asia One award.
He has been ranked among the top ten CEOs in Kuwait by CEO Insights; as the Best Emerging CEO Online Trading by the IFM Award 2021; in addition to receiving the ‘Outstanding Leadership Award’ by Money 2.0 in 2022.
Setting milestones with unique offerings
According to Al Ajmi, the main mission and vision of VI Markets is educating and spreading awareness about trading online with staff trained to provide customer service unparalleled elsewhere. VI Markets offer Copy trading, a unique, patented technology which automatically copies trading portfolio performance for individuals who want to link their accounts with a specific trader.
Always striving to enhance the customer experience, this new technology has shown great interest in the world as it eases the process of managing one’s portfolio. With Copy Trading, many traders can start joining the social trading revolution, and connect with other traders, discuss different strategies, copy or even mirror their trades, with each trader subsequently either charging a subscription fee or a percentage on the profit gained from trades.
Another unique offering by VI markets is One Connect app, which Al Ajmi points out that whether you’re a beginner looking to learn the basics or a mentor wanting to charge for signals, One Connect handles it all in a safe and secure environment and keeps all your execution in one place whilst experiencing all the exceptional trading tools it offers.
An integrated, fluid process, the One Connect app is linked to MT4 and all trades are visible in a client’s MT4 account and on the One Connect app. Users can sign up for a new account within the One Connect app or they can link an existing account using a drop-down menu within the app.
Name: Talal Al Dhiyebi
Designation: Group CEO
Company: Aldar
Sector: Construction and real estate
With a wealth of experience in asset management and diverse real estate sectors, including mixed-use, retail, residential, commercial, education and infrastructure large scale developments, prior to his current role, Talal Al Dhiyebi held the positions of chief development officer and executive director of Asset Management, amongst other senior positions within the group.
Prior to taking on his current role at Aldar Properties in 2017, 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 considered to be the largest real estate development and asset management company in Abu Dhabi with assets worth over $10bn. He is the chairman of multiple boards, including Aldar Estates, SODIC, Aldar Education and Aldar Investments.
Name: Talal Said Marhoon Al Mamari
Designation: CEO
Company: Omantel
Sector: Telecoms
With has 26 years of experience in the telecom sector working for Omantel, Talal Said Al Mamari was appointed in his current role on 29 June 2014. Prior to his appointment, he held several leadership positions, the most recent as Omantel’s the chief financial officer.
He was instrumental in several projects and projects carried out by the 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, the full legal merger of Oman Mobile with Omantel, to name a few.
With the 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 & Sustainability Centre.
Name: Tareq Al Sadhan
Designation: President and CEO
Company: Riyad Bank
Sector: Banking and finance
With a foray into Riyad Bank in 2018 as a senior executive vice president and the chief financial officer, Tareq Al Sadhan’s current appointment was issued in April 2019 by resolution via Riyad Bank’s Board of Directors. He initiated his career with KPMG Saudi Arabia where Al Sadhan rose through the ranks across a span of 18 years to eventually become one of KPMG’s youngest partners, and later as the CEO/managing partner and the chairman of the Advisory Committee.
Ensuing his role at Riyad Bank, in KSA’s public sector, he held roles including deputy governor for supervision at the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), advisor to the chairman in the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), in addition to the acting director general at the General Authority for Zakat and Tax (GAZT). Al Sadhan holds several roles, including as a member of the 2020 World Economic Forum’s Stewardship Board for the Middle East and North Africa.
Name: Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi
Designation: Minister of State for Foreign Trade, UAE
Company:
Sector: 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, in order 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 also led the country’s efforts in limiting and adapting to the repercussions of climate change at the global level, while also focussing on the preservation of the UAE’s biodiversity through the development and implementation of a set of effective policies and measures.
Key achievements
Al Zeyoudi began his career as a petroleum engineer at the Abu Dhabi Marine Area Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO) before moving to 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 programmes, amongst others.
He 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 Abdullah Al Mogbel
Designation: CEO
Company: Al Rajhi Bank
Sector: Banking and finance
Founded in 1957 and headquartered in Riyadh, Dr Waleed Abdullah Al Mogbel embarked upon his career with Saudi Arabia’s Al Rajhi Bank in 2007 and was appointed to his current role in January 2020. With over 20 years of solid banking experience, Dr. Al Mogbel is an experienced board member with a wealth of experience in risk management, banking, accounting, management, and financial audits.
For over 50 years, Al Rajhi Bank has played an integral role in serving its citizens, financing its growth and contributing to Saudi development. Today, the company is one of the largest joint stock companies in the kingdom and one of the country’s largest branch and ATM networks. With the latest technologies, the bank endeavours to build its digital capabilities that will contribute to its digital transformation and provide the best financial solutions.
Name: Walid Hanna
Designation: Founder and CEO
Company: Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP)
Sector: Banking and finance
At the helm of one of the largest and most active venture capital firms in the MENA region, Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), Walid 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 addition to having invested in, led and exited, and co-founded multiple start-ups in the region, including a diverse range of industries with a focus on technology, prior to founding MEVP, Hanna served as the CEO of Dubai International Capital’s venture division, the Arab Business Angels Network (ABAN). Before ABAN, he has served on the investment-management team of Abraaj Capital.
Driving startups
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 Region with a focus on the GCC and Levant countries. With companies including Anghami, The Luxury Closet and Wego, MEVP lists more than $300m in AUM (Assets Under Management) across four funds: Middle East Venture Fund (MEVF I), Middle East Venture Fund II (MEVF II), Middle East Venture Fund III (MEVF III) and the IMPACT Fund by MEVP.
Name: Yahia Alhami
Designation: CEO
Company: Tahaluf Al Emarat Solutions
Sector: Technology
Working towards Tahaluf’s vision to be a partner of choice for its customers, Yahia Alhami was the key person of the team of Tahaluf back in 2015 with a starting role as the COO who led the company’s overall operations across UAE.
As the COO, he managed to expand the company’s operations by acquiring strategic long-term projects with multiple government entities and increased the company’s turnover since establishment. He was appointed as the CEO of Talaluf with the vision to take the company to the next level of expansion and higher success.
In his current role, Alhami is responsible for leading the company’s activities across the UAE, while expanding its operations and sales across the region, Europe, and Africa. He oversees the company’s strategic direction and plays an active role in supporting the adoption of Tahaluf solutions.
A buoyant growth trajectory
Alhami actively expanded Tahaluf Al Emarat Solutions to over 1,000 employees with around AED1bn in turnover annually. He also works with leaders in the region to innovate around the company portfolio, covering many new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and more.
Before joining Tahaluf, Alhami worked with many US-based companies on implementations of multiple applications on transportations such as Flywheel, Caboulus and others in the start-up’s phase. In Jordan, he worked with ESKADENIA, one of the software houses in Jordan that serves the global market in telecom, billing, and internet solutions. A graduate from Jordan with a degree in engineering, Alhami completed several executive certification programs in multiple universities.
About Tahaluf Al Emarat Solutions
Tahaluf Al Emarat helps its partners and clients in mitigating threats by providing them with products, security and defence services, and solutions. Since 2015, Tahaluf was established to provide smart services, and to implement projects based on big data and AI. Today, Tahaluf is one of the fastest growing IT companies that has developed advanced software solutions for the government sectors and operated with various markets.
Name: Yasir Al Rumayyan
Designation: Governor
Company: Public Investment Fund (PIF)
Sector: Government
With a myriad of experience, Al Rumayyan embarked upon his career at Saudi Hollandi Bank as head of international brokerage between 1999 and 2004, before joining the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) as the head of securities listings. He has been the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) since 2017 and was instrumental in their deal to buy Newcastle United, the English football club, owning 80 percent of the $407m takeover.
A former member of the board of directors of the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul), he was also appointed as the CEO of Saudi Fransi Capital LLC and in 2019, was appointed as the chairman of Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil company.
Al Rumayyan was also an adviser to the Royal Court in 2015, a board member at the US transportation network company Uber Technologies Inc. and the Japanese multinational SoftBank Group. He became an adviser to the Saudi Cabinet in 2016, then a board member of the Saudi Industrial Development Fund.
Aligned with Vision 2030, part of PIF’s 2021-2025 strategy is to spearhead new economic and business opportunities in the kingdom as one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, with total AUM at around $620bn.
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