The World’s Most Influential Arabs 500 Power

From business leaders to sport stars and entertainers to activists Arabian Business takes a closer look at the most powerful Arabs in the world

1. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud. Eight years of the Arabian Business Power List, and eight years in the top slot for Prince Alwaleed. Profits at his Kingdom Holding Company for Q1 this year surged 11.3% to $26.8m, boosted by the sales of its stake in Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel and its share of the Oasis Kingdom project in Riyadh.

2. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Over the past 25 years HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum has been at the forefront of Dubai’s remarkable economic development spearheading the successful expansion of aviation and, more recently, formulating economic, investment and fiscal policies and strategies in support of the emirate’s overarching vision. In his role as chairman of Emirates Airline, few can deny his staggering influence. Emirates has over 170 aircraft, and flies to more than 120 destinations in over 70 countries. He has managed to deliver a profit for 24 years in succession, with the 2011 figures showing income of $409m. But the airline is only part of his story. He holds a number of government positions and plays an increasingly pivotal role in leading the emirate’s finance and energy sectors. Sheikh Ahmed is also the chairman of Dubai World, Emirates NBD and the emirate’s Supreme Fiscal Committee. Amongst his many other roles are the deputy chairmanship of the Dubai Executive Council, and he also heads up the Dubai Power & Energy Committee.

3. Reem Asaad. According to her blog, Reem Asaad’s key objective is “to promote and raise financial awareness in Saudi Arabia and promote social and economic wellbeing to its people.” Her remarkable achievements have sent her into third place in our 2012 list, and the highest new entry. Assad’s “Lingerie Campaign” gained international recognition, stirring many underlying issues about the lack of female employment in Saudi Arabia. By last July, her campaign paid off when the Labour Ministry banned men from working in lingerie shops after a directive from King Abdullah – in an instant, creating 44,000 jobs for women. The second stage of the law being implemented could see another 30,000 jobs created for Saudi women – a vital fillip for the kingdom’s economy.

4. Mohamed Alabbar. As boss of Emaar since 1997, Alabbar’s place in history is already secure. He will be long be remembered as the driving force behind the development of the iconic Burj Khalifa, though equally impressive has been the manner in which he has successfully diversified the company. Emaar is now involved in hospitality & leisure, malls, education, healthcare and financial services. With six business segments and more than 60 active companies, Emaar has a collective presence in several markets spanning the Middle East, North Africa, Pan-Asia, Europe and North America. But away from the property giant, the company’s boss has been spending an increasing amount of time on his own private venture, a mining company with extensive operations largely in Africa. The result is that, barely two years since Africa Middle East Resources (AMER) was created, Alabbar has created a mega mining empire. He now has his sights on exploring commodities in a big way: coal, copper, oil and gas, gold, bauxite, iron ore, phosphate, uranium… you name it, and the chances are Alabbar is mining it somewhere in Africa. He told Arabian Business last year: “The Burj was over. I was thinking where to go, what to do next? Yes we got there, but we’re human beings, so when we get there we say ‘So what are we going to do after this? Are you going to crawl and go back in a little hole?’ I can tell you this, that’s not me.”

5. Mohammed Nabbous. Mohammed Nabbous was just 28 years old when he was killed last year in Benghazi, by a pro-Gaddafi sniper while reporting on the fighting in the city. Since his death, many experts have credited Nabbous for his pivotal role in bringing the world’s attention to the killings in his native country. Without him, it is debatable whether the Western powers would have intervened in the conflict. Nabbous created the first independent broadcast news organisation in Libya since Gaddafi took control of the country. His reports were widely reported by Western media organisations, and seen by leading politicians across the world. “I am not afraid to die, I am afraid to lose the battle. That’s why I want the media to see what’s going on,” he said.

6. Mohamed Al Jaber. The Saudi-born tycoon has spent 33 years building from scratch a conglomerate encompassing construction and development, hotels and resorts, oil and gas and agro-industries. It has made him the world’s second-richest Arab businessman, and he has also become a high-profile philanthropist, donating millions to promote good governance and anti-corruption, higher education, women’s rights, public-private partnerships and interfaith dialogue. In 1982, he established his first major endeavour in Saudi Arabia where he founded Jadawel International Construction & Development. Within twelve years Jadawel ranked 17th largest privately owned company in the country. JJW Hotels & Resorts was established in 1989 and is now the owner-operator of more than 60 hotel and leisure resorts in Europe and the Middle East. The smartest streets in London, Paris and Vienna each had one of Al Jaber’s trademark hotels. The final quarter of the year proved tough for Al Jaber, following a court battle with Standard Bank. At one stage a portion of the company’s assets were frozen. However, after coming to a settlement with the bank on December 7, the assets were unfrozen. With a substantial recent cash injection into the MBI Group, Al Jaber’s total wealth has now risen to $12.75bn.

8. Khalid Al Falih. As boss of the world’s biggest unlisted company and the world’s largest oil company, Al Falih can lay claim to being possibly the most influential energy executive on the planet. With a workforce of around 55,000, crude oil reserves of 260 billion barrels of oil and revenues of $210 billion in 2010, the superlatives just keep on coming for Saudi Aramco. It is also widely believed to be the most profitable company in the world. Al Falih took charge of this giant firm in January 2009 from Abdullah Juma’ah, at a time of great significance in the industry due to the fluctuating price of oil. He joined Aramco in 1978, and was sponsored by the firm to take a degree in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University in 1982.

10 Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi. Sheikha Lubna’s background lies in IT; she won plaudits for developing a system that slashed cargo turnaround times at Dubai airport, and in 2000 founded Tejari, the Middle East’s first business-to-business online marketplace. The firm, which is now one of Dubai World’s most successful units, has franchises across the Middle East and was initially funded by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, and prime minister of the UAE. Sheikha Lubna was appointed to her first ministerial post in November 2004 – becoming Minister of Economy and Planning, before taking the Minister of Foreign Trade brief afterwards In January, Sheikha Lubna met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss enhanced trade ties. The Gulf country is already the largest export market for US goods in the Middle East. The minister is also currently working hard to sign off the US Middle East Free Trade Area by next year. But amidst her whirlwind tours around the world, Sheikha Lubna has still managed to retain her own business interests. The minister also sits on the board of directors at the Dubai Chamber for Commerce and Industry.

11. Rula Saffar. Rula Saffar never wanted to be famous, and certainly never imagined she would become a global symbol for Bahrain’s protestors. Events last year changed all that. When massive pro-democracy protests erupted at the Pearl Roundabout, a major traffic intersection near Manama’s financial district, police responded with bullets and tear gas. Saffar was one of several medical professionals who rushed to the scene to help treat the injured. A heroic act, many would argue. That wasn’t the view of Bahrain’s government. Saffar was arrested and charged with helping protestors. She also claims she was tortured in prison. Saffar was one of 20 people convicted last September who received jail sentences of up to 20 years, though she was released after an international outcry. Her case is now one of many to be retried in a civil court. Saffar has long been one of Bahrain’s most-respected medical figures – as well as heading the College of Medical Science’s emergency department, she is the chairwoman of the Bahrain Nursing Society and a breast cancer survivor (AFP/Getty Images).


12. Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim. Now 60 years old, Tamim has had a remarkable career in public service. In 1970 he graduated from the Royal Police Academy in Jordan, after which he specialised in criminal investigations. After working his way up the chain of command, in 1979 he was appointed Deputy Chief of Police in Dubai, before taking the top job in 1980. Over the past 31 years, he has totally transformed the police force, its role and its reputation internationally and locally. He has published eight major reports on policing, and credited with a number of the police force’s key achievements in the last three decades. These include launching the Dubai Police Academy; establishing the Dubai Forensic Laboratory and the use of DNA in investigations; forming the land, marine and air rescue teams and establishing a special rehabilitation centre for drug addicts. Tamim is also largely credited with driving the force towards using modern technology – it was the first government department to use emails, and later became the first fully operational e-government department.He shot to worldwide fame when he led the investigation into the assassination of Mahmoud Mahbouh, a Hamas operative who was killed by a hit squad in a luxury hotel in Dubai. A major figure on the emirate’s political scene, Tamim’s forthright views are respected by both expatriates and locals. In addition, he is also highly regarded for his social welfare work, which has included the establishment of an orphanage in Dubai, and the launch of the Khalfan School for teaching the Holy Quran.

13. Tawakkul Karman. Tawakkul Karman is undoubtedly the female face of the Arab Spring. The youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize – aged just 32 – Karman has found herself touring the world, bringing Yemen’s plight before diplomats and fighting for women’s rights. In her own country, of course, she has been working hard to promote freedom of speech for years. In 2005, she set up the campaign group Women Journalists Without Chains, But Karman really hit the international headlines last year, when she led a series of protests calling for the departure of Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh. One year on – due in part to those same protests – Saleh has quit his post and is now in the US. Although the demonstrations led by Karman and others were peaceful, they resulted in a strong backlash from the Yemeni government. Hundreds were killed, and thousands were injured. In a recent newspaper interview, Karman herself expressed surprise that she was still alive. “I have always believed that resistance against repression and violence is possible without relying on similar repression and violence,” she said in her Nobel prize acceptance speech.

16. Moafaq Al Gaddah Moafaq Al Gaddah Group is one of the largest companies in the region and has a leading and reputable position among the biggest groups of companies. The company was formed three decades ago in Abu Dhabi in 1978. Since then the MAG Group has evolved to become a powerful and vibrant group embracing more than 50 companies and branches covering almost every country in the world and employing over 2,000 personnel.The activities of the group cover different sectors such as the commercial, real estate, service and industrial sectors.Gaddah himself is a highly respected figure across the industry. He is a member of the Syrian Business Council in the UAE, a member of the World Economic Forum in Davos and also a founder of the First Arab Fund. He is known for his backing of many humanitarian events, including Dubai Cares.

18. Mohamed AlshayaTwenty eight years ago, Wharton School of Business graduate Mohammed Alshaya did a three months’ work experience stint at the UK-based retailer Mothercare, stacking shelves and advising mothers on which prams to buy. He clearly learnt a lot. Today, his retail empire MH Alshaya owns and operates over 1,800 franchise stores in fifteen countries and employs around 18,000 people from 60 nationalities. How does he do it? “Hard work and respect,” he told Arabian Business in an interview. In January, Alshaya agreed to buy troubled British lingerie chain La Senza out of administration, part of the firm’s plans to invest around £100m in the UK retail sector over the next two years.

19. Hayat Sindi. When Hayat Sindi landed in London as a teenager in 1991, she had no university place, no money, and didn’t speak English, Hard work and determination got her a place at Cambridge. In 2001, she won a PhD in biotechnology and has been credited with the invention of MARS,, which combines the effects of light and sound for use in biotechnology. She co-founded Diagnostics for All, an organisation developing a disease-diagnosing paper that changes colours when dabbed with the bodily fluids of someone who is ill. Sindi is also a fellow at PopTech, which offers fellowships to scientists promoting innovation. In 2011, she launched the Institute for Imagination & Ingenuity, which helps local scientists create business plans and find investors for their ideas.

20. Khaldoon Al Mubarak. A trusted aide to the Crown Prince of the UAE, HH Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Khaldoon Al Mubarak — CEO of Mubadala — has masterminded many of Abu Dhabi’s strategic investments and key development projects. Educated in the US, a graduate of Tufts University, Al Mubarak sits on a number of boards, including First Gulf Bank, Aldar Properties, the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and he is chairman of the Executive Affairs committee. Worldwide, he is of course best known as the chairman of Manchester City Football Club since the club was bought by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008. Last month, the club secured its first title in the top flight of English football for 44 years, after beating Queens Park Rangers with an injury-time goal. It meant that the near $1billion of investment in the club that Mubarak has approved now seems very much worthwhile, and Mubarak himself has become one of the most popular figures in the city as a result.

21. Charles Elachi. If there’s one person who has driven mankind’s thirst for knowledge about the other planets in our solar system, that man is probably Charles Elachi. NASA’s Deep Space Network, the Mars missions, and the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn; these are all conducted — amongst many other space ventures — by California’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is headed up by Lebanon-born Elachi. Elachi retains his ties with the region via a board position of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the King Fahd University of Petrochemicals and Minerals, both in Saudi Arabia. Dr Elachi is also the chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Lebanese American University.

22. Elie Saab. “I am not only a fashion designer, I have the vision of an entrepreneur, a businessman,” Elie Saab told Arabian Business last year. He couldn’t be more right. Today, the 47-year-old runs a truly global empire, with boutiques in Beirut, Paris, London, Dubai, Hong Kong and Mexico City. The collections are sold in 50 countries and 70 points of sale worldwide. The Elie Saab story is as original as many of his designs. Born in Beirut to a wood merchant and housewife, his interest in dress making started when he was just nine years old. In 1982, at the age of 18, he opened his first couture atelier in Beirut with fifteen staff on the payroll. Today, with the expansion and growth of the brand, more than 200 employees are part of ELIE SAAB Group. The brand’s global breakthrough started in 1997 with an invitation to take part in the Camera Nazionale della Moda as the only non Italian designer. Since 1999, Elie Saab has dressed Hollywood cinema, music, theatre and television A-list stars. A philanthropist, he participated in many charity events: Paris tout P’tits, les Sapins des Créateurs, les Frimousses des Créateurs, Sidaction, Red Cross fund-raisers, but also the Mosaic Foundation in Washington, the fight against breast cancer in London, the fight against children’s cancer in Beirut. In 2003, he received the title of “Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Cèdre” presented to him by the President of the Lebanese Republic.

23. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem. What a good year it’s been for DP World, the world’s third- biggest ports firm. Led by Bin Sulayem, the company posted an 82 percent increase in full-year profit for 2011, helped by gains from the part-sale of its terminals in Australia and as container volumes rose. NDP World last year completed the sale of a 75 percent stake in its Australian unit for $1.5bn, and the company, which operates more than 60 terminals across six continents, said recently that it will repay a $3 billion revolving credit facility six months ahead of schedule with its own cash. Furthermore, DP World’s landmark London Gateway project in the UK will start operations in the fourth quarter of 2013. DP World’s shares – listed on NASDAQ Dubai and the LSE – have risen by 20 percent this year.

26. Badr Al Kharafi. Nasser Kharafi passed away last year leaving the reins of the Kharafi Group in the hands of his sons, who include Bader. Also vice president of the group, Bader told Arabian Business earlier this year that the family plans to honour his father’s legacy by proving the third generation of Al Kharafis can securely carry the family business into the next decade and beyond. “We are working on the restructuring of the company,” said Al Kharafi, adding: “It depends on what views we have on the restructuring and it’s a family business so we really don’t want to mention anything about that now in the media until it is planned.” Established in 1956, MA Kharafi and Sons is one of the largest firms of its kind in the world. A diversified conglomerate, the group also overseas stakes, through the Americana food division, in various high-profile American eateries, and has the exclusive franchise rights in the Middle East for many fast food brands.

27. Elie Khouri. It seems everyone wants to work for Elie Khouri these days. Last year his company was ranked in the CEO Middle East “Top Ten Employers” list, and also the “Top Companies to Work for in the UAE” list. Khouri is widely seen as one of the region’s most powerful and inspiring media figures. It was two years ago that he famously told Arabian Business: “People need to wake up and realise what’s going on, they need to see that this industry is changing. And if they don’t adapt to that change, they won’t be around much longer.” Khouri, the MENA boss of Omnicom Media Group, did just that and in the past year most of his rivals have been forced to play catch up. According to monitoring sources, its agencies OMD, PHD and M2M generated $1.9bn worth of billings across the GCC and Levant last year (across all media). After 27 years in the region and 24 years in the industry, there’s certainly no sign of Khouri slowing down.“For me it’s doing something constructive for the industry. It’s not about power and money; you get both anyway when you are leading a big organisation. I care more about making my mark in this industry,” he says.

28. Adel Aujan. It’s been a fantastic year for Adel Aujan, who sold a stake in Aujan Industries to no less a partner than Coca Cola. Not content with leading the Gulf’s biggest privattely owned beverage company, the chairman of the firm has been aggressively growing his offerings to different markets. nAujan’s juice brand, Rani, is Iran’s best-selling beverage and is planning to add to its three factories by putting a facility in Iraq, politics permitting. In 2008, Aujan Industries nailed a target to deliver $500m in revenue twelve months ahead of its five-year schedule, and is now working towards $1bn in revenue by 2012. Sounds tough? Not really, given that the firm has tripled its sales since 2004 and is on track to double them again by 2014. nBut the highlight of Aujan’s career so far has undoubtedly been the deal he signed towards the end of 2011 with US beverage behemoth Coca Cola. For a cool $980m, Coca Cola took a near-50 percent stake in the firm.”The deal is a game-changer for us; it takes us to another level” Aujan told Arabian Business at the time.

29. Fairouz. When Fairouz sings, the Arab world becomes enchanted. From a relatively poor background, she has grown to be received by heads of state and leaders from all corners of the world, so much so that she has garnered a reputation as the ‘Arabs’ ambassador’. She was first noticed at the International Festival of Baalbek, where she performed many of her songs. She became famous after appearing on the “Lebanese Nights” part of the festival for many successive years. Fairuz is commonly known as “Ambassador to the Stars”, “Neighbor to the Moon” (for her famous song about the moon of Machgara), and the “Jewel of Lebanon”. Fairuz has performed in many countries around the globe including Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Netherlands, Greece, Canada, United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and her home country Lebanon. She has performed in many venues such as the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1962, the New York Carnegie Hall in 1971, the London Palladium in 1978, L’Olympia de Paris in 1979, London’s Royal Festival Hall in 1986, the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles (1971, 1981, and 2003), the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. (1981 and 1987) among many others. Fairuz has yielded record-breaking performances in almost every concert she has held around the world.

30. Ibrahim Dabdoub. The Palestine-born financier has been at the helm of National Bank of Kuwait as CEO since 1983, and is now one of the most widely admired bankers in the Middle East. He first joined NBK in 1961 and saw his career progress from Head of Credit in 1969 to the CEO position in 1983 and a Group CEO in 2008. In addition to his NBK role, Dabdoub is also a board member of the Centre for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University; the International Institute of Finance (IIF); he sits on the Board of Trustees of the American University of Beirut (AUB) and he is a member of the advisory council of Carnegie Middle East Centre.

31. Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani. After the departure of Wadah Khanfar last September, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Jassim Al Thani stepped into the hot seat as the head of the Al Jazeera network. And there can be little doubt about the influence Sheikh Ahmed now wields. Al Jazeera started out more than fifteen years ago as the first independent Arabic news channel in the world dedicated to providing comprehensive television news and live debate. Sheikh Ahmed now leads a global media network of over twenty channels. The broadcaster’s in-depth global approach to journalism, allied with a commitment to giving ‘voice to the voiceless’, has won it numerous awards and plaudits over the years. In the last year alone, Al Jazeera English has picked up the Columbia Journalism Award, a DuPont award, and Best News Channel for the third year running from UK’s Freesat. It was also nominated for the fourth consecutive year as RTS News Channel of the Year.The Al Jazeera Network has more than 65 bureaux across the globe. It has more than 3,000 staff members across the world, including more than 400 journalists from more than 60 countries.

32. Khaled Samawi. Khaled Samawi’s Ayyam Gallery is considered the benchmark for Arabic art. With galleries in Damascus, Beirut, Cairo and Dubai, the gallery is pushing the envelope in the promotion of top Arab art.Ayyam Auctions is also the first regional auction house with auctions in Dubai and Beirut. Ayyam Publishing has published more than 50 art books in the last five years. The recently inaugurated Ayyam Art Center in Dubai is the first private museum in the Gulf dedicated to the exhibition of Arab art. After a successful career as a banker in Switzerland, it seems Khaled Samawi is at it again changing the artistic landscape all over the Middle East. The gallery’s Dubai branch boasts an 8,000 square foot display space for the mounting of large-scale exhibitions, and has hosted exhibitions in New York. Samawi has devoted considerable time and resources to encouraging the next generation of Arab talent, hosting projects such as the Shabab Ayyam exhibition.

33. Akbar Al Baker. Akbar Al Baker has been instrumental in shaping Qatar Airways into one of the fastest growing and most highly acclaimed airlines in the world.Born in Doha, he is a graduate in Economics and Commerce and worked at various levels in the Civil Aviation Directorate before becoming Qatar Airways CEO in 1997.Al Baker has, over the last decade, spearheaded the growth of Qatar Airways, which operated only four aircraft in a regional capacity prior to his appointment. Currently Qatar Airways flies to more than 100 destinations across an ever-growing international route network that spans six continents. He is also leading the development of the New Doha International Airport, which will open in phases from this year onwards. A highly motivated individual, Al Baker has been a successful businessman in Doha for more than 25 years and holds a private pilot licence. He is also CEO of several divisions of Qatar’s national airline including Qatar Executive, Qatar Airways Holidays, Qatar Aviation Services, Qatar Duty Free Company and Doha International Airport.

34. Ali Shareef Al Emadi. Qatar National Bank (QNB) is by far the largest in the country – with an estimated 40 percent of banking sector assets – and is also one of the biggest in the region. The bank is headed by Ali Shareef Al Emadi, under whose direction it has undertaken international expansion. Under Al Emadi’s leadership, QNB became the most profitable bank in the Gulf during 2011. Annual net profit leapt by 32 percent to $2.05bn during a period that has generally not been kind to the region’s banking community. QNB has an estimated 45 percent share of the Qatari banking sector, and its 50 percent-owned by the Qatar Investment Authority. It has a distribution network of 60 branches and offices both inside Qatar and internationally.

35. Lubna Olayan. As the CEO of the Riyadh-based Olayan Financing Company, Lubna Olayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most prolific businesswomen.The group, which was founded by her father in 1947, is one of the kingdom’s most successful conglomerates with operations spanning distribution, manufacturing, services and investments, across the Middle East. The firm is also one of the largest investors in the Saudi and regional stock markets. One of Olayan’s most defining moments was speaking at the Jeddah Economic Forum in 2004, when shebecame the first woman to speak at a mixed conference in Saudi Arabia. During her speech, Olayan called for a country in which “any Saudi citizen, irrespective of gender who is serious about finding employment, can find a job in the field for which he or she is best qualified, leading to a thriving middle class and in which all Saudi citizens, residents or visitors to the country feel safe and can live in an atmosphere where mutual respect and tolerance exist among all”.

37. Saif Al Hajeri. The Qatar Foundation is widely regarded to be one of the most exciting cultural projects being undertaken in the region — its literature says it is helping to build a sustainable society in the Gulf through research into education, science and community development.As vice-chairman, Hajeri plays a crucial role in its development and direction. Qatar Foundation was established in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, as a vehicle to convert the country’s current, but temporary, mineral wealth into durable human capital.are located. In addition to his work at the foundation, Al Hajeri is the founder and chairman of Friends of the Environment Centre.

38. Munib Al Masri. Munib Al Masri was initially educated at An Najah School, Nablus, then pursued higher education in the field of petro-geology in Texas, US. Masri graduated with an MA and began a successful career, establishing large enterprises in various countries around the world. Al Masri founded EDGO, an oil and gas contracting company in Amman. He is now a director of the Palestinian Development and Investment Company (PADICO), one of the biggest listed companies on the Palestine Exchange, and is also deputy chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund. Elsewhere, Al Masri has been heavily involved in education through the establishment of the Al Quds University Investment Fund, and he is also chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sakakini Cultural Centre, Ramallah. Al Masri also helped set up the Engineering and Technology College at An Najah University, which is named after him, and is also a member of the board of trustees at the American University in Beirut.

39. Leila El Solh. The youngest daughter of the late former Lebanese prime minister, Riad El Solh, Leila El Solh was the first woman in her country’s history to hold a cabinet position when she took on the Minister of Industry brief in 2004. Today, she is best known for her work with the Alwaleed Bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation in Lebanon. Chaired by HRH Prince Alwaleed, the foundation has managed to reach many areas in Lebanon to provide funds for development projects and alleviate poverty. Under El Solh’s stewardship, the foundation has become a pillar of support for education, health and social organisations throughout the country. In 2008, she was awarded the Pontifical Medal by Pope Benedict XVI in recognition of her efforts made to encourage religious tolerance.

40. Mohammed Al Marri. A former policeman with 26 years on the force under his belt, Al Marri has been at the forefront at massive change at the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD), where a switch to online services, plus a new training complex, have seen a huge improvement in service. While many might see the DNRD role as a behind-the-scenes position, Al Marri’s role is actually vital in streamlining the vast numbers of visitors to Dubai, and ensuring that the flow of tourist dollars remains high. In a government reshuffle ordered by Deputy Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum at the start of 2010, Al Marri saw his responsibilities increased. Already head of Dubai’s Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) since 2007, he was appointed head of the commission for social development, one of five new committees that will assist the emirate’s decision-making process.

41. Abdulaziz Al Ghurair. It’s been a tough couple of years for bank profits in the region, but those of Mashreqbank — the cornerstone of Abdulaziz Al Ghurair’s business empire — have remained stable. The fact that Mashreqbank has performed so well despite its exposure to Dubai World-linked companies speaks volumes about the strength of its leadership. Al Ghurair is CEO of the bank, which he started from scratch with $1.6m of capital during the oil boom in the 1960s, and which is the country’s fourth-largest by assets. The lender was the first bank to introduce ATM machines and credit cards to the emirates, and is now in expansionist mode. Al Ghurair is also one of the founders of the property giant Emaar, and served as speaker of the UAE’s Federal National Council until earlier last year. He remains a fervent proponent of national identity in the country. The family legacy can be traced back to Ahmad Al Ghurair who founded Al Ghurair Group in 1960. The family name has been a fixture within the UAE business community ever since.

43. Amr Diab. They call him the ‘Father of Mediterranean music’ and Diab, perhaps Egypt’s most famous singer, has dominated the Arab music scene since the late 1980s. Recent months have seen his popularity slide; his absence from Egypt during the uprising has led to denunciations from some quarters that his silence was a tacit expression of support for the former regime — but certainly he has not been included on a list compiled by activists of Egyptian stars who showed support for Hosni Mubarak. Diab is believed to be the best selling Arab recording artist of all time. He was awarded the World Music Award for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist four times and has sold well over 50 million albums.

44. Abdel Hamid Shoman. Abdel Hamid Shoman serves as chairman of Arab Bank, today one of the largest privately-owned banks in the Middle East and one of the most influential financial institutions in the Arab world. The bank was established in Jerusalem in 1930 by Abdel Hamid’s grandfather, Abdul Hameed Shoman, with a view to serving the Arabs of Palestine. It is testament to the Shoman family’s management and foresight that Arab Bank has not only survived the political and military turmoil of the Middle East, but has thrived. Following his father’s death, Abdul Majeed Shoman, in July 2005, Abdel took over as the chairman and CEO of the family’s bank. Over the four years up to 2008, he ushered in a massive 58 percent growth — but he credits much of the success of his bank to the diversity and openness of the Jordanian economy. Arab Bank is also one of the country’s most global financial enterprises, with over 400 branches in a total of 29 different countries.

45. Fadi Ghandour. Fadi Ghandour is the founder and CEO of Aramex International, one of the leading logistics and transportation companies in the Middle East and South Asia, and the first company from the Arab world to go public on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The company now trades on the Dubai Financial Market. Ghandour is a founding partner of Maktoob.com; the world’s largest Arab On-Line communitywhich was acquired by Yahoo!; is a member of the board of Abraaj Capital, is a founding board member of Endeavor Jordan and serves on the advisory board of the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut.

46. Anas Kozbari. One of the country’s leading business figures, Kozbari made an impact on the global stage when his company went into partnership with Emaar to launch the Eighth Gate project in Damascus. The US$500 million Eighth Gate has three separate parts – The Waterfront, The Touristic Area and The Commercial Centre. The Commercial Centre is planned to hold the largest mall in the Levant region and will also house the Damascus Stock Exchange. Other highlights of the Commercial Centre will be a thirty two floor office tower with 1,510 square meter space on each level, and a selection of low-rise commercial offices. The development will feature a modern infrastructure of world-class standards. The Eighth Gate takes its inspiration from the legendary seven gates that were access points to Syria’s Ancient civilization. A signature tall gate will mark the entrance to the main plaza. The Eighth Gate is easily accessible from Damascus Airport. As a leading figure in the Syrian Business Council, Kozbari has also played a prominent role in promoting business ties between the UAE and Syria.

47. Mohammed Al Mady. Al Mady joined SABIC in 1976 with a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Wyoming, USA, and held various key positions within the company before his rise to the top. SABIC is comfortably the largest listed company in the Middle East, and the world’s biggest chemical maker. And, as its CEO since 1998, there is no doubt Al Mady still boasts considerable influence on the industrial markets. Under Al Mady’s stewardship, SABIC has grown from a company that employed six people in 1976 to one that employs 31,000 with a market capitalisation in excess of $70bn. Addressing a meeting of the US-Saudi Business Council in Seattle on 16 May, Al-Mady, who is the co-chairman of the Council, called for greater ties between the countries, saying: “I cannot overemphasize the importance of our continuing relationship and the bond which has developed over these many years. In this context, and in my role within the US-Saudi Business Council, I see myself as a goodwill ambassador to American business enterprise.”

48. Bakr Bin Ladin. What a year for the family which is by far Saudi Arabia’s most successful construction empire. In 2011 it inked deals to construct Prince Alwaleed’s Kingdom Tower and the expansion of the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. Between them, the contracts are worth over $20bn. However, those key contracts aside, the Bin Ladin empire has also been hit by the uncertain price of land in the kingdom. The family fortune is based on a construction business that paid immense dividends when decades ago it was awarded contracts for major renovations at Mecca and other religious buildings in Saudi Arabia and abroad. Founded by Mohammed Bin Ladin, the family also built several palaces in Riyadh and Jeddah for the royal family. The firm employs tens of thousands of people across the region.

49. Riad Kamal. A fascinating year for Kamal, as his company Arabtec saw its share price rise more than 100% in the first five months of this year, thanks to rumours of takeovers and winning mega-projects. Along the way, Aabar Investments has raised its stake in the company and Arabtec, as expected, is a preferred bidder for the new Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal project. A familiar face in the region’s construction industry, Kamal began his career as a civil engineer for Shaheen Engineering & Contracting in 1966. This was followed by a post with Sir Robert McAlpine Engineering, London in 1970, before Arabtec was founded in 1979. Now the biggest player in the crowded Middle East construction market, Arabtec’s first contract was to build a trio of cold stores in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat. Today the firm has progressed to some of the Gulf’s most elaborate buildings, including the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa. In addition to his Arabtec roles, Kamal is a director of Arab Bank and a director and member of the advisory board at Gulf Capital.

50. Bassam Kousa. A prominent film and television actor in the Arab world, Bassam Kousa is known for his unconventional roles and his willingness to push the boundaries. Born in Aleppo, Syria on November 7, 1963, Kousa broke into the public consciousness with a string of prominent roles in Syrian TV shows such as ‘Ayyam Shamiyah’. One of his most popular roles was on ‘Bab Al Hara’, one of the most-watched TV shows in the Arab region. Although he only appeared in the first season of the show, his character, Idaghshiri, became instantly identifiable to an audience stretching from Gaza to the Arabian Gulf. Kousa has also acted in a number of feature films, including Usama Muhammad’s ‘The Box of Life’, which was screened at the 2002 Cannes Festival winning the Un Certain Regard award. In 2010, Kousa won the prestigious Adonia award, Syria’s version of the Emmys, for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in ‘Wara’a al Shams’. In the show, Kousa plays a man struggling with autism, a role that has raised eyebrows in a traditionally conservative region.

52. Nadine Labaki. She has been the darling of the Arab film industry for years, but it appears that the long overdue global recognition is finally coming. Her latest movie, which she also wrote, ‘Where Do We Go Now?’ made its North American debut at the Toronto Film Festival last year and walked away with the hugely prestigious audience award – following in the footsteps of ‘The Kings Speech’ and ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. The movie tells the story of what lengths a mother would go to in order to stop her son becoming involved in Lebanon’s sectarian violence. She is also well known as a director in the Arabic music video industry. In 2007, Labaki co-wrote, directed, and starred in her feature-film debut, ‘Caramel’, which became an sensation at global box offices.

53. Naseer Homoud. Starting out as a dentist in Jordan, Dr Naseer Homoud moved to Qatar in 2001 to expand his clinic. He ended up creating a real estate empire in the process. The Wall for Investment and Real Estate Development has become synonymous with the rapid growth of Qatar, as well as contributing hugely to the growth of affordable housing – a much-needed sector in the country. His Consultant Dental Centre is well known in Doha as the place to go for an affordable smile, while the Spanish International Business & Trading Centre has already gained a reputation for being the must-visit destination for Spanish companies that are looking to invest in the region, and for Arab firms wanting to tap the Spanish market. Homoud studied at the University of Damascus, graduating in 1987 before returning to Jordan, and by 1994 had already set up his first dental centre in Amman. Three years ago he also formed the Spanish International Trading and Business Centre (SIBTC), to promote bilateral trade between the Middle East and Spain.

54. Sultan bin Nasser Al Suwaidi. Sultan Bin Nasser Al Suwaidi is a UAE national was born in Abu Dhabi in 1953. He started his career at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) in 1978, at the Finance and Administration Department, and joined the Central Bank as Governor in 1991. At the Central Bank, Al Suwaidi was able to introduce or modernise many banking regulations. In 1994, he worked on establishing the ‘UAESwitch’ which started operations in 1996 and was able to connect all bank ATMs in the UAE. He also supported the establishment of an automated cheque clearing System for UAE banks. Guided by Al Suwaidi, the Central Bank is in the process of implementing many new initiatives such as the Image Cheque Clearing System, the Mobile Phone Payment System and Basel II.

55. Joseph Ghossoub. Joseph Ghossoub is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MENA Communications Group (MENACOM), parent company of the Team/Y&R. One of the Middle East communications industry’s most prominent spokespersons, he has been involved in managing regional and global agencies for nearly three decades. Under his leadership, MENACOM Group (part of WPP and Y&R Brands) has grown into one of the most successful Middle East communications groups, including 12 Team/Y&R offices in 10 countries. Among his many accolades are the Arabian Business Achievement Award for Business Leadership, ‘Advertising Personality of the Year’ award for his contribution to raising the profile of the Middle East on the international creative advertising and marketing stage and Campaign Middle East’s ‘Man of the Year’ in 2006, the first such award presented by the media and communications industry weekly. Until 2008, he served as Chairman and World President of the International Advertising Association (IAA).

56. Al Laith Hajo. Al Laith Hajo is a prominent Syrian television and film director. He has said he will feature scenes about the current events in Syria in his new television series “Kharba”. Elnashra.com quoted the director as saying: “We preferred to add to the script the reality of what is going on in Syria and the Arab region, in order to portray the societal problems being faced.” He added: “New ideas are being incorporated everyday according to updates in events in Syria and other countries witnessing turmoil.” Hajo added the additional scenes that have been shot for Kharba were not included in the original script by writer Mamdouh Hamada. Elsewhere, Hajo has recently been shooting the Egyptian television drama ‘Al Khawaja Abdul Qader’, which stars Sulafa Memar.

57. Marwan Bin Bayat. If you’re going to do something in sport, you might as well do it big. And Bin Bayat did just that last March when he stunned the soccer world by announcing that Diego Maradona was going to be the next manager of Al Wasl Football Club. Bin Bayat said at the time: “The value of the contract is worthy of the stature and reputation of the great legend.” Al Wasl is the only UAE club that has won every single competition in the country, in every sport that the club represents, which includes basketball and handball. Al Wasl’s president is Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman of Emirates Group. For Bin Bayat, the Maradona moment has been a fantastic coup. But that said, the Argentinean legend – regarded by many as the greatest football player of all time – has faced a difficult time and there have been growing rumours that he may yet move on to manage to UAE national team. Time will tell. Right now, both he and Bin Bayat are hoping that victory in the GCC Champion’s League final will allow Al Wasl to forget a largely disappointing domestic season.

58. Raja Easa Al Gurg. Raja Easa Al Gurg wears many hats. Not only is she the managing director of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, the firm of which her father is chairman, but she is also president of the Dubai Business Women’s Council. Al Gurg is also deputy chairperson of the board of directors at Dubai Healthcare City Authority, and a board member at both the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Dubai Women’s Council. She is also a member of the Dubai Economic Council, the Arab International Women’s Forum, the National Advisory Council and the College of Business Sciences. She represents the UAE at many global conferences and roundtables and is also part of the Dubi Government’s official delegation for trade and commerce meetings. Besides providing valuable counsel to various business groups and international trade alliances, Al Gurg spends considerable time in several philanthropic, social and charitable activities, notably with the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Charity Foundation.

60. Khaldoun Tabari. Khaldoun Rashid Tabari is an the vice chairman and CEO of Drake & Scull International (DSI). Over the last twelve years, Tabari has led the development of DSI from a local MEP contractor to a regional leader providing fully-integrated services that have come to include civil construction and water and power and water, wastewater and sludge treatment solutions. Tabari also serves as a board member for EMCOR Facilities Services Group (ME), Walltech; Cedar Mills, Jordan Fleet Leasing Company; First Qatar Real Estate and Energy Central in Bahrain. ence in Abu Dhabi. Net income for DSI in the first quarter declined to AED37.6m (US$10.2m) from AED45.9m a year earlier.

61. Mohammed El Erian. Egypt-born Mohammed El Erian is CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO – the world’s biggest bond trader. He re-joined PIMCO at the end of 2007 after serving for two years as president and CEO of Harvard Management Company, the entity that manages Harvard’s endowment and related accounts. El Erian has published widely on international economic and finance topics. His book, When Markets Collide, was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, won the Financial Times/Goldman Sachs 2008 Business Book of the Year and was named a book of the year by The Economist and one of the best business books of all time by the Independent. He was named to Foreign Policy’s list of “Top 100 Global Thinkers” for 2009, 2010 and 2011.

63. Lama Sulaiman. Lama Sulaiman was elected deputy chairwoman of the Jeddah Chamber for Commerce & Industry in December 2009, becoming the first female to hold such a post in Saudi history. Her appointment was even more remarkable given that just a week before standing for election, the businesswoman was told she had beaten breast cancer. The mother of four is well aware of the delicacies of being a Saudi woman in her position, telling Bloomberg: “You have to proceed carefully. You have to respect others,” adding that few clerics have objected to her working with men due to her husband’s authorisation.

64. Hassan Al Thawadi. Ever since Qatar had expressed an interest in hosting sport’s biggest tournament, the bid had been doomed by naysayers from the start. Questions were raised over the validity of holding the World Cup in the heat of the summer, not to mention the country’s lack of association with football and its tiny population. But Hassan Al Thawadi, the CEO of the 2022 bid, was nothing if not undaunted. Juggling this showpiece role with his other day jobs — the small matter of heading the legal department at the Qatar Investment Authority and at Qatar Holding — Al Thawadi managed to find an answer to every problem thrown their way. In many respects, the win has already paid off. Billions of dollars of projects have now been signed off, which will help Qatar become perhaps the most advanced state in the Gulf by 2022.

65. Dr Ilham Al Qaradawi. Prof Ilham Al Qaradawi is professor of Nuclear Physics at Qatar University and Adjunct Professor of Physics at Texas A&M University in Qatar. She received her Ph D working in the field of positron physics from University of London, UK in 1991. Over the past decade at Qatar University, she has established a positron lab and successfully built the first variable energy slow positron beam in the Middle East. She has also established a radiation measurement lab carrying out research in the area of environmental radiation physics. She is involved in many research projects and collaborations on local, regional and international levels. Her research is mainly in the field of positron physics working on various types of materials. Al Qaradawi is involved with Europe’s CERN in the Antihydrogen experiment AEGIS. She is also involved in environmental radiation research and in physics education research. She represents Qatar in many areas related to nuclear, radiation physics and science education on the regional and international level. She is a keen educator who is always working to raise the standards of science awareness and teaching particularly in physics. She is the founder of the Qatar Physics Society; through which she regularly holds training workshops for physics teachers and other activities in an effort to spread physics knowledge and nuclear awareness as well as improve physics education. She has lectured in the World Nuclear University Summer Institute for the past four years.

67. Mohammed Omran. Mohammed Omran leads Etisalat, which is now one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world with a market value of approximately $25 billion. Omran has worked for Etisalat over three decades and served in many different positions until he became the Chairman of Etisalat in 2005. From his current position he has overseen many of the company’s major achievements and today is considered one of the key decision makers in the telecommunications sector in the region. Omran joined Etisalat in 1977, one year after of its inception. In 1982 he was promoted to Area Manager in Ras Al Khaimah, and then appointed as Deputy General Manager of Etisalat in 1984. He held several managerial positions after this until he became the CEO of Etisalat in 2004. Under Omran’s leadership Etisalat has accomplished much in terms of both revenue and operational growth.

68. Aldaba Saif Al Darmaki. The founder of Emirates Hospitality tied up with US reality TV star Kim Kardashian for the opening of the first Millions of Milkshakes store in Dubai, bringing the city to a virtual standstill in the process. Since then, Saif Al Darmaki has been busy taking the brand across the Middle East, with likely openings in Qatar and Kuwait. More significantly, he is working with Hollywood.TV founder Sheeraz Hasan on several celebrity branded projects that are expected to be rolled out across the region in the coming year. Emirates Hospitality is still in the early stages of growth, but experts are already touting it as one of the hottest new ventures to launch in the UAE, with a valuation that could top $100m.

69. Dr Ibrahim Al Ibrahim. Since 1988, Al Ibrahim has been a close advisor to Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar. Dr Ibrahim was between 2006 and 2011 the secretary general for the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP). He has been at the heart of the development process for the Qatar National Vision 2030, and is now also leading Qatar’s First National Development Strategy. As the state realises its global ambitions, almost every plan and process is going through Dr Ibrahim’s desk. Dr Ibrahim is the vice chairman of the board of RasGas Company Limited and chairman of the Marketing Committee. He is a board member at Qatar Petroleum.

70. Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani. CEO Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani took the top spot at QatarGas in 2010, and since then he has helped build it into one of the most important and successful companies on the planet. Qatargas, established in 1984, pioneered the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry in Qatar. Today, Qatargas is the largest LNG producing company in the world, with an annual LNG production capacity of 42 million tonnes per annum (MTA). And Sheikh Khalid certainly has his hands full — Qatargas is a major contributor to the realisation of the vision of the Emir, which aims for Qatar to be the largest LNG producer in the world.

71. Muna AbuSulayman. Until recently, Muna AbuSulayman was secretary general for the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, charged with spending upto $100m a year on good causes. She is widely seen as an international expert in development and philanthropy. Due to a diverse cross-functional work experience over the past 16 years, AbuSulayman has become internationally recognised as an expert in the fields of management, sustainable development, and communications, media, the Middle East, women and gender, as well as on Islam. She is best known as the first Saudi woman to break through media and cultural traditions by becoming the first Saudi female to appear on non-government global TV and ushering in changes in the way women are viewed by conservatives.

72. Bader Al Darwish. The Al Darwish family is one of the most respected business families in Qatar. The family-owned Darwish Holding, a conglomerate whose activities include retail, business services, real estate investment, investments, construction and others, was founded by Abdullah Al Darwish Fakhroo and his brothers Jassim and Abdul Rahman in 1920 and is now run by chairman Bader Abdullah Al Darwish. Under Al Darwish’s leadership the firm has continued its substantial growth in all sectors. In addition to its current business, Darwish Holding introduced the largest multi-brand luxury store in the Middle East, Fifty One East, which spans over 13,500 sq m of space. It also developed and operates the $348m luxury Lagoona Mall in the affluent West Bay of Doha.

73. Hamad Buamim. Hamad Buamim has been the director general of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry since November 2006. Educated in the US, Buamim graduated from the University of Southern California – Los Angeles in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. In 2002, He obtained an MBA in Finance from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Prior to joining Dubai Chamber, Buamim worked in various positions in the public and private sectors. He was the secretary general of Dubai Economic Council, a corporate manager in HSBC Bank. He is now a board member at several major companies, such as Emirates NBD and Dubai World.

74. Helal Al Marri. As head of Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) , Al Marri has managed to achieve continued growth for Dubai, helping stage some of the world’s biggest events such as Gitex in the emirate. Al Marri previously worked as a strategy consultant with Mckinsey & Co, one of the world’s leading consulting firms. He also worked with KPMG in London, holds an MBA degree from the London Business School and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Founded in 1979, the DWTC has been instrumental in establishing Dubai as a global financial and commercial hub and Al Marri was appointed its head in 2004.

75. Dr Habib Al Mulla. Dr Habib is one of the UAE’s most highly respected legal authorities. He has over 27 years’ experience in UAE law and has drafted many of the modern legislative structures in place in Dubai today. Dr Habib is a strong advocate for the improvement and modernisation of UAE laws. He is a frequent commentator on the legislation and economy of the UAE and is often consulted to draft and advise on Federal and Emirate level laws. He is vice chairman of the board of trustees for the Dubai International Arbitration Centre and is Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators UAE Committee. He created the concept of financial free zones in the UAE and was the architect of the legal framework establishing the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

76. Khadem Al Qubaisi. As the chairman of Aabar Investments , Khadem Al Qubaisi’s recent string of high-profile acquisitions have helped propelled Abu Dhabi onto the international map. His latest move was taking over as chairman of Arabtec last month, after his company raised its stake in the construction giant. Aabar has been on the expansion trail since International Petroleum Investment Co (IPIC) — of which Al Qubaisi is also the chairman — took control of the firm in 2009. IPIC is one of the investment arms used by the government of Abu Dhabi to invest its oil income. Qubaisi attended high school in Abu Dhabi and studied at the University of the United Arab Emirates. He was awarded a BSc in Economics in 1993, and that same year commenced his career with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

78. Mohammed Bin Ali Al Hedfa. Mohammed Ali Al Hedfa has his hands on the tiller of QatariDiar, which is the property investment arm of the country’s sovereign wealth fund. As Qatari Diar marks its sixth anniversary, the company is also celebrating the considerable progress being made in its local and international portfolio, including new projects, sales launches and expansion in key markets internationally. Infrastructure works at Lusail City, the company’s visionary 38 sq km development to the north of Doha, are progressing ahead of schedule. Beyond Qatar’s borders, Qatari Diar has expanded across Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia.

79. Zaha Hadid. Iraqi-born architect, Zaha Hadid is amongst the most celebrated in her field. With a clutch of international awards under her belt, she has designed some of the most recognisable and unique buildings in the world. Educated at the American University of Beirut, where she received a degree in mathematics, Hadid moved to London to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. She was made an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Some of Hadid’s most prestigious projects include the MAXXI — National Museum of the 21st Century Arts in Rome, the Guangzhou Opera House and the Bridge Pavilion in Zaragoza, Spain. In addition, Forbes named Hadid as one of the ‘100 Most Powerful Women in the World’ in 2008.

80. Ayman Hariri. Ayman Hariri is the first of the five children of Lebanon’s former prime minister, Rafiq Hariri, to feature in this list. Ayman has made his mark on the telecommunications sector, having worked as an engineer at major satellite consortium Intelsat, and also on the family-owned South African wireless carrier, 3C, where he remains a board member. But it’s in the field of property and real estate where he is now making waves. Ayman is now the deputy general manager and a board member of Saudi Oger — and as befits a naturally gifted engineer, he has a hands-on role in all projects. Ayman has so far steered clear of the political arena, and with his growing business interests, is seen as the ‘business heir’ to the Hariri legacy.

81. Safwan Dahoul. Born in Hama, Syria in 1961, Safwan Dahoul is among the highest grossing Middle Eastern artists to date with record-breaking auction sales and blockbuster shows that have made his paintings popular with regional and international collectors alike. After graduating from the Faculty of Fines Arts in Damascus at the top of his class in 1983, Dahoul went on to receive a scholarship to study abroad from the Ministry of Higher Education in 1987. Choosing to travel to Belgium due to its rich artistic heritage, particularly its 16th century Flemish school of painting, Dahoul obtained a doctorate from the Higher Institute of Plastic Arts in Mons in 1997. Since then, he has participated in international art fairs and individual and collective exhibitions throughout the Middle East, Europe and the US.

83. Dani Richa. Richa has spent more than 20 years with the Group, also serving as president of the Group and regional chief creative officer, transforming the agency into a dominant market leader. Achievements under Dani’s leadership have been numerous; consistently receiving international acclaim, among them recent awards at Cannes Lions Festival, the MENA Effies and the MENA Cristal Festival. As one of the most influential industry figures in the region, Dani has been instrumental in producing some of the most memorable campaigns for key brands. Under his leadership, Impact BBDO has created its own brand of advertising and distinguishes itself as an ad agency. It has added value to clients’ businesses by helping build iconic brands – some from scratch – and has championed social causes.

84. Nart Bouran. Nart Bouran is director of news for Sky News Arabia, a new Arabic-language 24-hour news channel that began to broadcast across 50 million households in the MENA region last month. Among his wide scope of responsibilities he is in charge of directing and managing the channel’s news operations, safeguarding the Sky News standard of impartial and independent world-class news reporting, and achieving the company’s business objectives. He possesses a wealth of experience from a career in journalism spanning 20 years. He has worked extensively across the Middle East covering major stories in countries such as Iraq, Algeria, Libya, Somalia and Yemen, as well as the Arab-Israeli conflict.

85. Adel Ali. Hailed for pioneering the concept of budget travel in the Middle East, Adel Ali is best known for heading the region’s first low-cost carrier, Air Arabia. However, before launching the Sharjah-based airline in October 2003, the industry veteran had proved his mettle as commercial vice president of Gulf Air and general manager of British Airways in the Middle East and Africa. Indeed, during a successful 20-year stint at the UK’s national carrier, Ali was bestowed with numerous honours, such as the British Airways Awards for Excellence and the Middle East Tourism Contribution Award. It seems likely that his trophy cabinet has since been expanded to accommodate a regular flow of awards for developing Air Arabia into the Middle East’s leading low-cost carrier, as well as the first publically-owned airline in the Arab world, all within just nine years.

86. Carlos Ghosn. Carlos Ghosn is the chairman and CEO of Japan-based Nissan and holds the same position at Renault, which together produce more than one in ten cars sold worldwide. Ghosn is also chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the strategic partnership overseeing the two companies through a unique cross-shareholding agreement. For orchestrating one of the decade’s most aggressive downsizing campaigns and spearheading the turnaround of Nissan from near bankruptcy in the late 1990s, Ghosn earned the nicknames “le cost killer” and “Mr. Fix It”. After the Nissan financial turnaround, he achieved celebrity status and ranks as one of the 50 most famous men in global business and politics. His life has been chronicled in a Japanese manga comic book.

87. Sulaiman Al Fahim. The one-time CEO of Hydra Properties is now based in the US, from where he continues to have considerable influence in the business world. He is putting together a major green building initiative and code, initially for New York City, that is expected to be rolled out in other US states next year. Al Fahim has also been at the forefront of many green social housing initiatives in Saudi Arabia. In the past year his focus has also been on developing solar and wind energy projects across the GCC. He has been working with Spanish companies looking to establish a presence in Saudi Arabia. Much of this work involves helping European and Arab companies work together on information exchange programs. Al Fahim continues to be active in philanthropy, spending several weeks in year working on projects in Africa.

88. Dr Amina Al Rustamani. Many in Dubai will be familiar with the name Dr Amina Al Rustamani, the CEO of TECOM Business Parks, the umbrella organisation for nine of Dubai’s free zones. Al Rustamani joined TECOM in 2001 as a project engineer for Samacom and quickly moved up the ranks, taking control of Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City and International Media Production Zone as the executive director of media for TECOM Investments. Al Rustamani has also played a significant role in establishing Dubai International Film Festival and is a regular contributor to leading technical journals in the fields of wireless technology around the world. “The fact is we have diversified our offering, and you can see the results,” she told Arabian Business earlier this year. “Could we get to 7,000 companies in ten years? Yes, we could get to that.”

89. Alex Sabern. Still only 45 years old, Saber himself is very much a veteran of the industry. His career started in 1991, working as a media executive in Leo Burnett (a sister company of VivaKi), working on bookings and media planning. “I wanted to work in marketing, and there was no VivaKi in those days…There was a media unit in a creative agency, we were at a corner and the creative people got all the attention. We were the back stage,” he told Arabian Business earlier this year. He didn’t stay at the back too long. Seven years later, Starcom Mediavest was created and Saber went to the new operation, spending four years in Saudi Arabia. Following the launch of VivaKi as the umbrella firm, he became CEO in 2007, before taking over as chairman last year.

90. Mohammed Al Amoudi. One of the Arab world’s most successful businessmen, Al Amoudi’s father is Yemeni and his mother is Ethiopian. He is said to be the largest foreign investor in both Sweden and Ethiopia. He has been honoured with the Order of the Polar Star by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Al Amoudi made his first fortune in construction and real estate before branching out into buying oil refineries in Morocco and Sweden — where he was honoured with the Royal Swedish Order of the North Star by King Carl XVI — and his native Ethiopia. His holding and operating companies, Corral Group and the Midroc Group, employ more than 40,000 people. Corral Group has an investment portfolio in Europe and the Middle East that includes Preem Petroleum, the largest integrated petroleum firm in Sweden, Svenska Petroleum & Exploration, SAMIR, Naft Services Company (Saudi Arabia) and Fortuna Holdings (Lebanon).

91. Mishal Kanoo. Mishal Kanoo is deputy chairman of the Kanoo Group – one of the largest, independent, family-owned group of companies in the Gulf region, with diversified interests in: shipping, travel, machinery, logistics, oil and gas, power, chemicals, joint ventures, retail and commercial activities amongst others. Mishal was educated in Dubai, and holds an MBA in Finance from the University of St Thomas, Houston, Texas. He started his professional experience with Arthur Andersen in Dubai as an auditor before taking up his current position in 1997. He has also overseen the activity of many other prominent companies in the Gulf region and the world, in the capacity of director or chairman, including: AXA Insurance, Dubai Express, Johnsons Arabia, BASF Kanoo Polyurethanes and United Arab Chemical Company. He regularly contributes to a number of local publications, and his personal website is one of the most widely read in the region on a spectrum of topics that cover everything from Middle Eastern politics to Cuban cigars.

92. Faisal Al Ayyar. A former fighter pilot in the Kuwaiti Air Force, Faisal Al Ayyar has been with Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) (KIPCO) since 1990, and has overseen the then-modest local investment bank’s growth into one of the leading diversified investment holdings groups in the MENA region. With more than $19.9bn in assets under its control or management, the bank’s core activities include financial services, media and telecoms, with interests in real estate, manufacturing, medical services, aviation and education. KIPCO controls or holds substantial stakes in some 70 companies throughout the MENA region — as well as India, the UK and the US — and is the majority joint venture partner of Viacom in Showtime, the Middle East’s leading pay-TV entertainment provider.

93. Mattar Al Tayer. He will always be known as the man who built the Dubai Metro and in the past year Al Tayer saw much of the project complete with the opening of the Green Line. But that is just part of his massive task, as he continues to oversee the many road and other major infrastructure projects under way in Dubai. Much of his time is now being spent overseeing the emirates’ first ever tram system, which will link many parts of Dubai into the metro system. Last month, Al Tayer announced that Dubai would spend $272m over the next five years on the improvement of its road network. “The move comes in the context of RTA efforts to improve roads network to accommodate the growing needs of the demographic and urban expansion seen by the emirate,” the chairman said, in a press statement.

96. Sherife AbdelMessih. Sherife AbdelMessih is the founder and CEO of Future Energy Corporation (FEC), a company that serves the renewable energy industry in the region. Along with his partners he is now creating the first investment vehicle of its kind in MENA that will be focusing on Renewable Energy and CleanTech investments in emerging economies. Sherife was also a consultant on the first solar power plant in Egypt and the MENA region throughout the bidding, and contract negotiation process. He has authored multiple energy programs on the transformation of the Egyptian Energy Economy by 2020 and 2050, which has been endorsed by political parties in Egypt.

97. Mustafa Ali. Mustafa Ali, Syria’s foremost sculptor, was born in Latakia in 1956. Known for elegant, monumental sculptures that pierce the consciousness and underscore the fragility of mankind, he has been widely collected in the Arab world for nearly three decades. He has exhibited extensively on the international art circuit since 1979 and has participated in a number of high-profile events such as Latakia Sculpture Biennial (where he was awarded the Golden Prize) (1997), the Biennial of Alexandria, Egypt (1994), the Sharjah Biennial (1995), and the International Symposium for Sculptors in Valencia, Spain (2001). Ali’s work is housed in private and public collections, including a number of official institutions in Syria such as the National Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

98. Patrick Chalhoub. Created by Michel Chalhoub in 1955, the Chalhoub Group is recognised as one of the leading forces in the luxury retail business in the Middle East. Maintaining its family owned heritage, today the group – co-led by Patrick Chahoub – specializes in the retail and distribution of renowned brands within the sectors of beauty, fashion and gifts. The Chalhoub Group has a presence in 14 countries and the management of over 400 retail outlets, and has partnersedwith prestigious houses such as Baccarat, Christofle, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton and Nina Ricci, to name only a few. Patrick Chalhoub joined the Chalhoub Group in 1979. Charged with distributing perfumes in Kuwait, he made the division a commercial success within three years. He then became joint CEO of the regional businesses, overseeing operations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain. Last year, the group identified Abu Dhabi as a key commercial driver for the near term and has invested heavily in the UAE capital.

99. Eisa Al Eisa. In 1980 – the same year that the bank was founded – Eisa Al Eisa started his career with Samba, the Arab world’s fifth-largest lender and Saudi Arabia’s second-largest lender by market value. In 2003, he was appointed CEO and managed Samba’s de-merger from Citi Group, where he steered the bank’s transition to full Saudi management in just 37 days. In April, the lender posted a first-quarter net profit of SR1.145bn ($305.3m), a two percent increase year on year due to a rise in operating income. Under Al Eisa’s stewardship, the bank has in recent years expanded overseas to include a branch in Dubai. Al Eisa is a former director of the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC).

104. Nisreen Shocair. Nisreen Shocair took over the helm of Virgin Megastores, Middle East in 2006 and has overseen the brand’s transformation from a CD and DVD store to a one-stop shop for music, video and multimedia entertainment. Shocair, who grew up in Nigeria, started her entertainment career working at a local Blockbuster store in Texas before finishing her degree and joining Sony in the early 1990s. In addition to her role at Virgin, Shocair also sits on the advisory board of several digital and environmental start-ups. “We are not a vanity retail company, we don’t open stores because we want to; we open stores because they make money,” she told Arabian Business last year, when asked why she opened her latest Virgin Megastore branch in Dubai Mall — the world’s biggest shopping mall. “We have said no to developments… we did not open in Festival City and we have no plans to open in Festival City. We want Virgin to remain a destination; I don’t want Virgin to become a convenience store.”

105. Nasser Al Khelaifi. Former general manager of Al Jazeera Sports, Nasser Al Khelaifi led the buyout of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2011 before taking over as president of the French side. Qatar Sports Investment acquired the remaining 30 percent in the club in March in a transaction that valued the entire club at 100m euros ($131m). Qatar has since spent an estimated €80m euros in transfers. PSG has been playing in Ligue 1 since 1974 and is one of the most prestigious outfits in French football having won two League titles, eight French Cups, three League Cups and two Champions Trophies. The French side, along with Marseille, is one of only two French clubs to have won a top European trophy.

106. Amin Maalouf. Lebanese-French born Amin Maalouf is celebrated for his works on his experiences of civil war and migration. The second of four children, he studied sociology at the French University in Beirut, and worked as a journalist before turning to fiction during the Lebanese civil war of 1975 and moving to Paris. Maalouf’s books typically have a historical setting, and like Umberto Eco and Orhan Pamuk, mixes fascinating historical facts with fantasy and philosophical ideas. Maalouf received a Prix Goncourt in 1993 for his novel The Rock of Tanios, and has also been awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature in 2010. In March 2011, Maalouf was shortlisted for the biennial Man Booker International Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the literary industry.

109. Abdulfattah Sharaf. Abdulfattah Sharaf became the first CEO for HSBC’s UAE division when he was appointed in January 2010. Sharaf spent thirteen years at NBD before joining HSBC, and also looked after global giant’s retail offering before taking on the top position. In February, the Middle East unit of the banking giant reported a 67 per cent increase in profits to $1.4bn despite a global $900m cost-cutting drive that spurred it the lender to close 16 businesses across the world. Sharaf, a graduate of The University of Denver, is also a board member of the Network International, an advisory board member of HDG Mansur – USA and a member of Young President Organisation.

111. Osman Sultan. Osman Sultan was behind the launch of the highly successful Mobinil in Egypt in 1998, and in 2007 was behind the launch of du, the UAE’s second telecoms operator, which is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. In May, the operator posted a 62 percent in first-quarter net profit, beating analysts’ expectations as it added subscribers and mobile data revenue more than doubled from a year earlier. The firm made a profit of AED333.1m ($90.96m) in the three months to March 31 and added 320,600 mobile subscribers to increase its mobile customer base to 5.5 million, giving it a 46.7 percent market share in the country.

113. Nezar Nagro. Nezar Nagro heads up Rotana Media Services (RMS), one of the largest media groups in the MENA region. The Dubai-based firm sells and promotes all of Rotana’s TV stations, Fox Movies, Fox, LBC SAT, Rotana Magazine, Radio Stations as well as many other placements. The company, which was founded in 2004 and is owned by the Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and News Corp, has regional offices in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai, Beirut and Cairo.

114. Nasser Al Jaidah. Nasser Al Jaidah, a graduate of geology and petroleum engineering, joined Qatar Petroleum – the Gulf nation’s state-backed energy giant, back in 1977. He is currently CEO and a board member of Qatar Petroleum International, a board member of Qatar Petroleum and board member at Industries Qatar. During the last 30 years, Al Jaidah has assumed many responsibilities at Qatar Petroleum in various positions.nAl Jaidah is a member of Qatar Gas Board, and vice chairman of Qatar Gas Executive Committee, vice chairman of Qatar Fuel Additives Company, vice chairman of Tasweeq. His many other roles include membership of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and the American Association of Petroleum Geology. At home, Al Jaidah is a member of the Advisory Council of the State of Qatar, as well as being a member of the Provisional Arab Parliament.

120. Ayman Asfari. The boss of oil services giant Petrofac, Ayman Asfari sits at the helm of one of the fastest growing FTSE 100 businesses.nBy any measure, Asfari is a success story. He took his first role in construction in Oman in his early 20s in a bid to fund an MBA at Wharton. It turned out to be unnecessary; less than a decade later, he was a millionaire with his own firm. Since buying out Petrofac in 2001, Asfari has turned it into one of the leading players in the oil market. It listed in 2005 and today employs more than 11,000 people worldwide, with bases spanning London, Russia and Algeria.

121. Nasser Marafih. Nasser Marafih leads one of the Gulf’s most innovative companies in his role as CEO of Qtel Group. nSince taking the reins in 2002, Marafih has carefully overseen Qtel’s transformation into a global player. Under his guidance, Qtel has acquired Wataniya Telecom and has masterminded the firm’s expansion into Asia. Qtel now has a presence in seventeen countries in the MENA region, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, supporting around 70 million customers. He also played a major role in the introduction of the first GSM service in the Middle East in 1994, helped with the introduction of the internet to Qatar in 1996, and assisted with the privatisation of Qtel in 1998. Promoted to CEO of the full Qtel Group last year, Marafih is currently masterminding the roll-out of a 4G network in Qatar, a key platform of the country’s efforts to build its knowledge economy.

125. Moh-Din BinHendi. Moh-Din BinHendi started his career as the director of Dubai Airport Customs before being promoted to direct general of Dubai’s Department of Civil Aviation in 1979. The Emirati is best known for BinHendi Enterprises, a Dubai-based conglomerate, which he established. Today, the firm operates 29 successful fashion, jewellery, accessory and food retail outlets, while its trading division reaches in excess of one thousand retailers. In addition to his business commitments, BinHendi also sits on the board of governors at Dubai Aviation College, is a board member at Emirates Golf Club and chairman of the Aviation Advisory Committee at Dubai Men’s College.

127. Khater Massaad. Dr Khater Massaad is arguably the most influential businessman in the recent history of Ras Al Khaimah. nThe driving force behind RAK Ceramics, Massad helped create one of the biggest manufacturers of ceramic products in the world, bringing in revenue of around $1bn from a network of more than 150 countries.

128. Fatima Obaid Al Jaber. Fatima Obaid Al Jaber is one of the Gulf’s most successful businesswomen. As the CEO of the family-owned Al Jaber Group she is responsible for managing the group’s contracting, industrial, trading, investment and real estate subsidiaries. She was also the first female representative on the board of directors of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) and deputy chairperson of the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen’s Council. nAl Jaber is also the chairperson of Al Bashayer Investment Co. A staunch advocate of women’s causes, she is actively involved in empowering Emirati women in the business arena. “Everything is there [in the UAE]; if a woman wants to start a business, she can. If she wants to work in government, if she wants to find a job, if she wants to study – the choices are all there,” she told Arabian Business last year.

129. Buthaina Al Ansari. Buthaina Al Ansari earned a master’s degree in Business Management and HR Strategic Planning from Qatar University, as well as diplomas and certifications in other business disciplines from universities and schools in London and Cairo. She is the founder of Qatariat T&D Holding Company, which incorporates three different companies focusing on three different areas: Qatariat Training and Development, which targets Qatari women in Doha to develop their skills and expertise; Qatariat Magazine, a magazine for businesswomen which covers local and regional news, including their achievements; and Qatariat Development Consultancy, which targets both women and men in developing business plans and restructuring issues. Al Ansari also works as a strategic planning director at Qtel.

130. Mona Almoayyed. The Bahrain Businesswomen’s Society was established in 2000, and is tasked with the development and promotion of social and economical relations among businesswomen in Bahrain. It has been instrumental in moving the issue of women in the workplace onto the mainstream agenda, and today Bahraini women are found participating across all commercial, economical, investment, and developmental activities. As the society’s president, Mona Almoayyed has proved a vocal advocate of social change, this work even eclipsing her achievements as managing director of Y K Almoayyed & Sons. She was also the first woman to be elected to the board of the Bahraini Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Fighting to improve the rights of Bahraini workers is one of the causes closest to her heart, as evident through her work for the Migrant Workers Protection Society.

131. Nasser Sunnaa. Nasser Sunnaa is the former CEO of Jordan Investment Board; a position that he held since 2010. In September last year, Sunnaa founded his own company, Zadd, which focuses on the outsourcing sector. Sunnaa’s job is to convince big corporate firms, initially in the Gulf, to outsource non-core back-office work to his Jordan-based firm. Given unemployment levels in his home country, the move could have impressive results.

135. Sultan Abu Sultan. Sultan Abu Sultan started his career with HSBC in 2003, moving up the ranks, before being appointed regional managing director. He joined Barclays in 2008 as the head of central support, responsible for the core functions of Barclays’ operations and business retail. In 2008 he was appointed director of administration and government relations and become the sole contact between Barclays and all government institutions across the UAE. He is currently the only UAE national chairing a global bank in the UAE. British lender Barclays, in which Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and the Abu Dhabi royal family hold stakes, is a major operator in the region.

136. Ghayda & Ghosson Al Khaled Al Khaled. Sisters Ghayda and Ghosson Al Khaled both play starring roles at Kuwait’s ACICO Industries Company, a firm established in 1990 and listed on both the Kuwait & Dubai financial markets. Ghayda Al Khaled (pictured) is chairperson at the company, which has interests in construction, cement manufacturing and real estate, among other sectors. Not to be outdone, her sister Ghosson has civil engineering and building science degrees, and has made her way up the corporate ladder to become chief operating officer.nThe firm in April reported a 49.6 percent decline in full-year profit to KWD1.9m (US$6.7m).

137. Samer Majali. The former chief executive of Royal Jordanian Samer Majali brought a wealth of experience to his role at Gulf Air when he was appointed three years ago. Despite the carrier having four CEOs in three years, Majali was determined to make it work. The carrier has been in restructuring mode since 2002, reducing staff, cutting routes and shifting its focus to regional services in a bid to save the $3bn over five years. The next 12 months will be one of the most challenging Majali has faced in his career. In May Bahrain MPs vetoed a government bailout of $1.8bn for the carrier, and urged it to undergo a major operational overhaul.

138. Ali Al Habsi. Ali Al Habsi is currently the only Gulf footballer plying his trade in the lucrative English Premier League.The 31-year old Omani is the goal keeper for Wigan Athletic. The former Bolton Wanderers player was named the club’s player of the season for 2010-2011 in May. In December he saved a penalty from Liverpool’s midfielder Charlie Adam in a 0-0 draw, for which he was awarded the Yahoo! Eurosport awarded for man of the match due to his several good saves against Liverpool.