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Emiratis dominate Forbes' list of Top 100 CEOs in Middle East

This year’s list consists of leaders from 26 nationalities

Emiratis dominated this year’s list of the Top 100 CEOs in the region, with Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director and Group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), and Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, coming second and third respectively.

According to Forbes, this year’s list consists of leaders from 26 nationalities. Banking and financial services is the most represented sector on the list with 27 CEOs, followed by eight telecom CEOs, and seven that each head energy and logistics companies. Combined, they managed revenues of over $1 trillion last year. Their companies are collectively worth more than $5 trillion.

Forbes said it ranked the selected CEOs based on the impact that they have had on the region, their country, and the markets that they serve; the CEO’s overall experience and time in their current role; the size of the company in terms of revenues, assets, and market cap; the achievements and performance of the CEO in the last year; and the innovations and initiatives that the CEO has implemented.

With regards to Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Forbes shed light on the achievements Emirates has made under his chairmanship: "Al Maktoum became the chairman of Emirates Airlines and president of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation in 1985. Today, he oversees more than 85,219 people. The group recorded revenues of $18.1 billion and assets worth $44.7 billion for the financial year 2021/22. The airline flies to 140 destinations around the world and operates a fleet of over 262 aircraft. Al Maktoum is also chairman of the board for Dubai Airports, Emirates NBD, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, the Alliance Insurance Company, and the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy."

As for Dr. Al Jaber, Forbes highlighted the great strides made by Adnoc over the past few years: "Al Jaber has been Group CEO and Managing Director of Adnoc since 2016. Founded in 1971, it is one of the world’s largest energy producers, with a current production capacity of four million barrels of oil and 11 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. The group comprises nearly 19 businesses with operations in exploration, production, storage, refining, trading, and petrochemical products development. Al Jaber is also a member of the U.A.E.’s Federal Cabinet, the country’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and the U.A.E.’s special envoy for climate."

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Other UAE-based CEOs who found their place in Forbes' top 10 CEO list this year include: Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World; Syed Basar Shueb, CEO and Managing Director, International Holding Company (IHC); Musabbeh Al Kaabi, CEO of Mubadala Investment Company; Hana Al Rostamani, Group CEO, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB); Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA); Jasim Husain Thabet, Group CEO and Managing Director, TAQA Group; Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO, Emirates Global Aluminium; Mansour Mohamed AlMulla, Managing Director & CEO, EDGE Group; Adnan Chilwan, Group CEO, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB); Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO, ENOC Group; Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO, AD Ports Group; Tony Douglas, Group CEO, Etihad Aviation Group; Ala'a Eraiqat, Group CEO, ADCB Group; Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du); Talal Al Dhiyebi, Group CEO, Aldar Properties; Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar); Shadi Malak; CEO, Etihad Rail; Arif Amiri, CEO, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC); and Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group CEO, Emirates Steel Arkan Group.