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Top 100 most powerful Arabs 2018

It has been an eventful 12 months for those on our Arab Power List to say the least, as business leaders and cultural icons sought to navigate at times choppy waters.

Some have seen their fortunes increase thanks to successful business deals and rising stock market valuations, others have seen their potential recognised with major appointments and the completion of key projects. And then there are those who have had a year to forget.

Our ranking is defined just as much by the ups as the downs in 2018, with Saudi Arabia’s corruption investigation that snared hundreds of leading businessmen, royals and government officials having a particularly strong effect.

We also welcome new faces to our annual list that have either worked their way into contention over the years, or made a dynamic impression during 2017. In both cases they must prove they have the staying power to be more than a one-hit wonder.

But as we have seen since starting the ranking more than half a decade ago, power is very much like the ebb and flow of the tide. Even though the current may not be in favour of some in 2018, they could return on an even stronger wave next year.

Read on to find out who are the movers and shakers, the leavers and new arrivals of the Gulf Business Arab Power List 2018.

Read: Revealed: Top 5 most powerful Arabs in Saudi Arabia

Rank Name Title Origin Company Industry
1 HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum Chairman UAE Emirates / Emirates NBD Diversified
2 HE Khalid Al Falih Chairman KSA Aramco / Ma’aden Energy
3 Yousef Abdullah Al Benyan Vice chairman and CEO KSA SABIC Industry
4 Carlos Slim Helu Honorary chairman Lebanon American Movil Telecoms
5 Joseph Safra Chairman Syria Safra Group Finance
6 HE Mohamed Alabbar Chairman UAE Emaar / Eagle Hills Real estate
7 HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Chairman KSA Kingdom Holding Finance
8 HE Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak Group CEO and managing director UAE Mubadala Investment Company Diversified
9 Carlos Ghosn Chairman Lebanon Renault,Nissan and Mitsubishi Industry
10 HE Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair CEO UAE Mashreq Finance
11 HE Dr Sultan Al Jaber Director general and CEO UAE ADNOC Energy
12 Amin Nasser President and CEO KSA Saudi Aramco Energy
14 HE Reem Al Hashimy Director general UAE Dubai Expo 2020 Diversified
13 HE Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani Executive director and CEO UAE Investment Corporation of Dubai Finance
15 HE Noura Al Kaabi Chairwoman UAE Media Zone Authority – Abu Dhabi / twofour54 Media
16 HE Abdulla Al Habbai Chairman UAE Dubai Holding / Meraas Diversified
17 HE Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem Chairman UAE DP World Logistics
18 Mohamed bin Issa Al Jaber Chairman and CEO KSA MBI International Diversified
19 Mohamed Salah Footballer Egypt Liverpool FC / Egypt national team Sport
20 HE Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi President UAE Zayed University Diversified
21 Mansour Saleh Al Maiman Chairman KSA National Commercial Bank, NCB Capital, Tadawul Real Estate Company Finance
22 HE Essa Kazim Chairman UAE Dubai Financial Market Finance
23 Lubna Olayan Deputy chairperson and CEO KSA Olayan Financing Company Finance
24 Huda Kattan Founder Iraq-US Huda Beauty Culture and society
25 HH Reema bint Bandar Al Saud Head of women’s affairs KSA Saudi Arabia’s General Sports Authority Sport
26 Majid Al Futtaim Founder UAE Majid Al Futtaim Diversified
27 Mohammed Alshaya Executive chairman Kuwait MH Alshaya Retail
28 HE Dr Raja Easa Al Gurg MD UAE Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group Diversified
29 Zainab Salbi Activist and media personality Iraq Culture and society
30 Khalaf Al Habtoor Chairman UAE Al Habtoor Group Real estate
31 Sheikh Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al Rajhi Co-founder KSA Al Rajhi Bank Finance
32 Abdulhamid Mohammed Saeed CEO UAE First Abu Dhabi Bank Finance
33 Mohamed Mansour Chairman Egypt Mansour Group Diversified
34 Mohammed bin Abdullah El-Kuwaiz Chairman KSA Saudi Capital Market Authority Finance
35 HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak Chairman UAE Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority / Aldar Diversified
36 Khaled bin Hussain Biyari CEO KSA Saudi Telecom Company Telecoms
37 HH Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Kabeer Co-founder and chairman KSA Almarai FMCG
38 DJ Khaled Rap artist and record producer Palestine Culture and society
39 Omar K Alghanim CEO Kuwait Alghanim Industries Diversified
40 Mohammed Al Barwani Chairman Oman MB Holding Energy
41 Fadi Ghandour Co-founder and executive chairman Jordan Wamda Capital Finance
42 Mahmood Hashim Al Kooheji CEO Bahrain Mumtalakat Finance
43 HE Dr Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi Director general UAE UAE Space Agency Technology
44 Nayla Hayek Chairwoman, Swatch Group / CEO, Lebanon-Switzerland Harry Winston Inc Retail
45 Turki bin Abdul Mohsen Al Asheikh President KSA General Sports Authority Sport
46 Ali Rashid Lootah Chairman UAE Nakheel Real estate
47 Bader Al Kharafi Director Kuwait MA Al Kharafi & Sons Diversified
48 Mohammed bin Mahfoodh Alardhi Executive chairman, Investcorp / Chairman Oman National Bank of Oman Finance
49 Saleh Al Abdooli CEO UAE Etisalat Telecoms
50 Hesham Al Qassim CEO UAE wasl Asset Management Group Real estate
51 Khaled bin Saleh Al Mudaifer CEO and president KSA Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) Industry
52 Hussain Sajwani CEO and chairman UAE Damac Real estate
53 HE Hamad Buamim President and CEO UAE Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry Diversified
54 Mazin Al Nahedh Group CEO Kuwait Kuwait Finance House Finance
55 Ahmad Al Shugair Activist and media personality KSA Media
56 Mohamed Al Hammadi CEO UAE Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation Energy
57 Ala’a Eraiqat CEO UAE Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Finance
58 Ronaldo Mouchawar CEO Syria Souq.com Retail
59 Nassef Sawiris CEO Egypt OCI Industry
60 Naguib Sawiris Chairman Egypt Orascom Telecoms
61 Mishal Kanoo Chairman Bahrain-UAE Kanoo Group Diversified
62 Faisal Al Bannai CEO UAE DarkMatter Technology
63 Mohammed Al Amoudi Owner KSA-Ethiopia MIDROC Diversified
64 Linda Sarsour Activist Palestine-US Culture and society
65 Badr Jafar CEO UAE-Iraq Crescent Enterprises Diversified
66 Omar Abdulrahman Footballer UAE Al Ain FC / UAE national Team Sport
67 Suhail Salim Bahwan Chairman Oman Suhail Bahwan Holding Group Diversified
68 Dr Amina Al Rustamani CEO UAE Tecom Group Diversified
69 Saif Al Aleeli CEO UAE Dubai Future Foundation Technology
70 Elie Saab Fashion designer Lebanon Culture and society
71 Issad Rebrab CEO Algeria Cevital Diversified
72 Osman Sultan CEO Lebanon du Telecoms
73 Gigi Hadid Model Palestine-US Culture and society
74 Othman Benjelloun CEO and president Morocco BMCE Bank Finance
75 Joelle Mardinian CEO Lebanon Joelle Group / Media personality Culture and society
76 Munib Al Masri Chairman Palestine Edgo Group Diversified
77 Ghaith Al Ghaith CEO UAE flydubai Aviation
78 Mohammed Assaf Singer Palestine Culture and aviation
79 Abdulla Jassem Kalban CEO and managing director UAE Emirates Global Aluminium Industry
80 Hoda Kotb Host Egypt-US NBC Media
81 Mohammad Abu Ghazaleh Chairman and CEO Palestine-US Fresh Del Monte FMCG
82 Nancy Ajram Singer Lebanon Culture and society
83 Nabil Habayeb President and CEO Lebanon-US GE Middle East, North Africa and Turkey Industry
84 Nemat Shafik Director Egypt London School of Economics Education
85 HE Fatima Al Jaber COO UAE Al Jaber Group Diversified
86 Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi Secretary general UAE UAE Red Crescent Society Culture and society
87 Lojain Omran Influencer / TV host Saudi Arabia Culture and society
88 Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch Founder and CEO Morocco Aksal Group Retail
89 Fahd Al Rasheed Group CEO and managing director KSA King Abdullah Economic City Real estate
90 Issam Kazim CEO UAE DCTCM Tourism
91 Hala Gorani Host Syria CNN Media
92 Raha Moharrak Adventurer KSA Culture and society
93 Dalia Mogahed Director of research Egypt Institute for Social Policy and Understanding Culture and society
94 Jassim Alseddiqi CEO UAE Abu Dhabi Financial Group Finance
95 Shaikha Al Bahar Deputy Group CEO Kuwait National Bank of Kuwait Finance
96 Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi Social commentator / Founder UAE Burjeel Art Foundation Culture and society
97 Mustafa Agha Head of sports Syria-Palestine MBC Sport / media
98 Muna Abu Sulayman Entrepreneur / Media personality KSA Culture and society
99 Laila Hzaineh Vlogger Jordan-Palestine Culture and society
100 Bakr bin Laden Chairman KSA Saudi Binladin Group Construction

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