Gulf Business Awards 2023: Shortlist revealed
The much-anticipated awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in November where the winners will be revealed

Motivate Media Group and Gulf Business are delighted to announce the highly anticipated shortlists for the Gulf Business Awards 2023. The shortlisted candidates, encompass a diverse range of 32 categories.
The shortlists reflect the leadership, innovation, creativity and dedication of individuals and businesses shaping the wider GCC region. To vote for the most deserving, click here.
As companies and brands push the envelope in corporate excellence, these nominations emphasise those who have stood out in key areas spanning real estate, finance, tourism, technology, healthcare, sustainability and more.
The much-anticipated awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in November where the winners will be revealed and heralded.
Here are the shortlisted nominees for Gulf Business Awards 2023:
Banking, Finance & Investment:
Online Trading Company of the Year
- equiti
- Saxo Bank
- eToro
- EFG Hermes One
- Avatrade
Investment Company of the Year
- Invesco
- Mubadala Investment Company
- AIX Investment group
- Zurich Insurance
- Century Financial
Banking Company of the Year
- FAB
- AlRajhi Bank
- ADCB
- SNB (Saudi National Bank)
- Emirates NBD
Business Leader of the Year
- Hana Al Rostamani, Group CEO, FAB
- Bal Krishen, Chairman & CEO, Century Financial
- Abdulla Mubarak Al Khalifa, Group CEO, QNB
- Karim Awad, Group CEO, EFG Holding
- Shayne Nelson, Group CEO, ENBD
Real estate and Construction
Real Estate Agency of the Year
- FAM Properties
- Lux Habitat Sotheby’s international
- Driven Properties
- Allsopp & Allsopp Real Estate Broker
- BANKE
Developer of the Year
- Samana
- DAMAC Properties
- Danube
- Oro24
- Aldar Properties
Innovative Project of the Year
- Habtoor Tower
- DAMAC Canal Crown
- Masaar by Arada
- Beeah HQ
- Mag Properties/ Keturah Reserve
Proptech Company of the year
- Bayut
- Huspy
- Houza
- Property Finder
Project of the Year
- Atlantis the Royal/ Kerzner International
- Abrahamic Family House
- Diriyah by Diriyah Gate Authority
- Silk City Kuwait, Tamdeen Group
Real Estate Construction : Business Leader of the Year
- Mohamed Alabbar, Founder of Emaar Properties
- Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, CEO, Arada
- Atif Rahman, Founder and Chairman of Oro24
- Amit Kaushal, Group Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding
- Mohammed bin Saleh Albuty, CEO, National Housing Company KSA
Tourism & Hospitality
Tourism Company of the Year
- DCT- Abu Dhabi
- The Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)
- Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority
- Saudi Tourism Authority
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company
Tourism Business Leader of the Year
- Hashil Al Mahrouqi, CEO of Oman Tourism Development Company
- Helal Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism/ CEO DWTC
- Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA)
- Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of Saudi Tourism Authority
- Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, MD and Group CEO, Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company
Hospitality Company of the Year
- ACCOR Hotels
- Radisson
- Marriott International
- Ennismore
- Emaar Hospitality
Hospitality Business Leader of the Year
- Gaurav Bhushan, CEO, Ennismore
- Duncan O’Rourke CEO, MEA, Turkey, Asia Pacific – ACCOR
- Philippe Zuber, CEO, Kerzner Middle East
- Tim Cordon, COO, Middle East & Africa at Radisson Hotel Group
- Satya Anand, President, Marriott EMEA
Retail Company of the Year
- Savola Group
- Dubai Duty Free
- Lulu Group
- Majid Al Futtaim Group
- GMG
Retail Business Leader of the Year
- Walid Fatani, Group CEO of Savola
- Renuka Jagtiani, Chair and Non-Excutive Director, Landmark Group
- Yusuf Ali MA, MD Lulu Group
- Ahmad Galal Ismail, CEO of the Majid Al Futtaim Group
- John Hadden, CEO of Al Shaya Group
Transport & Logistics Company of the year
- Aramex
- Roads and Transport Authority
- Transworld
- Abu Dhabi Ports
- Emirates Airline
Transport & Logistics Business Leader of the Year
- Othman Aljeda, CEO of Aramex
- Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail
- Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, MD and Group CEO of AD Ports Group
- Tarek Sultan, Vice Chairman and CEO, Agility
- Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline
Healthcare: Company of the Year
- Aster DM Healthcare
- M42
- Al Khayyat Investments (AKI)
- King Fahad Medical City (KFMC)
- Burjeel Holdings
Healthcare: Leader of the Year
- Alisha Moopen, Deputy Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare
- Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, Managing Director and Group CEO, M42
- Zaid S Al Khayyat, MD, Al Khayyat Investments (AKI)
- Dr Fahad bin Saleh Al-Ghofaili, CEO, KFMC
- Vincenzo Ventricelli, CEO, Philips Middle East, Turkey & Africa, Philips
Technology & Energy
Technology Company of the Year
- Hitachi Energy
- HP
- Microsoft
- Redington
- TCL
Technology Business Leader of the Year
- Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of e&
- Naim Yazbeck, GM, Microsoft Middle East and Africa
- Sunny Yang, General Manager, TCL MEA
- Prateek Suri, Founder and CEO of Maser
- Talal AlKaissi, EVP- Chief Product and Global Partnerships Officer, Core42
Energy Company of the Year
- ADNOC
- Aramco
- Hitachi Energy
- ENOC
- ENEC
Energy Business Leader of the Year
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Dr Sultan Al-Jaber, Managing Director and Group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, and Chairman of Masdar
-
Jasim Husain Thabet, Group CEO, TAQA Group
-
Mostafa AlGuezeri, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy for the UAE, Gulf, Near East and Pakistan
-
Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO of ENOC Group
- Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Managing Director and CEO, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation
SME of the Year
- bnbme holiday homes
- AlmaHealth
- Darwinbox
- Washmen
- Tarabut Gateway
Sustainability Company of the year
- Fakhruddin Properties
- GE
- Masdar
- Beeah
- EWEC
Disruptive Company of the year
- Century Financial
- Kitopi
- M42 Healthcare
- Presight AI
- Zurich Insurance
Young Achiever of the year
- Samia Bouazza, CEO and Managing Director, Multiply Group
- Dharmin Ved, Founder and CEO, 6thStreet.com
- Fatma El Shenawy, cofounder of Khazna Tech
- Abdallah Abu Sheikh, co-founder and CEO of Astra Tech
- Saygin Yalcin, founder of SellAnyCar.com, carnab.com
Company of the Year
- Saudi Tourism Authority
- ADNOC Group
- Saudi National Bank
- e& Group
- Abu Dhabi Ports
Business Leader of the Year
- Yusuf Ali MA, MD Lulu Group
- Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of e&
- Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline
- Hana Al Rostamani, Group CEO of FAB
- Tarek Sultan, Vice Chairman and CEO, Agility
Marcom Leader of the Year
- Lucy Aziz, Head of PR and Communication, OPPO GCC
- Sinead el-Sibai, Sr VP of Marketing, Dubai Duty Free
- Gaurav Bhatnagar, Senior Director – Corporate Communications, Middle East and Africa, Oracle
- Baiba Upmale, Senior Vice President, Communications, EEMEA, Mastercard
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