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.
| 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 |