Top 100 Powerful Arabs 2015

Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister, famously said that if you have to tell people that you are powerful, you probably aren’t. It was a delightfully correct quip from a political leader once referred to as the “Iron lady” by her country’s cold war adversaries.

Power is an invisible energy, measured not by the person, but his or her actions. There is no one specific way to demonstrate power as so ably shown by each and every individual on the fourth annual Gulf Business Top 100 ranking of the world’s most powerful Arabs.

Each of these personalities has shaped the Arab World in their own unique way, some using the influence of their vast wealth and others just the strength and courage of their convictions.
They have, to put it simply, made things happen because they could. They chose not to take a backseat when it mattered and for that, they should be applauded.

HOW WE DID IT

We assembled a team of experts from within Motivate’s broad business division – including the Gulf Business team itself, which has decades of experience working with and reporting on regional business and current affairs.

We looked at the events of 2014 and judged each individual case on power merit.

We have included business people of Arab descent from all over the world. We weighted our points system across the following spheres of influence:

 FINANCIAL CAPITAL
 HUMAN CAPITAL
 EXPANSION PLANS
 PERSONAL FAME LEVELS

In general, we have excluded politicians and royalty, unless contenders have an unassailably strong leaning towards corporate activity.

The Gulf Business Arab Power 100 is intended to be an inspirational representation of some of the Arab world’s greatest achievers and future shapers.