Six Qataris make it to the list of ‘100 Most Powerful Arabs’
Six Qatar-based individuals made it into the prestigious list of ‘100 most powerful Arabs,’ compiled by Gulf Business Magazine.
To compile the list, Gulf Business looked at events that happened in 2023-24 and rated the listees based on four criteria: financial capital, human capital, expansion plans, and level of personal fame.
While Arabs from across the world were included, politicians and royalty were generally not considered, except if they strongly favored business activity.
This year’s list saw eight new entrants who have been building their influence across the global landscape. While a few exited the list, 21 women were added as power listers this year.
QatarEnergy President and CEO Saad Sherida Al Kaabi, who is also Chairman and MD of Industries Qatar, ranked the highest — fourth — among all Qataris. His ranking remained unchanged from the previous year.
Under the guidance of Al Kaabi, who is also Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs, QatarEnergy executed several strategic initiatives to bolster its LNG production capacity and secure long-term partnerships.
One of the pivotal projects Al Kaabi is overseeing is the North Field Expansion, aimed at elevating Qatar’s LNG production capacity to meet surging global demand.
Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) CEO Mansoor Ebrahim Al Mahmoud is the next Qatari on the list, coming in at rank 12 (13 in 2023).
Assuming the role in 2018, he currently oversees assets worth $475bn. QIA recently launched Qatar’s inaugural VC Fund of Funds, targeting over $1bn in investments.
Qatar National Bank Group CEO Abdulla Mubarak Al Khalifa came in 14th on the list (13th in 2023).
Under Al Khalifa’s watch, QNB increased its total asset value to QAR1.189tn (in 2022). They also stayed above the trillion-riyal mark for the third consecutive year.
Qatar Museums Chairperson Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani was ranked 32nd (33rd in 2023), making her the only Qatari woman on the list.
The sister of HH The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, she is Qatar’s leading voice in art and culture.
Under her watch, Qatar’s architecturally striking museums — including the Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum of Qatar — have positioned the country as a major arts hub in the Middle East.
Ooredoo’s Managing Director and CEO Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo was the next Qatari on the list, coming in at rank 51 (56 in 2023).
Fakhroo oversaw Ooredoo’s signing of definitive agreements with Zain Group and TASC Towers Holding to merge their cellular towers into a $2.2bn entity.
Ooredoo owns a 49% stake in the merged entity, which has a portfolio of more than 30,000 tower assets across the Middle East.
The Qatari telecoms firm pledged to invest $1.1bn over the next two years to advance technological developments and boost digital solutions in the Middle East — an initiative that is expected to impact 109 million lives.
Qatar Airways Group CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer, a new entrant in the ranking, rounded off the list of Qataris with a 71st-place finish.
Al Meer, who was named CEO in December 2023, oversees one of the world’s biggest airlines with a fleet of more than 200 aircraft flying to more than 170 destinations across six continents.
The aviation group is ushering in a new era of travel by leveraging innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence and metaverse.
The flag carrier’s profit soared 113.8% year-over-year to $1.03bn in the first six months of FY2023/24 while its revenue rose 7.4% to reach QAR40.13bn.
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