Ahmed bin Said, Al-Jaber, and Al-Nasser are among the most powerful executives in the Middle East.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Airline & Group, along with Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and its group of companies, and Amin H. Nasser, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco, have been recognized at the top of Forbes’ list of ‘The Most Powerful CEOs in the Middle East 2023,’ marking the third consecutive year they have achieved this distinction.

In its third edition, “Forbes Middle East” highlighted 100 business leaders who head the largest and most influential local companies in the region.

The leaders listed have successfully generated combined revenues exceeding one trillion dollars in the year 2022. Meanwhile, the cumulative market value of the companies they manage surpassed five trillion dollars.

The list comprises 100 business leaders classified from 22 different nationalities, with Emiratis leading this year’s publication with 23 CEOs, followed by Egyptians with 19 leaders, and then Saudis with 18 CEOs. Collectively, they make up around 60% of the ranking, which is a positive indication of localization, considering that most major companies are headed by CEOs who are nationals of their own countries.

The banking sector tops the list with approximately 17 companies, followed by the real estate and construction sector with 14 companies, and the telecommunications sector with 9 companies. Moreover, the top 10 most influential CEOs lead companies that operate across 6 different sectors, which illustrates the diversity of sectors in this ranking.

As sustainability takes the forefront of company priorities this year, business leaders are concentrating on accelerating sustainable practices within their organizations to align with global commitments. Specifically, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, CEO and Managing Director of ADNOC Group, has taken on the role of the appointed president for the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) on climate change, which was held in Dubai.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the Managing Director and CEO of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), plans to increase the Authority’s desalinated water production capacity from 490 million gallons per day in 2023 to 730 million gallons per day by the year 2030.

Majid Al Futtaim Holding Group, under the leadership of CEO Ahmed Jalal Ismail, reduced its consumption of single-use plastics by 82% in the first half of 2023.