Forbes Middle East unveils the region’s top travel & tourism leaders. Heads of the Emirates Group, Qatar Airways, and Dubai Airports make up the top three
Forbes Middle East has revealed its inaugural ranking of the region’s Top 50 Travel and Tourism Leaders, recognizing the industry heavyweights driving growth and creating opportunities for visitors and passengers to reconnect with the world.
Among the top five executives, four serve in the aviation sector, led by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and CEO of the Emirates Group, who tops the ranking. Emirates recorded revenues of $6.7 billion in the first half of the 2021/22 financial year. Akbar Al Baker, Group CEO and Executive Board Member of Qatar Airways, and Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, complete the top three.
The leaders featured on this list represent nine countries in the region. The UAE reigns as the top country for regional headquarters, with 24 of the 50 executives based in the emirates. Saudi comes in second with 11 featured executives, followed by four from Egypt. Hotels and hospitality is the most represented sector with 26 entries, followed by aviation with 17, and tourism with seven entries.
From global agency representatives to sustainable development game-changers, the leaders on this list are spearheading growth in MENA. For example, in May 2021, Basmah Al Mayman, Regional Director for the Middle East at UNWTO, inaugurated UNWTO’s first regional office in the Middle East in Riyadh. Meanwhile, Sandeep Walia, CCO Middle East of Marriott International, added 20 new properties to the region’s portfolio in 2021 and is expected to open around 25 new properties this year. And the OMRAN Group, led by CEO Hashil Al Mahrouqi, announced in early 2022 it will be investing $62.3 million in opening a dusitD2 Naseem Resort.
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To develop the list, Forbes Middle East looked at the size of the business—including revenues and the value of investments and assets—ownership of assets, and the experience, designation, and achievements of the business leader. All individuals had to be based in the Middle East.
The List
- Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum : Country: UAE, Nationality: Emirati, Chairman and CEO, The Emirates Group
- Akbar Al Baker: Country: Qatar, Nationality: Qatari, Group CEO and Executive Board Member, Qatar Airways Group
- Paul Griffiths: Country: UAE, Nationality: British, CEO, Dubai Airports
- Ibrahim Koshy: Country: Saudi Arabia, Nationality: Saudi, CEO, SAUDIA
- Faisal Al Thani: Country: Qatar, Nationality: Qatari, Chairman, Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company (ARTIC)
- Tony Douglas: Country: UAE, Nationality: British, Group CEO, Etihad Aviation Group
- Jerry Inzerillo: Country: Saudi Arabia, Nationality: American, Group CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA)
- Hesham Al Qassim: Country: UAE, Nationality: Emirati, CEO, wasl Asset Management Group
- John Pagano: Country: Saudi Arabia, Nationality: Canadian, CEO, Red Sea Development Company
- Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor: Country: UAE, Nationality: Emirati, Founding Chairman, Al Habtoor Group
11. Mohammed Almowkley
12. Amr Abuelenein
13. Guy Hutchinson
14. José Silva
15. Shareef Al Hashmi
16. Mark Willis
17. Kamil H. Al-Awadhi
18. Amr AlMadani
19. Haitham Mattar
20. Basmah Al Mayman
21. Jochem-Jan Sleiffer
22. Amine Debaghine Mesroua
23. Sami Bin Abdulmohsen AlHokair
24. Nicolas Claude
25. Sandeep Walia
26. Philippe Zuber
27. Hisham Talaat Moustafa
28. Hussain Ibrahim Alfardan
29. Majed Bin Ayed Alnefaie
30. Adel Amin Wali
31. Mark Kirby
32. Abdulaziz Al Raisi
33. Abdelhamid Addou
34. Mohamed Al Zaabi
35. Nader Ahmed Al Hammadi
36. Talal Jassim Al-Bahar
37. Nver Mkhitaryan
38. Bander Almohanna
39. Khalid Anib
40. Marwan Marzouk Boodai
41. Hashil Al Mahrouqi
42. Sultan Al-Otaibi
43. Joachim Schmitt
44. Nadia Zaal
45. Alison Grinnell
46. Mohamed Awadalla
47. Khalifa Bin Braik
48. Alexander Suski
49. Adel Mardini
50. Ali Abdullah Al-Selham