CEOs at the helm of the region’s oil and gas industry lead the list of Forbes’ “Top CEOs in the Middle East 2021,” published on Sunday.

Amin H. Nasser (Saudi Aramco), Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber (UAE ADNOC Group), Hashem Hashem (Kuwait Petroleum Corporation) and Toufik Hakkar (Sonatrach) are the top four executives recognized for making significant contributions to the region’s economies, particularly in the face of the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The list comprising 100 CEOs represent 24 nationalities and 21 sectors. Saudi nationals dominate the list with 18 entries, followed by Emirati and Egyptian leaders with 16 entries each. Combined, these three groups make up half of the ranking.

“At a time where the only certainty is more uncertainty, these business leaders are demonstrating that agility and adaptability are the keys to survive and thrive. Some are scaling large family businesses; others are responsible for government-owned companies, Forbes Middle East said.

Forbes Middle East assessed the size of the CEO’s company using various measures, the individual's accomplishments over the past year, and their impact on their firm and the wider industry.

The banking and financial services sector contributes nearly a third of the ranking, with 29 members. Abdulla Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Group CEO of Qatar National Bank, stands as the Middle East's top banking and financial services executive.

Hana Al Rostamani, who began her role as FAB's new Group CEO in late January 2021, is a new entrant and ranks 19th on the list.

Below is the list of top 10 CEOs mentioned in the Forbes survey.

  • Amin H. Nasser

Nationality: Saudi

President & CEO, Saudi Aramco

  • Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber

Nationality: Emirati

Group CEO, ADNOC Group

  • Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum

Nationality: Emirati

Chairman & CEO, Emirates Group

  • Hashem Hashem

Nationality: Kuwaiti

Deputy Chairman & CEO, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation

  • Toufik Hakkar

Nationality: Algerian

Chairman & CEO, Sonatrach

  • Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi

Nationality: Qatari

Deputy Chairman, President & CEO, Qatar Petroleum

  • Yousef Abdullah Al-Benyan

Nationality: Saudi

Vice-Chairman & CEO, SABIC

  • Abdulla Mubarak Al-Khalifa

Nationality: Qatari

Group CEO, QNB

  • Paul Griffiths

Nationality: British

CEO, Dubai Airports

  • Osama Mounier Mohamed Rabi

Nationality: Egyptian

Chairman & Managing Director, Suez Canal Authority

(Writing by Brinda Darasha; editing by Seban Scaria)

brinda.darasha@refinitiv.com

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© ZAWYA 2021