The 20 most influential individuals in the real estate industry across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region have been revealed in the first-ever Cityscape Intelligence Real Estate Power List for 2020 compiled by industry professionals to recognise exceptional leadership in a year defined by the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
Nadhmi Al Nasr, the CEO of Saudi Arabia's mega ‘new future’ city project incorporating cutting-edge smart city technology, and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, the group chairman and CEO of DP World and Virgin Hyperloop One, are two of the stand-out names on the list which unites distinguished leaders of the region’s biggest mega-projects, state developers and legacy private sector developers.
 
The list has been curated by Cityscape Intelligence, the region’s premier real estate market analysis portal, with the final 20 names selected on nominations by industry professionals and data collected by Cityscape Intelligence.
 
It includes Ahmed Yusuf Abdulla, CEO of Bahrain’s Seef Properties; Egypt’s Osama Bishai, CEO of Orascom Construction; and Waqas Al Adawi, Vice Chairman of S&T Group in Oman; along with Yousef Bin Abdullah Al Shelash, Chairman, Dar Al Arkan; and John Pagano, CEO, The Red Sea Development Company of Saudi Arabia.
 
The other prominent real estate leaders include Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence; Sultan Butti Bin Mejren, Director General of Dubai Land Department; Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of Smart Dubai; Khaled Abbas, Deputy Minister, Egypt Ministry of Housing; and Reem Al Hashimy, the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020.
 
The UAE was the most represented market in the region with 13 industry titans on the inaugural list, including Mohamed Alabbar, Founder of Emaar; Falah Al Ahbabi, Chairman, Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), Abu Dhabi; Talal Al Dhiyebi, Aldar Properties; and Khalid Al Malik CEO, of Dubai Properties.
 
Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Shaibani, Chairman of Nakheel; Emad Azmy, President and Vice Chairman, ASGC Group; Alain Bejjani, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim; and Hussain Sajwani, Founder and Chairman of DAMAC, were other prominent names from the UAE on the Power List.
 
Chris Speller, Group Director of Cityscape, Informa Markets, said: "This first-ever 2020 Real Estate Power List puts the spotlight on influential industry figures who have either shaped the Middle East market these past 12 months, or shown exceptional resolve to rise above the formidable challenges of a disruptive year, in every sense."
 
"The response has been overwhelming and is a real testament to our industry’s positive attitude throughout a year of uncertainty," he added.
 
The big 20 names in the Cityscape Intelligence Real Estate Power List 2020 are:
 
•Khaled Abbas, Deputy Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities for National Projects, Egypt
•Ahmed Yusuf Abdulla, CEO, Seef Properties
•Mohamed Alabbar, Founder, Emaar
•Waqas Al Adawi, Vice Chairman, S&T Investment Holding
•Talal Al Dhiyebi, CEO, Aldar Properties
•Falah Al Ahbabi, Chairman, Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), Abu Dhabi
•Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai
•Khalid Al Malik CEO, Dubai Properties and Managing Director of Dubai Holding
•Nadhmi al-Nasr, CEO, NEOM
•Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence
•Yousef Bin Abdullah Al Shelash, Chairman, Dar Al Arkan
•Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Shaibani, Chairman, Nakheel
•Emad Azmy, President and Vice Chairman, ASGC Group
•Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General, the Smart Dubai
•Sultan Butti Bin Mejren, Director General, Dubai Land Department
•Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World & Virgin Hyperloop One
•Alain Bejjani, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim
•Osama Bishai, CEO, Orascom Construction
•John Pagano, CEO, The Red Sea Development Company
•Hussain Sajwani, Founder & Chairman, DAMAC
 
Strong industry response for nominations led to Cityscape Intelligence creating a second independent list sponsored by Houza, the UAE's biggest agency-owned real estate website, to recognise the Mena region’s 10 most influential brokers and real estate consultants.
 
The top 10 influential brokers and real estate consultants in the Houza list are:
•Lynette Abad, Director, Research & Data Property Finder
•Abdullah Alajaji, Founder, Driven Properties
•Ian Albert, CEO, MENA Colliers
•Carl & Lewis Allsopp, Co-Founders, Allsopp & Allsopp
•Ameen Al Qudsi, CEO, Nationwide Middle East Properties
•Hamza Betraoui, Managing Partner, Land Sterling
•Edd Brookes, Senior Director, Head of Middle East, Cushman & Wakefield
•Taimur Khan, Associate Partner - Strategic Consultancy & Research, Knight Frank
•Nick Maclean, Managing Director, CBRE
•Dana Salbak, Head of Research, MENA JLL
 
Entries for the 2021 Cityscape Intelligence Real Estate Power List, which will feature new categories, open in July.-TradeArabia News Service

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