CATEGORIES

EXPANDING A FASHION ICON

Elie Saab Jr., Group CEO and Vice Chairman of ELIE SAAB, is continuing his father’s legacy well beyond the realm of fashion. While focusing on building a long-lasting legacy, he’s exploring new markets and incorporating a future-focused strategy for running one of the region’s biggest fashion houses.

The World's Largest Media Companies 2024: Disney, Charter Communications and Warner Bros. Discovery All Fall

The world's largest media companies garnered mixed reviews in 2023.

TECH TO ORDER

With over $36.9 million in total funding, Omar Rifai, Mohamed AI Fayed, and Mohamed Hamedi, cofounders of U.A.E.-based F&B and e-commerce platform, Grubtech, are turning to new markets and AI to expand the growing startup.

RUNWAY TO RUNWAY

Mohammed Ashi, Founder and Creative Director of Ashi Studio, was propelled onto the global stage of haute couture in Paris after joining fashion’s governing body last year. Saudi Arabia’s first big-name designer is now taking his designs even higher, to the open skies.

Fashion Blooms Across MENA: A Look at the Region's Fashion Weeks

MENA is experiencing a vibrant fashion moment, with cities like Dubai, Riyadh, Cairo, Doha, and Marrakech hosting fashion weeks that shed light on the creativity and talent of the region’s designers.

The World's Largest Investment Firms 2024: Gains for Apollo, KKR, Ares, and Blackstone

Private markets are booming thanks to the popularity of alternatives among wealthy retail investors and 'higher-for-longer' interest rates. Once feared, buyout firms like KKR, Apollo and Blackstone have gone mainstream, as they climb higher on the Global 2000.

The Missing Links

Mike Keiser turned a patch of coastal Oregon into Bandon Dunes, the unlikely home of some of the world's best golf courses. Now he's expanding the resort with a simple strategy: If he builds it, they will come.

Meet the 5 Richest Self-Made Billionaires in Fashion

From shaping legacies to substantial philanthropic contributions, these five industry billionaires have independently built their fortunes and left an indelible mark on fashion. All are categorized as self-made by Forbes, with their net worths calculated as of June 14, 2024.

From Waste to Wardrobe, a New Era of Embracing Sustainable Fashion

As shoppers embrace sustainability, the Middle East is emerging as a key player in fashion, with a growing market for pre-loved alternatives driving the shift towards eco-consciousness.

10 Women Behind Middle Eastern Beauty Brands

These entrepreneurs are the region's top female founders behind beauty and make-up businesses based on the scope and success of their brands in 2024.

Traditional Markets: Where a Rich History Meets a Prosperous Present

The vibrant and bustling souks and markets of the Middle East have long attracted traders, shoppers, and visitors. With many of these community hubs still in existence today, the role of traditional markets in MENA's economies continues to be vital.

A NEW HOSPITALITY HUB

Alison Grinnell, CEO of Ras AI Khaimah Hospitality Holding, is putting the small northern emirate on the map for tourists and residents. While up against fierce competition from its neighbors, RAK is making itself known.

CHARGED UP

Thamer AI Muhid, Group CEO and Managing Director of Saudi Chemical Company Holding is leading a major restructuring as part of the firm's strategic transformation strategy. With progress underway to boost production and localization, aligning with Vision 2030 is a top priority.

EGYPT'S TOP 50 LISTED COMPANIES 2024

Egypt's economy went through a tough time in 2023, pushing the local currency to lose over 35.5% of its value between April 2023 and 2024. Consequently, the top 50 listed companies in our annual list saw their sales in USD shrink by almost 20% to $26.4 billion in 2023 compared to 2022, with their total net profits dropping by 9% to $4.5 billion.

EVOLVING TOGETHER

Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Group CEO of the Ooredoo Group, has been leading a new strategy for the Qatar-headquartered telecom since taking the helm in November 2020. Now, he's cornering key areas for future growth, including telecom towers, data centers, and fintech.

THE MIDDLE EAST'S TOP 100 LISTED COMPANIES 2024

Economic uncertainty has cast a shadow over MENA companies in recent years, with the top 100 listed companies seeing a marginal 5.1% decrease in their sales from $1.1 in 2022 to $1 trillion in 2023.

NEW SHORES

Yasser Zaghloul, Group CEO of the NMDC Group, has spearheaded considerable growth for the company since taking the helm in 2009. While the group builds new islands, he's building a global plan.

Wannabe Warren

THOMAS GAYNER parlayed a stockbroker career into the top job at Virginia's $16 billion Markel Group, a specialty insurer with a penchant for investing in stocks and privately owned businesses. Meet Richmond's answer to the Oracle of Omaha.

Green Gas Giant

Linde's SANJIV LAMBA serves two masters: environmentalists and investors. Neither group has cause to complain.

WATCHING OUT FOR THE WEALTHY

Faisal Al-Hamad, CEO of Kuwait-based NBK Wealth, has been leading the NBK Group's client-centric businesses under a unified umbrella since 2021. With over $20 billion in assets under management, he's now planning for expansion.

Middle East Forbes THE MIDDLE EAST'S TOP 100 TRAVEL & TOURISM LEADERS 2024

Thanks to their geographical position and historical and cultural richness, Middle East countries are attracting both tourists and investors.

PARTY WITH PURPOSE

New Forbes billionaire Kabir Mulchandani, Founder and Chairman of FIVE Holdings, is building an entertainment ecosystem with a sustainable footprint. Now, he's talking IPO plans.

EMPIRE BUILDING

Hussain Sajwani, Founder and Chairman of the DAMAC Group, has built a property empire and accumulated over $5 billion in wealth since establishing the group in 1982. As he continues to seek out new opportunities, he's also supporting the next generation as they follow in his footsteps.

The Middle East's RICHEST BILLIONAIRES 2024

It's been a banner year for the mega-wealthy. Forbes found an unprecedented 2,781 billionaires around the globe for this year's World's Billionaires list-141 more than in 2023 and 26 more than the previous record, set in 2021.

Riches from Rags

Investors have blown billions of dollars on loss-making luxury clothing resale firms. VINTED, an unlikely startup from Lithuania, finally cracked the code.

The New Goal Standard

JORGE MAS took a risk with a lucrative bet on Lionel Messi and quickly transformed Inter Miami into MLS's second billion-dollar franchise. But now the clock is ticking.

Reasons To Seek Adventure

Whether it’s the exhilaration of free-falling out of the sky or the thrill of being immersed among the shark-filled reefs of the Indian Ocean, adventure enthusiasts are drawn by the allure of life-changing experiences. Here are some reasons why.

THE MIDDLE EAST'S 30 MOST VALUABLE BANKS 2024

MENA’s banking sector has shown resilience over the last year, supported by higher interest rates and oil prices.

INVESTING AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr, Cofounders of Egypt-based digital investment platform Thndr, are facing competition from brokerages and investment banks to democratize investing. Having seen exponential growth in four years, they’re now looking at expanding to the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia.

THE MIDDLE EAST'S FINTECH 50

Despite a sharp decline in funding in 2023, the Middle East’s fintechs have embraced new technologies and expansion and remained resilient in the face of challenges such as high interest rates and geopolitical uncertainties.