7 Kuwaitis on Forbes' List of the Top 100 Most Powerful CEOs in the Middle East

The CEOs listed operate in eight countries in the region, with 49 in the United Arab Emirates, 18 in Saudi Arabia, and 11 in Qatar. The list represents 29 sectors, with banking holding the largest share at 30 participants, followed by real estate and construction with 8 participants.

The CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Saud Al-Sabah, ranked first in Kuwait and fourth in the region. Meanwhile, Essam Al-Saqer, Vice Chairman and CEO of National Bank of Kuwait Group, and Khaled Al-Shamlan, CEO of Kuwait Finance House, were ranked second in Kuwait and 14th in the Middle East.

Bader Al-Kharafi, Vice Chairman and CEO of Zain Kuwait Group, ranked third as the most powerful CEO in Kuwait and 36th in the Middle East. Sheikh Adana Nasser Al-Sabah, CEO of Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO), ranked fourth as the most powerful CEO in Kuwait and 56th in the region. Ahmed Al-Eidan, CEO of Kuwait Oil Company, ranked fifth in Kuwait and 78th in the region. Donna Sultan, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of KEO International Consultants, ranked sixth in Kuwait and 89th in the region.

Forbes based its ranking on a set of criteria, including the CEOs’ achievements and leadership performance, their contribution to shaping the future of their institutions by combining efficiency and innovation, their ability to balance commercial success with support for national visions, their role in leading economic diversification efforts, their influence in the markets they operate in, and the scope of operations of the companies they lead.

The ranking also considered the CEO’s impact on the region and the country where they work, the markets they oversee, the CEO’s overall experience, the duration of their current tenure, the company’s size in terms of revenue, assets, and market capitalization, achievements and performance in the past year, as well as innovations and initiatives implemented.