Forbes Middle East Reveals The Region’s Top Travel & Tourism Leaders

Forbes Middle East has unveiled its second annual ranking of the region’s Top Travel & Tourism Leaders, highlighting 100 influential personalities making the Middle East one of the world’s most desirable destinations. To construct the ranking, Forbes Middle East looked at the size of the business—including revenues and the value of investments and assets—ownership of assets, and the business leader’s experience, designation, and achievements. All individuals had to be based in the Middle East.

The leaders featured on the 2023 ranking represent 33 nationalities. Emiratis lead with 16 entries, followed by 12 Saudis and 10 British nationals. Hospitality firms, hotels, and resorts dominate the list with 59 entries, followed by aviation with 31 entries and eight entries from tourism authorities. Among the top 10 executives, five lead companies are headquartered in the U.A.E., four in Saudi Arabia, and one in Qatar.

Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and CEO of the Emirates Airline & Group, tops the list for the second consecutive year. The Emirates Group’s revenues surged 128% in the first half of the 2022/23 financial year, hitting $15.3 billion. Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways Group, and Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General at Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, round up the top three.

Committed to propelling the Middle East’s tourism sector, the visionaries on this list are securing multi-million-dollar investments to back their plans. In October 2022, Miral Group’s CEO, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi announced a portfolio of projects under construction worth over $3.5 billion on Yas Island and across Abu Dhabi. Expansion is also a common priority for many. In 2022, Kerten Hospitality’s CEO, Marloes Knippenberg opened Cloud7 Residence AlUla in Saud Arabia and added eight key signings in the region. Air Cairo, led by Hussein Sherif Fahmi, was also on an expansion spree in 2023, buying five new aircraft in Q1, increasing its fleet to 30. Meanwhile, Sharjah Airport Authority’s Chairman, Ali Salim Al Midfa is currently heading the development team for an airport expansion project valued at $517 million.

Click here to view the complete list of the Middle East’s Top 100 Travel & Tourism Leaders 2023.

Top Travel & Tourism Leaders By Sector 2023
Airlines	Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum Chairman and CEO, Emirates Airline & Group
Airports	Paul Griffiths CEO, Dubai Airports
Tourism Development	Helal Saeed Almarri Director General, Department of Economy and Tourism – Dubai
Destinations & Experiences	Jerry Inzerillo Group CEO, The Diriyah Company
Hotels & Resorts	Hesham Al Qassim CEO, wasl Asset Management Group
Private Aviation	Mohammed Husain Ahmed CEO, RoyalJet
Diversified	Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri Managing Director and Group CEO, ADNEC Group

Top 10 Travel & Tourism Leaders In The Middle East 2023

1. Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum

Chairman and CEO, Emirates Airline & Group

Nationality: Emirati

Sector: Airlines  

2. Akbar Al Baker

Group CEO, Qatar Airways Group

Nationality: Qatari

Sector: Airlines  

3. Helal Saeed Almarri

Director General, Department of Economy and Tourism – Dubai

Nationality: Emirati

Sector: Tourism Development 

4. Paul Griffiths

CEO, Dubai Airports

Nationality: British

Sector: Airports

5. Fahd Hamidaddin

CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority (STA)

Nationality: Saudi

Sector: Tourism Development

6. Mohammed Almaghlouth

CEO, MATARAT Holding

Nationality: Saudi

Sector: Airports

7. Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry

Director General Tourism Sector, Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) 

Nationality: Emirati

Sector: Tourism Development 

8. Jerry Inzerillo

Group CEO, The Diriyah Company

Nationality: American

Sector: Destinations and Experiences

9. Hesham Al Qassim

CEO, wasl Asset Management Group

Nationality: Emirati

Sector: Hotels and Resorts 

10. Ibrahim Koshy

CEO, SAUDIA

Nationality: Saudi  Sector: Airlines