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
Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum 
Chairman and CEO, Emirates Airline & Group 
Nationality: Emirati 
Sector: Airlines  

Akbar Al Baker
Group CEO, Qatar Airways Group
Nationality: Qatari 
Sector: Airlines  

Helal Saeed Almarri 
Director General, Department of Economy and Tourism – Dubai 
Nationality: Emirati 
Sector: Tourism Development

Paul Griffiths 
CEO, Dubai Airports
Nationality: British 
Sector: Airports

Fahd Hamidaddin 
CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) 
Nationality: Saudi 
Sector: Tourism Development

Mohammed Almaghlouth
CEO, MATARAT Holding 
Nationality: Saudi 
Sector: Airports

Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry 
Director General Tourism Sector, Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi)  
Nationality: Emirati  
Sector: Tourism Development

Jerry Inzerillo
Group CEO, The Diriyah Company
Nationality: American 
Sector: Destinations and Experiences

Hesham Al Qassim
CEO, wasl Asset Management Group 
Nationality: Emirati 
Sector: Hotels and Resorts

Ibrahim Koshy
CEO, SAUDIA
Nationality: Saudi  Sector: Airlines