THE MIDDLE EAST’S
Top 100 Travel & Tourism
Leaders 2023
The travel and tourism industry in the Arab world has been a major contributor to the region’s economic growth and development, with the region emerging globally as a world-class destination. Dubai has become a hub for tourism, and in recent years Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Abu Dhabi have invested heavily in the sector.
The region is also becoming an important sporting destination, with the Formula One Grand Prix hosted by Bahrain, the U.A.E., and Saudi Arabia. The U.A.E. also hosts UFC events, and in 2022 Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup and in 2027 will bring the FIBA Basketball World Cup to the Middle East for the first time.
According to a UNWTO report, the tourism sector globally recovered 63% of pre-pandemic levels in 2022, with the Middle East recovering 83% of its pre-pandemic visitor numbers. The World Travel and Tourism Council expects Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism market to become the fastest-growing in the Middle East, forecasting it to grow at an average of 11% annually over the next decade. The contribution of travel and tourism to the Middle East’s GDP grew 46.9% in 2022 compared to 2021, at a value of $107 billion, while Middle Eastern airlines witnessed a 157.4% increase in traffic in 2022 compared to 2021, with capacity surging by 73.8%, according to IATA.
In our 2023 list of the most influential leaders in the region’s travel and tourism industry, hospitality companies and hotels and resorts dominate with 59 entries, followed by aviation (airlines and airports) with 31 entries. This year, there are also eight entries from tourism authorities. Leaders from over 33 nationalities feature on the list, with Emiratis leading with 16 entries, followed by 12 Saudis, and 10 British nationals.
1. Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Emirates Airline & Group
2. Akbar Al Baker
Qatar Airways Group
3. Helal Saeed Almarri
Department of Economy and Tourism – Dubai
4. Paul Griffiths
Dubai Airports
5. Fahd Hamidaddin
Saudi Tourism Authority (STA)
6. Mohammed Almaghlouth
MATARAT Holding
7. Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi)
8. Jerry Inzerillo
The Diriyah Company
9. Hesham Al Qassim
wasl Asset Management Group
10. Ibrahim Koshy
SAUDIA
11. John Pagano
Red Sea Global (RSG)
12. Guy Hutchinson
Rotana Hotel Management Corporation (Rotana)
13. Yehia Zakaria Ismail
EGYPTAIR Holding Company
14. Katerina Giannouka
Jumeirah Group
15. Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri
Abu Dhabi Airports
16. Sandeep Walia
Marriott International
17. Antonoaldo Neves
Etihad Aviation Group
18. Adel El Fakir
Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT)
19. Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi
Miral Group
20. Ghaith Al Ghaith
flydubai
21. Kamil Al-Awadhi
International Air Transport Association (IATA)
22. Nasser Matar AlKawari
Katara Hospitality
23. Adel Abdullah Ali
Air Arabia
24. Kabir Mulchandani
FIVE Global Holdings
25. Tarek M. El Sayed
Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company (ARTIC)
26. Duncan O’Rourke
Accor Group
27. Philippe Zuber
Kerzner International
28. Sami Bin Abdulmohsen AlHokair
Abdulmohsen Alhokair Group for Tourism and Development (Al Hokair Group)
29. Haitham Mattar
IHG Hotels & Resorts
30. Raki Phillips
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA)
31. Badr Mohammed Al Meer
Hamad International Airport (DOH)
32. Habiba Laklalech
Moroccan Airports Authority ONDA
33. Basmah Al-Mayman
United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
34. Yacine Benslimane
Air Algérie
35. Fernando Eiroa
Dubai Holding Entertainment
36. Chris Newman
NEOM Hotel Development
37. Abdulaziz Al Raisi
Oman Air
38. Ali Salim Al Midfa
Sharjah Airport Authority
39. Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri
ADNEC Group
40. Khalid Al-Amoudi
Jabal Omar Development Company (JODC)
41. Abdelhamid Addou
Royal Air Maroc
42. Mohammed Husain Ahmed
RoyalJet
43. Nicolas Claude
Airport International Group (AIG)
44. Bander Almohanna
flynas
45. Hisham Talaat Moustafa
Talaat Moustafa Group Holding (TMG Holding)
46. Simon Casson
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
47. Philip Jones
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)
48. Amir Golbarg
Minor Hotels
49. Waleed Al Alawi
Gulf Air
50. Hashil Al Mahrouqi
OMRAN Group
51. Maen Mahmoud Razouqi
Kuwait Airways
52. Adel Waly
Holding Company for Tourism and Hotels (HOTAC)
53. Hussein Sherif Fahmi
Air Cairo
54. Khalifa Bin Braik
Majid Al Futtaim Asset Management Business
55. Samer Majali
Royal Jordanian Airlines
56. Panos Loupasis
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
57. Rohit Ramachandran
Jazeera Airways
58. Fahad Abdulrahim Kazim
Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA, Tetra Hospitality Investment
59. Mohamad El Hout
Middle East Airlines – Air Liban (MEA)
60. Adel Ezzat
Elaf Group
61. Robert Carey
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi
62. Tim Cordon
Radisson Hotel Group
63. Abdulla Aujan
Aujan Group Holding (AGH)
64. Sultan Al-Otaibi
Dur Hospitality
65. Fawaz Farooqui
Cruise Saudi
66. Nader Ahmed Al Hammadi
Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA)
67. Marloes Knippenberg
Kerten Hospitality
68. Talal Jassim Al-Bahar
IFA Hotels & Resorts (IFA HR)
69. Hossam El Shaer
SUNRISE Resorts and Cruises; SkyMax Holidays
70. Stuart Deeson
Hyatt Hotels Corporation
71. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa
Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA)
72. Julien Bergue
Valor Hospitality Partners
73. Prateek Kumar
Dusit International
74. Joachim Schmitt
Orascom Hotels Management
75. Khalid Anib
Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH)
76. Nadia Zaal
Zaya and Abwab Real Estate Group
77. Adel Mardini
Jetex
78. Hany Farag
National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels (NCT&H)
79. Ahmad Abu Ghazaleh
International Wings Group (IWG)
80. Mohamed Ahmed
SalamAir
81. Rob Burns
The First Group
82. Simon Leigh
Premier Inn – MENA
83. Ranjit Phillipose
The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL)
84. Laurent Voivenel
Swiss Belhotel International
85. Alison Grinnell
RAK Hospitality Holding
86. Bani Haddad
Aleph Hospitality
87. Monther Darwish
Palazzo Versace Dubai; Palazzo Hospitality
88. Anthony Costa
Caesars Palace Dubai
89. Raj Rana
Citymax Hotels and Foodmark
90. Paras Dhamecha
Empire Aviation Group
91. Mohamed Awadalla
Time Hotels Management
92. Richard Haddad
Ishraq Hospitality
93. Kamal Fakhoury
Cristal Group
94. Abdullah Omar Al-Suwailem
Tourism Enterprise Company (Shams)
95. Siegfried Nierhaus
Deutsche Hospitality
96. Fariborz (Fred) Vessali
Oman Hotels Tourism Company (OHTC) SAOC
97. Nadim Yousef Muasher
The Arab International Hotels Company (AIHO)
98. Sumair Tariq
R Hotels
99. JS Anand
LEVA Hotels
100. Sanjiv Malhotra
Shaza Hotels Management
