THE MIDDLE EAST’S
Travel and Tourism
Leaders 2024
Thanks to their geographical position and historical and cultural richness, Middle East countries are attracting both tourists and investors. In 2023, the Middle East’s visitor numbers surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with a 22% increase in international tourist arrivals compared to 2019, according to UN Tourism.
Saudi Arabia saw the number of international visitors to the kingdom grow by 56% last year compared to 2019. It also hit a new record in international tourist receipts, with inbound spending reaching over $37 billion in 2023. Dubai attracted 17.15 million international visitors in 2023, a 19% increase compared to 2022. Egypt received 14.9 million tourists in 2023, while Qatar received four million. Meanwhile, Middle Eastern airlines saw a 33.3% increase in traffic in 2023 compared to 2022, according to the International Air Transport Association.
In our list of the Middle East’s Top 100 Travel & Tourism Leaders 2024, the U.A.E.-based dominates with 54 entries, followed by Saudi Arabia with 19 entries, Egypt with nine, Jordan, and Oman with four each.
1. Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Emirates Airline & Group
2. Fahd Hamidaddin
Saudi Tourism Authority (STA)
3. Helal Saeed Almarri
Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)
4. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer
Qatar Airways Group
5. Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi)
6. Mohammed Almaghlouth
MATARAT Holding
7. Hesham Al Qassim
Wasl
8. Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri
ADNEC Group
9. Jerry Inzerillo
Diriyah Company
10. Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi
Miral
11. Kabir Mulchandani
FIVE Holdings; The Pacha Group
12. Ibrahim Koshy
SAUDIA
13. Paul Griffiths
Dubai Airports
14. Nasser Matar AlKawari
Katara Hospitality
15. Hisham Talaat Moustafa
Talaat Moustafa Group Holding (TMG Holding)
16. Elena Sorlini
Abu Dhabi Airports
17. Sandeep Walia
Marriott International
18. Antonoaldo Neves
Etihad Aviation Group
19. Hamed El Chiaty
Travco Group
20. Duncan O’Rourke
Accor Group
21. Imad Barrakad
Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT)
22. John Pagano
Red Sea Global (RSG)
23. Ghaith Al Ghaith
flydubai
24. Philippe Zuber
Kerzner International
25. Adeeb Ahamed
Twenty14 Holdings
26. Tarek El Sayed
Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company (ARTIC)
27. Adel Abdullah Ali
Air Arabia
28. Guy Hutchinson
Hilton
29. Haitham Mattar
IHG Hotels & Resorts
30. Raki Phillips
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA)
31. Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat
Jordan Tourism Board (JTB)
32. Habiba Laklalech
Moroccan Airports Authority ONDA
33. Kamel Abou-Aly
Pickalbatros Hotels & Resorts Group
34. Fernando Eiroa
Dubai Holding Entertainment
35. Fawaz Farooqui
Cruise Saudi
36. Khalid Al Amoudi
Jabal Omar Development Company (JODC)
37. Sami Bin Abdulmohsen AlHokair
Abdulmohsen Alhokair Group for Tourism and Development (Al Hokair Group)
38. Ali Salim Al Midfa
Sharjah Airport Authority (SAA)
39. Rakan AlHarthy
Sela
40. Abdelhamid Addou
Royal Air Maroc
41. Bander Almohanna
flynas Group
42. Amir Golbarg
Minor Hotels
43. Khalid Anib
Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH)
44. Mark Kirby
Emaar Hospitality Group
45. Fabien Toscano
AlUla Development Company
46. Yehia Zakaria
EGYPTAIR Holding Company
47. Hashil Al Mahrouqi
OMRAN Group
48. Ahmad M. Alkreebani
Kuwait Airways
49. Nader Ahmed Al Hammadi
Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA)
50. Mark De Cocinis
Boutique Group
51. Chris Newman
NEOM Hotel Division
52. Kamil Al-Awadhi
International Air Transport Association (IATA)
53. Khalifa Bin Braik
Majid Al Futtaim Asset Management Business
54. Panos Loupasis
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
55. Basmah Al-Mayman
UN Tourism
56. Fahad Abdulrahim Kazim
Millennium Hotels & Resorts MEA, Tetra Hospitality Investment
57. Abeer Al Akel
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)
58. Adel Ezzat
Elaf Group
59. Javier Águila
Hyatt
60. Tim Cordon
Radisson Hotel Group
61. Sultan Bader Al-Otaibi
Taiba Investments
62. Shaikha Al Kaabi
Erth Abu Dhabi
63. Philip Barnes
Rotana
64. Marloes Knippenberg
Kerten Hospitality
65. Talal Jassim Al-Bahar
IFA Hotels & Resorts (IFA HR)
66. Bani Haddad
Aleph Hospitality
67. Prateek Kumar
Dusit Hotels and Resorts
68. Alison Grinnell
RAK Hospitality Holding
69. Ahmed Shanan
AirCairo
70. Ahmed Janahi
Gulf Hotels Group (GHG)
71. Saurabh Tiwari
Taj Dubai, Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL)
72. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa
Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA)
73. Julien Bergue
Valor Hospitality Partners
74. Nadia Zaal
Zaya; Al Barari
75. Amr Badr
Abercrombie & Kent Egypt
76. Hossam El Shaer
SUNRISE Resorts and Cruises; SkyMax Holidays
77. Mohammed Husain Ahmed
RoyalJet
78. Adel Mardini
Jetex
79. Samer Majali
Royal Jordanian (RJ)
80. Jeffrey Goh
Gulf Air Group Holding
81. Fariborz (Fred) Vessali
Oman Hotels and Tourism Company SAOC (OHTC)
82. Johan Eidhagen
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi
83. Mohamed Abou El Enein
Cleopatra Hospitality Group
84. Ahmed Al Shidhani
SalamAir
85. Siddeek Ahamed
ITL World
86. Said Al Shanfari
Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC)
87. Stuart Leven
Orascom Hotels Management
88. Muzzammil Ahussain
Almosafer
89. Barathan Pasupathi
Jazeera Airways
90. Ahmad Abu Ghazaleh
International Wings Group (IWG)
91. Mohamed Soussan
Ayla Hotels & Resorts Management Company
92. Mohamed Awadalla
TIME Hotels
93. Simon Leigh
Premier Inn – MENA
94. Hanin Alsubaie
Darent
95. Raj Rana
Citymax Hotels and Foodmark
96. Paras Dhamecha
Empire Aviation Group
97. Sumair Tariq
R Hotels
98. Kamal Simon Fakhoury
Cristal Group Holdings
99. JS Anand
LEVA Hotels
100. Praveen Shetty
Fortune Group of Hotels
