Middle East’s Leading Travel and Tourism Innovators for 2025

Overview of the Top Travel Leaders

Forbes Middle East has unveiled the 2025 edition of its much-anticipated list, highlighting the region’s Top 100 Travel and Tourism Leaders. This collection showcases the individuals who are at the forefront of innovation across a myriad of destinations, hotels, airlines, and tourism initiatives throughout the Middle East.

Regional Representation

The executives recognized this year hail from a diverse pool of ten countries. With the UAE at the forefront, boasting 49 leaders, Saudi Arabia follows with 24. Egypt contributes seven leaders, and Oman five. Additionally, both Jordan and Morocco feature four representatives each, while Qatar and Bahrain have three, with Kuwait and Tunisia each represented by a single leader.

Among the honorees, there are 15 Emiratis and 14 Saudis, as well as nine British nationals, showcasing a blend of talent and diversity in the leadership roles.

Driving Forces Behind Tourism Growth

This year’s rankings reflect a significant upward momentum within the sector, propelled by strong vision, strategic governmental efforts, and massive investments. To curate this list, Forbes evaluated leaders from both public and private sectors based on factors such as revenue, asset values, hotel availability, and passenger numbers, along with their experience and contributions to the tourism arena.

Notable Leaders in 2025

A Year of Remarkable Achievements

The tourism landscape is witnessing a metamorphosis, ushered in by leaders implementing groundbreaking projects. Notably, in June 2025, Bander Almohanna, CEO of flynas, led the company to become the first airline to complete a $1.1 billion IPO on the Saudi Exchange. This was complemented by the launch of the world’s first Real Madrid-themed park by Fernando Eiroa, CEO of Dubai Holding Entertainment in April 2024.

Moreover, in May 2025, the announcement of the region’s inaugural Disney theme park and resort development in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company was made by Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi of Miral. Fatim-Zahra Ammor also played a crucial role in launching Morocco’s first tourism project bank.

Conclusion

The achievements and innovative strides made by the leaders on Forbes’ Top 100 list underscore the dynamic nature of the travel and tourism sector in the Middle East. In times of rapid transformation, firsthand experience often provides the best insights into how successful these initiatives can be. On LocalsRide, you can connect with licensed service providers to hire a car with a driver, ensuring a smooth ride from your departure point to your destination at competitive prices. This empowers decision-making processes without incurring unnecessary expenses or disappointments.

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