Egypt’s Arab Contractors CEO is among Forbes Top CEOs in the Middle East 2021

Forbes Middle East has released its first annual “Top CEOs in the Middle East” ranking; the list has included Sayed Farouk – President and CEO of the Arab Contractors.

Farouk was a Board Member from April to August 2013, supervising Arab Contractors branches in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Oman, Yemen, Qatar, and Iraq. Then, he was the Senior Vice Chairman until later being appointed the Chairman of the Arab Contractors Company.

The first-ever list is recognising the executives making significant contributions to the region’s economies.

According to Forbes, the group is currently heavily involved in projects in Egypt inside the New Administrative Capital, including the Islamic Cultural Centre and Light Rail Transit.

The group is also carrying out projects such as the Suez Canal International Museum, El Zomor Canal Axis, and the Bahr Al Baqr Wastewater Treatment Plan.

The 100 CEOs represent 24 nationalities and 21 sectors. Saudi nationals dominate the list with 18 entries, followed by Emirati and Egyptian leaders with 16 entries each. Combined, these three groups make up half of the ranking.

Four out of the top five are from the region’s COVID-resilient oil & gas industry: Aramco’s Amin H. Nasser, who tops the list; ADNOC Group’s Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber; Kuwait Petroleum Corporation’s Hashem Hashem; and Sonatrach’s Toufik Hakkar.

Executives within the banking and financial services sector dominate the list with 29 entries, contributing nearly a third of the ranking. Abdulla Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Group CEO of Qatar National Bank, stands as the Middle East’s top banking and financial services executive. Notable newcomer, Hana Al Rostamani, who is FAB’s new Group CEO, took the 19th spot.

Forbes Middle East assessed the size of the CEO’s company using various measures, the individual’s accomplishments over the past year, and their impact on their firm and the wider industry.