Despite ongoing challenges in the Middle East, the region remains a hotspot and a key global tourism hub, driven by diverse attractions across the GCC and a robust pipeline of ongoing developments.
This year’s list presents an updated view of the Middle East’s travel and tourism ecosystem, highlighting 101 influential leaders driving the region’s largest hospitality projects, destinations, hotel chains, airports, airlines, and travel services across both the public and private sectors.
Industry highlights include Miral’s development of the region’s first Disney theme park and resort in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi — the seventh of its kind globally. The list also features companies focused on heritage preservation and eco-tourism, such as the Diriyah Company, Boutique Group, the Royal Commission for AlUla, and new entrant ENVI Lodges.
The top three rankings are held by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman & Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group; Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority; and Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Group CEO of Qatar Airways. In fourth place is Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General of the Tourism Sector at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), who oversees 15 international offices serving 25 countries and has driven strong results in Q1 2025 with 1.4 million overnight guests, $626 million in hotel revenues, and 79% occupancy.
Ranked fifth is Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social and Solidarity Economy. Since her appointment in October 2021, Ammor has driven Morocco’s tourism resurgence, with the country recording 17.4 million arrivals and $11.2 billion in tourism revenues in 2024. She has led the rollout of the Go Siyaha Program, supporting over 1,000 tourism projects; launched Cap Hospitality, the first state-backed loan scheme to modernize 25,000 hotel rooms; and established Morocco’s first tourism project bank featuring 200 investment-ready templates. Ammor also serves as a board member of the Mohammed VI Investment Fund, contributing to the sector’s long-term strategic development.
The U.A.E. is the primary base for 49 leaders on the list, followed by Saudi Arabia with 24. Egypt is home to seven leaders, Oman to five, and both Jordan and Morocco to four each. Qatar and Bahrain have three each, while Kuwait and Tunisia are represented by one leader each — from Kuwait Airways and the Tunisian National Tourist Office (ONTT), respectively.more info https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/lists/top-100-travel-and-tourism-leaders-2025/achraf-fayda/