Business
Forbes Middle East - English
10 Powerful Businesswomen Leading Family-Owned Businesses
Our list of the 10 powerful businesswomen leading some of the largest family-owned companies and groups in the region features women who have inherited family legacies and possess exceptional expertise. They're managing vast conglomerates across diverse sectors of the economy, including industry, technology, and education. The list includes three entries based in the U.A.E., two from Oman, and one from each of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain, and Lebanon.
5 min |
February 2025 ENG
Forbes Middle East - English
The World's Most Powerful Women 2024
The 100 leaders on Forbes's 2024 list of the World's Most Powerful Women oversee a total of $33 trillion in GDP and influence the lives of over a billion people. Here's a look at the top ten who are breaking down barriers in politics, philanthropy, and business.
4 min |
February 2025 ENG
Forbes Middle East - English
The World's Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2024
Forbes's list of The World's Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2024 revealed that for the first time, 11 women surpassed $10 million in earnings, with tennis superstar Coco Gauff trailing only Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams on the all-time list.
4 min |
February 2025 ENG
Forbes Middle East - English
Arab Women Who Made History In 2024
Progress continues, with many remarkable Arab women shattering barriers in their fields in 2024. Here are six who achieved historic firsts last year.
3 min |
February 2025 ENG
Forbes Middle East - English
CONSCIOUS INVESTING
VentureSouq's cofounders and general partners, Suneel Gokhale, Sonia Gokhale, Tammer Qaddumi, and Sonia Weymuller, are actively reshaping the investment landscape. With $250 million in assets under management, the thematic fund manager is forging a distinct path, with a focus on fintech and climate tech.
10 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
VENTURING BEYOND CAPITAL
In just seven years, Shane Shin and Mahmoud Adi, Founding Partners of Shoroog Partners, have turned their startup into one of the Middle East’s biggest startup investors, with 500 million in assets under management. With ambitions far beyond venture capital, they’re now expanding further into credit markets and looking at where they can be pioneers.
8 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
ROCK STAR
WHAT IF THE REVOLUTIONARY TECHNIQUES DEVELOPED TO FRACK ROCKS FOR OIL COULD BE MODIFIED TO UNLOCK LIMITLESS CLEAN ENERGY FROM THE HEAT OF THE EARTH’S CRUST?
8 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
Breaking New Territory
Moroccan-Canadian singer and 30 Under 30 alumna Faouzia is having her biggest year yet and enjoying newfound fame in China. As her stardom rises, she’s now exploring new projects and possibilities.
6 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
5 Biggest MENA IPOs of 2024
This year has been pivotal for MENA, marked by a series of high-profile IPOs that drew interest from local and international investors. Here’s a look at the five biggest IPOs that defined 2024.
2 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
TOP VENTURE CAPITALISTS
MENA has emerged as a vibrant hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, fostering a dynamic landscape for startups.
2 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
Top Funding Rounds in MENA 2024
This year has seen some of MENA’s largest-ever funding rounds. Here’s a look at five standout deals. Only startups that were founded less than 10 years ago and had disclosed their funding rounds as of November 27, 2024, were considered.
2 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
Key Insights From MENA's Funding Landscape
MENA saw a mixed performance in the first nine months of 2024.
2 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
A Look Ahead: Travel Trends Shaping 2025
What will drive wanderlust in 2025? Here’s a look at the key travel trends set to dominate the year.
2 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
Codebreakers
Backed by 200 million in funding, 28-year-old SCOTT WU and his team of competitive coders at Cognition are building an Al tool that can program entirely on its own, potentially disintegrating the whole industry. Is its 2 billion valuation the result of a true breakthrough, or just more Al hype?
7 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
CLOSING THE GAP
Amal Dokhan, Managing Partner at 500 Global MENA, has spent over a decade shaping the region's vibrant startup ecosystem. Now, she's driving efforts to bridge funding gaps, scale startups, and solidify MENA's position as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
6 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
Top 3 Billionaire Gainers & Losers 2024
In 2024, various factors influenced the net worth of billionaires, including the Al boom, the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cuts, and Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential elections. Here are the top three gainers and losers among billionaires this year, since March 8. Net worths as of November 21, before the U.S. market opened.
4 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
Reshaping Saudi Healthcare
Paul Hudson, CEO of French pharma giant Sanofi, has been overseeing the company as it plays an increasing role in Saudi Arabia’s biopharmaceutical market and vaccine production. Now he’s looking to broaden its ambitions even further.
5 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
World's Billionaire Venture Capitalists 2024
Seven global billionaires featured on Forbes' 2024 Midas List. Here's a glimpse at the moguls. All but one are American citizens. Net worths are as of November 22, 2024.
3 min |
December 2024 / January 2025
Forbes Middle East - English
Celebrating Emirati Businesswomen and Entrepreneurs on Emirati Women's Day
As part of the U.A.E.’s annual Emirati Women’s Day celebrations, the Abu Dhabi Business Women Council and the Abu Dhabi Chamber hosted an event on August 28, 2024, under the theme “We Collaborate for Tomorrow,” celebrating the role and achievements of Emirati women.
2 min |
Sep 2024
Forbes Middle East - English
THE MIDDLE EAST'S TOP 100 HEALTHCARE LEADERS 2024
MENA’s healthcare landscape is evolving towards integration, marked by the rise of fully comprehensive ecosystems. Industry giants are setting future trends, driven by systems that thrive on data abundance, accessibility, and intersectoral collaboration.
6 min |
Sep 2024
Forbes Middle East - English
SCOUTING FOR OPPORTUNITIES
Ayman Cheikh-Lahlou, Chairman and CEO of the Morocco-based Cooper Pharma, took the helm of the family-owned pharmaceutical company in 2005 and has seen business boom over nearly 20 years. Now, he’s exploring expansion opportunities in new markets.
7 min |
Sep 2024
Forbes Middle East - English
TURNING THE TIDE
Irina Zaporozhets, President and General Manager for Eli Lilly Suisse S.A. in the META region is driving expansion, focusing on innovation and patient-centric care. As she navigates regional challenges, her commitment to expanding access to medicine remains at the forefront.
7 min |
Sep 2024
Forbes Middle East - English
Supercharging AI
Armed with a newly raised 640 million, GROQ thinks it can challenge one of the world’s most valuable companies with a purpose-built chip designed for Al from scratch.
5 min |
Sep 2024
Forbes Middle East - English
How Technology is Accelerating Digital Equality in Diverse Markets
The rise of smartphones and digital technologies has transformed our daily lives, contributing to the evolution of connected consumers.
2 min |
Sep 2024
Forbes Middle East - English
Rare Fortune
Money manager JAMES LITINSKY turned a bad junk bond bet into a $400 million fortune. His MP Materials operates a strategic mine and will begin manufacturing supermagnets for electric vehicles next year.
6 min |
Sep 2024
Forbes Middle East - English
The State of Mental Health in the Middle East
While mental health awareness is on the rise, the Middle East faces some challenges in providing care. Still, we're seeing some progress.
2 min |
Sep 2024
Forbes Middle East - English
Big Breakthroughs
From gene therapy to nasal sprays, these were some of the most significant healthcare breakthroughs in the last year.
3 min |
Sep 2024
Forbes Middle East - English
MENA's 5 Most Valuable Healthcare Companies 2024
The combined market cap of 57 healthcare companies listed on MENA's stock exchanges hit $83.7 billion on August 13, 2024, with the top five companies accounting for about 62.4% of the total market cap. These are MENA's five most valuable healthcare companies in 2024.
2 min |
Sep 2024
Forbes Middle East - English
Saudi Arabia Drives MENA Healthcare IPOS
Saudi Arabia has dominated MENA's healthcare IPOs so far this year, with all four healthcare IPOs listed in the region being listed on the Saudi Exchange as of August 2024, totaling $920 million in proceeds. Here's a closer look.
2 min |
Sep 2024
Forbes Middle East - English
Meet the World's 5 Richest Healthcare Billionaires
The world's five richest healthcare billionaires have pioneered hospital networks, pharmaceutical innovations, and medical device technology. All net worths are as of August 23, 2024.
2 min |