Dubai 100: The names, trends, and sectors shaping the city's future

Arabian Business

26-03-2025

Every year, the Dubai 100 tells a story. It's not just a ranked list of influence – it's a map of where power sits in the UAE, where it's shifting, and who's about to reshape the future. Some names are expected, almost perennial. Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar, once again leads the ranking. His real estate empire still dominates the skyline – and the headlines. But what's just as telling as who's on top is who's new to the conversation.
Two-thirds of this year's names didn't appear in 2024. That's not a shuffle. It's a tectonic shift. And if you read the list closely – if you look past the rankings and into the sectors, the trajectories, the job titles – it reveals a deeper narrative: Dubai's centre of gravity is moving. From finance to tech. From boardrooms to creator platforms. From established CEOs to public-sector visionaries. Power in Dubai isn't vanishing. It's multiplying – and migrating.
A new set of power brokers
Some of the new names carry legacy weight. Abdulla Al Futtaim, who helms one of the most powerful conglomerates in the region, debuts this year at #4. His family's reach spans retail, real estate, and automotive sectors foundational to the emirate's economy. Others represent a new kind of influence: cultural, digital, and public-facing.
Balqees Fathi, an Emirati-Yemeni singer and businesswoman, enters the top 10. So does Anas Bukhash, the media entrepreneur and host of the hit interview show ABtalks. These aren't just personalities; they're builders – of audiences, of brand ecosystems, of soft power.
The list also welcomes Tomaso Rodriguez, the CEO of Talabat, and Magnus Olsson, co-founder of Careem. Together, they represent the growing weight of platform-based businesses – companies that sit at the intersection of logistics, data, and urban life. And then there's Samia Bouazza, the force behind Multiply Group, which in many ways is emblematic of a rising investment class: diversified, data-driven, and not tied to a single sector.
This isn't just about fresh names. It's about new archetypes of leadership.
The sectors that are rising
If you compare this year's list to 2024's, one sector stands out in its ascent: the public sector.
In 2024, it was rare to find government officials on the Dubai 100. In 2025, you'll find them scattered across the top 50. Helal Al Marri (Director General, Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism). Mattar Al Tayer (Director General, RTA). Abdulla Al Karam (KHDA). These aren't bureaucrats in the conventional sense – they are policy entrepreneurs, steering some of the most ambitious transformations in urban planning, education, and economic diversification.
Also rising: technology, media, and what might broadly be called the 'influence economy.' The inclusion of figures like fashion influencer Jessica Kahawaty and Rashed 'Money Kicks' Belhasa shows a growing acknowledgment of cultural capital as a form of economic power.
But the big story isn't any single sector – it's the interplay. Dubai is doubling down on hybrid power: public-private collaborations, tech-retail fusions, creator-led brands. The barriers between sectors are softening, and the people atop this year's list are the ones moving between them most effectively.
Who's rising – and still defining the moment
Amid the remarkable turnover on this year's list, several figures stand out not just for their presence, but for their ascent. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, a long-standing titan of finance, has climbed sharply to the #2 position – a move that reflects renewed focus on financial stewardship and local investment. Shamsheer Vayalil, the healthcare magnate behind Burjeel Holdings, has also surged upward, symbolizing the increasing weight of health innovation and private sector medical infrastructure.
Then there are the figures who continue to shape Dubai's narrative from positions of enduring influence: Mohamed Alabbar, whose Emaar developments remain architectural shorthand for the city itself; Hussain Sajwani of DAMAC; and Sir Tim Clark of Emirates, whose role in global aviation continues to anchor Dubai as a transit and trade hub.
Their continued relevance – alongside the rise of new voices in tech, policy, and culture – is proof that influence here is earned and evolving. In Dubai, reinvention doesn't mean replacement. It means rising to meet the moment.
The takeaway: Dubai's economy is telling a new story
There's a temptation to read power lists as scoreboards. Who's up? Who's out? But the Dubai 100 works better as a temperature check – on what kinds of influence the city values, and on who's being given permission to lead.
This year, the story is clear: power is diffusing. It's moving outward into culture, into public policy, into technology. And it's being claimed by a wider array of actors than ever before – some with family legacies, others with just a smartphone and a sharp sense of audience.
Dubai has always been a city that bet on reinvention. The 2025 Dubai 100 shows us who it's betting on now.
Global talent, local power
One of Dubai's enduring superpowers is its ability to attract global talent. According to the Dubai Statistics Center and the World Population Review, more than 85 per cent of the city's population is expatriate – an environment that encourages cross-border entrepreneurship and international collaboration. The 2025 list reflects that magnetism: 54 of the individuals are Emiratis, while 46 are expatriates – representing a near-even split that speaks to the city's openness and multicultural leadership pipeline. These expatriates hail from across South Asia, the broader MENA region, Europe, and North America. This isn't just diversity for show; it's a foundational part of Dubai's economic engine, combining local stewardship with global fluency.
The rise of next-gen leadership
Generational change is another clear narrative in this year's list. At least a quarter of the 2025 Dubai 100 are under the age of 45, signalling a shift toward next-generation leadership. These rising stars are often at the intersection of disciplines – think Tomaso Rodriguez, who leads Talabat's digital logistics empire; Samia Bouazza, driving investment strategy through data at Multiply Group; and Farah Zafar, bridging law, innovation, and public policy. Their presence illustrates Dubai's appetite for boundary-crossing thinkers with both institutional fluency and entrepreneurial instinct.
Big movers, bold momentum
Some familiar names didn't just stay on the list – they climbed. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair's ascent to #2 is a case in point, underpinned by Mashreq Bank's strong fintech orientation and his family's growing impact through the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education. Shamsheer Vayalil's rise reflects Burjeel Holdings' IPO success and regional healthcare expansion. Meanwhile, Kabir Mulchandani's repositioning of FIVE Hotels & Resorts into a lifestyle brand has drawn international attention, earning him a higher slot in 2025.
Public-private fusion is the new normal
Dubai has long talked about public-private partnerships – but in 2025, we're seeing full-blown integration. Leaders like Helal Al Marri are at the forefront of economic planning, tourism strategy, and private sector mobilisation. His leadership at the Department of Economy and Tourism has been pivotal to the city's post-pandemic recovery. The KHDA (Knowledge and Human Development Authority) under Abdulla Al Karam is working hand-in-hand with private education providers. Meanwhile, RTA's Mattar Al Tayer is helping enable smart mobility startups through regulatory sandboxes and public pilot programmes. These are not just public servants – they are ecosystem architects.
Five takeaways from the 2025 Dubai 100
Power is Turning Over Rapidly. Sixty-six out of the 100 names are new to the list this year. That level of churn isn't cosmetic – it's structural. It shows how fluid and opportunity-rich Dubai's power ecosystem really is.
Influence Is a Public-Private Construct. The rise of government leaders like Helal Al Marri and Mattar Al Tayer reflects the growing integration of public vision and private execution. Today's most impactful figures often operate at the intersection of both.
Global Talent, Local Strength. With 54 Emiratis and 46 expatriates, the Dubai 100 is nearly a 50/50 split – proof that the city's model of global talent meets local ownership is not only alive but accelerating.
Younger Voices Are Rising. At least 25 per cent of the list is under age 45. These are leaders fluent in digital, fluent in disruption, and increasingly central to the region's transformation.
Industry Power is Broadening. Real estate and finance still feature prominently, but newer forces like tech, retail, media, and public policy are driving a wider distribution of influence. Leadership today isn't bound to legacy sectors – it's shaped by momentum across many of them.
Taken together, these shifts reflect not just the new faces of Dubai, but the new forces shaping it.
What to watch in 2026
Several undercurrents suggest what might define next year's Dubai 100. Green tech and ESG-focused investments are gaining traction as Dubai ramps up its climate commitments post-COP28. AI-powered platforms are being adopted across government and enterprise, hinting at a new crop of algorithm-age executives. And with the UAE's space ambitions accelerating – thanks to missions like the Emirates Mars Mission and the UAE Astronaut Programme – expect more representation from aerospace and advanced R&D. If 2025 was about convergence, 2026 may spotlight the vanguard.