Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The winners of the Top CEO Awards 2018 have been announced following the successful conclusion of the “Top CEO Conference and Awards,” which took place under the “Paradigm Shift” theme at King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia, on April 10th and 11th. The event saw business leaders and more than 56 expert speakers from across the Middle East gathering to discuss the burning issues facing the corporate world today in a series of keynote sessions and was concluded with an awards ceremony that recognised the exceptional business leadership of the region’s top 100 CEOs.

The Top CEO Awards, organised by TRENDS magazine and INSEAD, the leading international business school, celebrates the region’s best-performing CEOs from companies that are listed on the stock exchanges of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. The transparent ranking process is based on hard facts, such as growth, profitability and size, and supported by corporate governance institute Hawkamah to ensure that governance and disclosure criteria are strictly adhered to, as well as a number of global auditors to ensure full transparency.

Julien Hawari, Co-CEO of Mediaquest, the company behind the “Top CEO Conference and Awards,” commented: “Over the years, we are proud to have seen the ‘Top CEO Awards’ growing into a globally esteemed platform that sets a gold standard for business leadership and stimulates business growth by opening up tangible new opportunities for companies in the Middle East. Our meticulous, independent and credible ranking process recognises only the leading expertise and has been designed to distinguish exceptional companies with a respected accolade that boosts their businesses. The winners of the ‘Top CEO Awards’ stand as role models to all members of the region’s business community.”

The second day of the “Top CEO Conference” also featured keynote sessions including “Lean & Mean,” where panellists explored the importance of restructuring businesses in the Gulf and Middle East to adapt to the end of the era of abundance; “The Execution Challenge,” which addressed the fact that the majority of C-suite executives consider poor execution the single biggest hindrance to the growth of their industry; and “Moving away from Bureaucracy,” which considered how hurdles can be removed at an administrative level to allow the public sector to come into its own.

Other topics included “Maintaining Momentum,” “The Social Model,” “The Private Sector” and “A New Era,” as well as “Levelling the Playing Ground,” “Internationalising Business,” “Startups: Rethinking the Ecosystem,” and forward-thinking sessions on “Beyond Vision 2030” and “Securing the Future.”

The event was supported by American Express as the Strategic Sponsor, King Adbullah Economic City as the Strategic Partner, Al Aan and DHL as Silver Sponsors, KPMG as Bronze Sponsor, INSEAD and IPSOS as Knowledge Partners, and the Capital Club Bahrain, ECA, Hawkamah and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce as Supporting Partners. Communication sponsors for the event include Cicero & Bernay Public Relations as PR Partner, Arab News as Official English Media Partner, BBC as International TV Partner, and The New York Times and Nabd App as Media Partners.

In alphabetical order of companies, the 100 “Top CEO Awards” go to:

  • Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets Company, Abdulazizi A.S. Alothaim

  • Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC, Ala'a Mohamed Atta Khalil Eraiqat

  • Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC, Khamis Bu Haroon

  • Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC, Saeed Hamad Al Dhaheri

  • Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company PSC, Ahmad Hamada Ahmad Idris

  • Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for Distribution PJSC, Saeed Mubarak Al Rashdi

  • Abu Dhabi National Takaful Company PSC, Osama Abdeen

  • ACICO Industries for Company - K.S.C., Ghassan Ahmad Saud Al Khalid

  • Advanced Petrochemical Company, Abdullah M. Al Garawi

  • Ahli United Bank B.S.C., Adel Mohamed Abdelshafe El-Labban

  • Ahli United Bank K.S.C.P., Richard William Groves

  • Air Arabia PJSC, Adel Abdullah Mohamed Al Ali

  • Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait K.S.C.P., Michel Antoine Nakhla Accad

  • Al Aman Investment Company - K.P.S.C., Wafaa Mohammad Wadie Badawy

  • Al Hammadi Company For Development and Investment, Mohammed Saleh Al Hammadi

  • Al Imtiaz Investment Group Company-K.P.S.C., Nawaf. Hussain M. Marafi

  • Al Mazaya Holding Company K.S.C.P., Ibrahim Abdurrahman Al-Soqabi

  • Al Omaniya Financial Services SAOG, Aftab Ahmed Patel

  • Al Rajhi Banking and Investment Corporation, Stefano Paolo Bertamini

  • Al Rajhi Company for Cooperative Insurance, Abdulaziz Mohammed Al Sedeas

  • Aldar Properties PJSC, Talal Al Dhiyebi

  • Alinma Bank, Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-Fares

  • Allianz Saudi Fransi Cooperative Insurance Company, Xavier Patrick John Denys

  • Almarai - Joint Stock Company, Georges Schorderet

  • Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C., Tim Murray

  • Arab Banking Corporation, Dr. Khalid Said Ramadan Kawan

  • Arab National Bank, Robert Maron Eid

  • Arab Real Estate Company, Dr. Haidar Hassan Abdulrasoul Al-Juma

  • Arabtec Holding PJSC, Hamish Tyrwhitt

  • AXA Cooperative Insurance Company, Gary M Lewin

  • Bahrain Duty Free Shop Complex BSC, Bassam Alwardi

  • Bahrain Islamic Bank B.S.C., Hassan Ameen Jarrar

  • Bank Albilad, Abdulaziz Mohammed Alonaizan

  • Bank AlJazira, Nabil Al Hoshan

  • Bank muscat SAOG, Abdulrazzak Ali Issa

  • Bank Nizwa SAOG, Khalid Jamal Al Kayed

  • Bank Sohar SAOG, Sasi Kumar

  • BBK B.S.C., Riyad Youssef Hasan Sater

  • Boubyan Bank K.S.C.P., Adel Abdulwahab Jasem Al-Majed

  • Burgan Bank K.P.S.C., Eduardo Eguren Linsen

  • Commercial Bank of Kuwait K.P.S.C., Elham Yosri Mahfouz

  • Commercial Facilities Company S.A.K.P., Abdullah Saud Abdulaziz Al Humaidhi

  • Damac Properties Dubai Co. PJSC, Hussein Ali Habib Sajwani

  • DP World Limited, H.E. Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem

  • Dubai Insurance Company, Abdullatif Ghaleb Abdullatif Abuqurah

  • Dubai Investments PJSC, Khalid Jasem Mohammed Bin Kalban

  • Dubai Islamic Bank P.J.S.C, Dr. Adnan Abdus Shakoor Chilwan

  • Emaar Malls PJSC, Naser Abdulrahman Rafi

  • Emaar Properties PJSC, Amit Jain

  • Emirates Insurance Company P.S.C., Jason Light

  • Emirates Investment Bank P.J.S.C., Khalid Qustandi Elias Sifri

  • Emirates Islamic Bank PJSC, Jamal Saeed Jumaa Bin Ghalaita

  • Emirates NBD Bank PJSC, Shayne Keith Nelson

  • GFH Financial Group BSC, Hisham Ahmad Nour Abdulqader Al Rayes

  • Gulf Bank K.S.C.P., Antoine Jean Daher

  • Gulf Insurance Group K.S.C.P., Khalid Saud Hasan

  • Hotels Management Company International SAOG, Mortan Johnson

  • Humansoft Holding Company K.S.C.P., Mayank Hasmukhlal Baxi

  • Independent Petroleum Group K.S.C.P., Waleed Jaber Hadeed

  • Insurance House - P.S.C, Mohammed Yassin Mohammed Othman

  • Jarir Marketing Company, Abdulkarim Al-Agil

  • Kuwait Business Town Real Estate Company K.S.C.P., Ahmad Aqeel Al Sayid Hashem Al Aqeel

  • Kuwait Finance House, Mazin Saad Ali Al-Nahedh

  • Kuwait Insurance Company S.A.K.P., Ahmad Sami Sharif

  • Kuwait International Bank K.S.C.P., Mohammed Said Abdulwahab El Saka

  • Kuwait Investment Company K.P.S.C., Bader Nasser al-Subaei

  • Mashreq Bank, H.E. Abdulaziz Abdullah Bin Ahmad Al Ghurair

  • Munshaat Real Estate Projects Company K.S.C.P., Abdulaziz Ahmad Youssef Al Sakr

  • National Bank of Fujairah PJSC, Vincent Cook

  • National Bank of Kuwait S.A.K.P., Issam Jasem Abdullah Al Hamad Alsager

  • National Bank Of Umm Al-Qaiwain, H.H. Sheikh Naser Bin Rashid Abdulaziz Al Mualla

  • National Industrialization Company, Mutlaq Hamad M. Al-Morished

  • National Investments Company K.S.C.P., Fahad Abdulrahman Saud Al-Mukhaizim

  • National Petroleum Services Company K.S.C.P., Khalid Hamdan Daham Al Saif

  • Oman Telecommunications Company SAOG, Talal Said Marhoon Al Mamari

  • Orascom Construction Limited, Ousama Anwar Bishai

  • Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company K.S.C.P., Saadoun Abdullah Hussein Ali

  • R.A.K Ceramics PJSC, Abdullah Massaad

  • Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company, Nasser Damsheq Al Mahasher

  • RAK Properties P.J.S.C., Mohammed Sultan Mohammed Al Qadi

  • Riyad Bank, Abdulmajeed Abdullah Abdulaziz Almobarak

  • Salhia Real Estate Company K.S.C.P., Anwar Abdulaziz Dakheel Al Usaimi

  • Sanam Real Estate Company - K.S.C. Public, Waleed Ahmad Alablani

  • Saudi Arabian Mining Company, Khalid Bin Saleh Al-Mudaifer

  • Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, Yousef Abdullah Al-Benyan

  • Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company, Nasser Abdulaziz Abanmi

  • Saudi Telecom Company, Nasser Bin Sulaiman Al Nasser 

  • Sharjah Islamic Bank, H.E. Mohammed Ahmad Abdulla

  • The Bahrain Ship Repairing & Engineering Company B.S.C., Noureddine Saadi

  • The Commercial Real Estate Company K.P.S.C., Abdulfattah Mohammed Rafei Hussein Marafie

  • The National Bank of Ras Al-Khaimah, Peter William England

  • The National Commercial Bank, Saeed M. AlGhamdi

  • The Saudi Investment Bank, Musaed Al Mineefi

  • Union Cement Company, H.E. Sheikh Rami bin Khalid Abdulla Al Qasimi

  • Union Insurance Company P.S.C., Abdulmuttaleb Mustafa H. M. Al Jaedi

  • Union National Bank - Public Joint Stock Company, Mohammed Ahmad Nasr Abdeen

  • United Projects Company For Aviation Services K.S.C.P., Nadia Abdullah Akil

  • Vision Insurance SAOG, P. R. Ramakrishnan

  • Walaa Cooperative Insurance company, Johnson Varughese

  • Warba Bank K.S.C.P., Shaheen Hamad Abdulwahab Al Ghanem

-Ends-

ABOUT MEDIAQUEST:

Mediaquest is one of the region’s largest, most successful and most influential privately-owned media companies. Established in 2000, Mediaquest’s mission is to inform, educate and entertain audiences across the MENA region, thereby building bridges between the Arab world and the West. Mediaquest generates a combined online and offline portfolio of more than 20 titles, covering marketing, communications, women's interests, lifestyle, entertainment and automotive. Reputed brands include Marie Claire Arabia, Haya magazine and Buro 24/7 Middle East, as well as the highly regarded business-to-business titles: TRENDS magazine, AMEinfo, Gulf Marketing Review, Saneou Al Hadath, Arabies and Communicate. Mediaquest’s dedicated dotmena network hosts 75 premium websites that attract more than 41 million unique visitors each month. Mediaquest creates, project manages and delivers some of the region’s best-known industry events, including the Arab Luxury World, a conference on the business of luxury in the Middle East; the Top CEO Conference and Awards, a ceremony to celebrate the achievement of the region’s top players in the market; the Marie Claire Shoes First, a luxurious exceptional event in the Middle East dedicated to shoes; Festival of Media MENA Conference and Awards and the prestigious annual MENA Effie Awards, which are recognized as a benchmark for achievement in the region’s marketing sphere. For more information, please visit www.mediaquestcorp.com.

For more information, contact:

Nicole Samonte,

Marketing Executive – Mediaquest

Phone: +971 4 3697573

Email: n.samonte@mediaquestcorp.com

© Press Release 2018