Forbes Middle East 2025 Ranking Unveils the 101 Most Influential Personalities Shaping the Travel and Tourism Industry
The Forbes Middle East 2025 ranking reveals the 101 most influential personalities driving the travel and tourism industry, highlighting their impact in both public and private sectors.
The United Arab Emirates dominates the list with 49 leaders, followed by Saudi Arabia (24) and Egypt (7), while Tunisia makes a notable appearance with Mohamed Mehdi Haloui, Director-General of the Tunisian National Tourist Office (ONTT) since April 2025. The ONTT is the organization through which the Tunisian government implements its tourism development strategies and promotes Tunisia as a national and international destination.
Tunisia is showcasing promising figures: in 2023, 118 preliminary agreements were granted to developers for new tourism projects, worth a total of $134 million. In December 2024, the country also announced that private sector investments in tourism in Jendouba will exceed $133.7 million by 2027. Before his appointment as head of the ONTT, Haloui held the position of Director of Investments and Support to Developers within the same institution since May 2023.
The ranking highlights flagship and innovative projects, such as the development of the first Disney theme park in the Middle East at Yas Island (Abu Dhabi) - seventh globally - as well as initiatives dedicated to preserving cultural heritage and ecotourism. Among these committed actors are the Diriyah Company, the Royal Commission for AlUla, and the ENVI Lodges group, symbols of sustainable and responsible tourism.
The top 3 is occupied by regional tourism heavyweights: H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (Emirates Airline & Group), Fahd Hamidaddin (Saudi Tourism Authority), and Badr Mohammed Al-Meer (Qatar Airways). Alongside these giants, the Tunisian presence constitutes a crucial anchor for a North Africa often underrepresented in international rankings.
This ranking evaluates leaders based on several criteria: the size and scope of their enterprises (number of hotels, passengers, revenue), their economic impact, and their influence in the digital transformation of the sector, as well as their major achievements between 2024 and 2025. The integration of Mohamed Mehdi Haloui into this ranking reflects Tunisia's growing influence in the regional and global tourism landscape.
