Two thirds of this year’s names did not appear in 2024. That is not a deck. It is a tectonic change. And if you read the list closely, if you look beyond classifications and sectors, trajectories, work titles, reveals a deeper narrative: Dubai’s center of gravity is moving. From finance to technology. From joint rooms to creative platforms. Of CEO established to public sector visionaries. The power in Dubai is not disappearing. It is multiplination and migrating.
A new set of power runners
Some of the new names have inherited weight. Abdulla to Futtaim, who directs one of the most powerful conglomerates in the region, opens this year at #4. The scope of his family covers the retail, real estate and automotive sectors for the economy of the Emirate. Others represent a new child of influence: cultural, digital and public orientation.
Balqees Fathi, a singer and businesswoman Emirati-Yemeni, enters the Top 10. Anas Bukhash, media entrepreneur and presenter of the successful interview program also does so Abstals. These are not just personalities; They are builders, or audiences, or brand ecosystems, or soft power.
The list also welcomes Tomaso Rodríguez, CEO of Talabat, and Magnus Olsson, co -founder of Careem. Together, they represent the growing weight of companies based on platforms that are at the intersection of logistics, data and urban life. And then, Samia Bouazza, the force behind Multiply Group, which in many ways is emblematic of a rising investment class: diversified, data conductors and not linked to a single sector.
This is not just about new names. These are new archetypes or leadership.
The sectors that are uploading
If you compare this year’s list with 2024s, a sector stands out in its rise: the public sector.
In 2024, it was strange to find government officials in Dubai 100. In 2025, you will find them scattered in the Top 50. HELLAL TO MARRI (General Director of the Department of Economy and Tourism of Dubai). Mattar al Tayer (general director, RTA). Abdulla al Karam (KHDA). These are not bureaucrats in the conventional sense: they are political entrepreneurs, directing some of the most ambitious transformations in urban planning, education and economic diversification.
Also increasing: technology, media and what in general could be called the “economy of influence.” The inclusion of figures such as the influence of fashion Jessica Kahawaty and the eruption of “money kicks” Belhasa shows a growing recognition of cultural capital as a form of economic power.
But the great story is not a single sector, it is interaction. Dubai is doubling hybrid power: public-private collaborations, technological time fuses, brands directed by creators. The barriers between the sectors are softening, and people on this year’s list are the ones that move among them.
Who is increasing and even defining the moment
In the midst of the remarkable billing in this year’s list, several figures stand out not only for their presence, but for their ascent. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, a long -standing finance titan, has sharply risen to position #2, a movement that reflects the renewed approach in financial administration and local investment. Shamsheer Vayalil, the health tycoon Beel Holdings, has also increased up, symbolizing the growing weight of health innovation and medical infrastructure of the private sector.
Then there are the figures that continuously to shape Dubai’s narrative of the durable influence positions: Mohamed Alabbar, whose development of Emaar remains the architectural tachigraphy for the city itself; Hussain Sajwani or Damac; and Sir Tim Clark of Emirates, whose role in global aviation continues to anchor Dubai as a transit and commerce center.
Its continuous relevance, together with the emergence of new voices in technology, politics and culture, is proof that the influence here is gained and evolved. In Dubai, reinvention does not mean replacement. It means increasing the moment.
The conclusion: Dubai’s economy tells a new story
There is a temptation to read energy lists as markers. Who is awake? Who is outside? But the Dubai 100 works better as a temperature verification: on what types of influence the values of the city and who is given permission to lead.
This year, the story is clear: power spread. He is moving out to culture, public policy, technology. And it is being claimed by a broader range of actors than ever, some with family legacies, others with only a smartphone and a strong sense of audience.
Dubai has always brought a city that bets on reinvention. The 2025 Dubai 100 shows us who is betting on now.
Global talent, local power
One of Dubai’s lasting super powers is its ability to attract global talent. According to the Dubai Statistics Center and the world population review, more than 85 percent of the city’s population is an expatriate environment, an environment that fosters cross -border entrepreneurship and international collaboration. The 2025 list reflects that magnetism: 54 of the individuals are emiraties, while 46 are expatriates that represent a division almost even of even the opening of the city and the multicultural leadership pipe. These expatriates come from all over Asia, the broader Mena region, Europe and North America. This is not just the diversity for the show; It is a fundamental part of the Dubai economic engine, which combines local administration with global fluidity.
The emergence of next -generation leadership
Generational change is another clear narrative in this year’s list. At least a quarter of 2025 Dubai 100 is less than 45 years old, indicating a change towards next -generation leadership. These rising stars are often at the intersection of disciplines: think of Tomaso Rodríguez, who leads Talabat’s digital logistics empire; Samia Bouaza, promoting the investment strategy through data in Multiply Group; and Farah Zafar, Right of Bridge, Innovation and Public Policies. His presence illustrates Dubai’s appetite by the thinkers who cross the limits with institutional fluidity and business instinct.
Large engines, bold impulse
Some family names not only stayed on the list, they went up. The rise of Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair al #2 is an example of the case, backed by the strong orientation of Fintech of Mashreq Bank and the growing impact of his family through the Foundation for the Education of Abdulla al Ghurair. The rise of Shamsheer Vayalil reflects the success of Opi by Burjel Holdings and the regional health expansion. Meanwhile, Kabir Mulchandani’s repositioning of five hotels and resorts in a lifestyle has called international attention, which has won a position in 2025.
Public-private fusion is the new normality
Dubai has long talked about public-private associations, but in 2025, we are seeing full-fledged integration. Leaders such as Helal to Marri are at the forefront of economic planning, tourism strategy and the mobilization of the private sector. His leadership in the Department of Economy and Tourism has been fundamental for the post-pandemic recovery of the city. The KHDA (Authority of Knowledge and Human Development) Under Abdulla al Karam is working hand in hand with private education suppliers. Meanwhile, Mattar Al Tayer de RTA is helping to enable new smart mobility companies through regulatory sandboxes and public pilot programs. These are not just public servants, they are ecosystem architects.
Five conclusions of 2025 Dubai 100
- Power is going back quickly. Sixty -six of the 100 names are new on the list this year. That level of rotation is not cosmetic, it is structural. It shows how fluid and the power ecosystem of Dubai rich in opportunities is really.
- Influence is a public-private construction. The emergence of government leaders such as Helal to Marri and Mattar the Tayer reflects the growing integration of public vision and private execution. The most shocking figures of today often work at the intersection of both.
- Global talent, local force. With 54 Emiratis and 46 expatriates, the Dubai 100 is almost a 50/50 division, proof that the city’s global talent model meets local property is not only alive but accelerates.
- Younger voices are increasing. At least 25 percent of the list is under 45 years. These are leaders with digital fluidity, fluently in the interruption and more and more central for the transformation of the region.
- The power of the industry is expanding. Real estate and finance still appear prominently, but Duta forces such as technology, retail trade, media and public policies are promoting a broader influence distribution. Today’s leadership is not intended for inherited sectors: it is formed by impulse in many of the issues.
Tasks together, these changes reflect not only Dubai’s new faces, but the new forces that configure it.
What to see in 2026
Several underground currents suggest what the Dubai 100 of next year could define. Investments focused on green technology and ESG are gaining traction as Dubai increases their climate is committed after COP28. Platforms with AI are being adopted throughout the government and the company, hinting at a new harvest of age algorithm executives. And with the spatial ambitions of the accelerated EAU, thanks to missions such as the Emirates Mars mission and the Eau astronaut program, more representation of aerospace and advanced R&D expect. If 2025 were convergence, 2026 can highlight the avant -garde.
