Forbes Middle East has unveiled, for the first time, the list of 'The Most Powerful Technology Leaders in the Region for 2026,' which highlights the figures reshaping the technological transformation of the region through three lists: 'The Most Powerful Technology Leaders in the Government Sector,' 'The Most Powerful Leaders of Global Technology Companies in the Middle East,' and 'The Most Powerful CEOs in the Technology Sector in the Region.' According to Forbes, the list includes a total of 50 participants, represented by 53 leaders from eight countries. The United Arab Emirates dominated the list with 25 leaders, accounting for 47% of the total leadership, while Saudi Arabia ranked second with 15 leaders, representing over 28% of the overall ranking. The list also included four leaders from Egypt, three from Kuwait, two from Oman and Bahrain, while Morocco and Qatar were each represented by one leader. Forbes stated that the list was limited to leaders in the Middle East and North Africa region based on a set of key criteria, including the leader's impact in the region, overall experience, and the size of the organization or company. To prepare this ranking, a set of key criteria was used, including the role of the government entity and its responsibilities, the scope and scale of its impact, along with the leader's authority and role in guiding technology policies and initiatives. Dr. Mohammed Al-Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE government, topped the list of 'The Most Powerful Technology Leaders in the Government Sector,' which highlights senior public sector leaders who lead national bodies responsible for regulating, securing, and enabling technology ecosystems. Meanwhile, Ronaldo Mishour, Vice President of Amazon for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, topped the list of 'The Most Powerful Leaders of Global Technology Companies in the Middle East,' which spotlights regional leadership in global technology companies driving growth in cloud computing, digital platforms, enterprise software, and artificial intelligence in Middle Eastern markets. This ranking includes leaders of companies listed in Forbes' 'Global 2000' list of the world's largest public companies for 2025, considering several factors such as the leader's achievements over the past year, the scope of their position, the size of the company, and their experience in the sector. In turn, Ping Xiao, CEO of '42G' Group, topped the list of 'The Most Powerful CEOs in the Technology Sector in the Middle East,' which includes founders and CEOs leading some of the most impactful technology companies in the region, from artificial intelligence and telecommunications to cybersecurity, defense, and digital infrastructure. This ranking is limited to CEOs of companies headquartered in the Middle East and North Africa region, considering each leader's impact on the region, overall experience, company size, and achievements and performance over the past year.
