When people talk about the Middle East‘s economy, they focus on oil, sovereign wealth funds, or government-backed mega projects. However, behind many of the region’s biggest companies is another force that has shaped business for generations: family enterprises.
Across the Arab world, family-owned businesses remain the backbone of the private sector. They employ millions of people and operate in industries that touch nearly every part of daily life, from construction and healthcare to retail, logistics, finance, energy, and real estate.
The Arab region’s economy reached an estimated $3.8 trillion in 2025 and is expected to cross the $4 trillion mark in 2026. While many family businesses have decades of history behind them, they are far from standing still. Today, they are expanding into new countries, acquiring companies, building infrastructure, and investing in future-focused sectors.
The families at the top of this year’s ranking show how tradition and transformation are working side by side across the Middle East and North Africa.
Building regional giants
According tp Forbe’s rankings, Saudi Arabia’s Abdul Latif Jameel family has spent more than eight decades turning a local business into a global enterprise. Founded in 1945, Abdul Latif Jameel today operates across mobility, energy and water, financial services, healthcare, and investments. Led by Chairman Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, the group has expanded into more than 35 countries and employs over 11,000 people.
The company celebrated 70 years of partnership with Toyota in Saudi Arabia in 2025. At the same time, it pushed aggressively into new markets through Jameel Motors, which distributes brands such as Geely Auto, Farizon Auto, GAC, Changan Automobile, and OMODA & JAECOO. In 2025 alone, the business entered seven new markets, including the UK, Australia, Italy, Poland, the UAE, South Africa, and Iraq.
Just across the Gulf, the Al-Futtaim family has become one of the UAE’s most recognizable business names. Established in 1930 and led today by Vice Chairman and CEO Omar Al Futtaim, the group operates across automotive, real estate, retail, healthcare, and financial services. It became the UAE’s exclusive Toyota dealer in 1955 and later built partnerships with international brands including IKEA, Zara, Panasonic, and Honda.
The family continues to modernise its operations. In February 2026, Al-Futtaim Real Estate partnered with Siemens to drive digital transformation and sustainability across its property portfolio. The business remains owned by Abdulla Al-Futtaim and his family, whose wealth was estimated at $4.7 billion in May 2026.
Egypt’s Mansour family has built one of the country’s largest business empires. Founded in 1952 by the late Loutfy Mansour, Mansour Group has interests spanning automotive, investments, financial services, and consumer businesses. Its portfolio includes Man Capital, Mantrac Group, and Manfoods-McDonald’s Egypt.
The group is also betting on Egypt’s growing manufacturing sector. In 2025, it signed an agreement with China’s SAIC Motor to manufacture MG vehicles locally. It also secured land from Egypt’s Ministry of Transport to build the factory, with planned investments of $135 million. Brothers Mohamed, Yasseen, and Youssef Mansour, who jointly own the group, had a combined net worth of $7.2 billion as of May 2026.
Real estate, hospitality and industrial strength
Few names are as closely linked to Dubai’s property boom as Hussain Sajwani and the DAMAC Group. Founded in 1982, the company has expanded far beyond real estate into capital markets, hospitality, manufacturing, catering, luxury fashion, and data centers.
The business enjoyed a strong 2025, reporting sales of $9.8 billion. It launched several major projects, including Chelsea Residences in partnership with Chelsea Football Club, Riverside Views, DAMAC District, Capri One, and DAMAC Islands 2. It also entered Iraq through the launch of DAMAC Hills Baghdad. Sajwani’s personal fortune was estimated at $15.3 billion in May 2026.
Saudi Arabia’s Olayan family has been a major force in regional business since 1947. Olayan Financing Company, led by Lubna S. Olayan as Chair of the Executive Committee and Deputy Chair, serves as the parent company for the family’s operations across Saudi Arabia, the wider Middle East, Türkiye, and India.
The group remained active throughout 2025 and 2026. It partnered with Ennismore to develop the first Mondrian hotel in Saudi Arabia, while its subsidiary Advanced Metals Company opened a manufacturing facility inside King Salman Energy Park. In 2026, Olayan Financing Company also invested in pharmaceutical company MS Pharma.
Another influential UAE business dynasty is the Al Ghurair family. Founded in 1960, Al Ghurair has grown into one of the region’s largest diversified groups. Today it operates in eight countries, employs more than 28,000 people, and has interests in food, infrastructure, mobility, development, and property management.
The family also holds a 32% stake in Mashreq Bank. In 2026, Al Ghurair launched Kabi CTC in Saudi Arabia, a joint venture that began operations with an initial fleet of 400 smart taxis. The family’s wealth was estimated at $4.5 billion in May 2026.
Qatar’s influence
Qatar’s Power International Holding may be one of the youngest companies on the list, but it has expanded at remarkable speed since being established in 2011. Led by Chairman Moutaz Al-Khayyat and President and Group CEO Ramez Al-Khayyat, the company operates across energy, mining, construction, healthcare, banking, technology, agriculture, telecommunications, media, and real estate.
Its biggest headline came in 2025 when subsidiary UCC Holding led a consortium that signed a $4 billion build-operate-transfer concession to redevelop and operate Damascus International Airport in Syria. The group was also involved in a separate $7 billion program aimed at developing 5,000 megawatts of power capacity in the country.
Another major Qatari business family is behind Al Faisal Holding. Founded in 1964 by Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, the conglomerate employs around 3,800 people and operates across sectors including hospitality, real estate, trading, and industrial services.
The group controls a majority stake in Aamal Company, which is listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange, and manages more than 30 hotels across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and the United States through Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company. In 2025, it completed the acquisition of Hepworth PME Qatar and handed over the JW Marriott Residences New Cairo project to owners. Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani’s fortune stood at an estimated $1.7 billion in May 2026.
The Al Ghurair name appears again on the ranking through the separate Al Ghurair Group, founded by the late billionaire Saif Al Ghurair. Led by Group CEO Iyad Malas, the company focuses on industrials, real estate, and investments.
Its industrial division includes seven operating units, while Saif Al Ghurair Real Estate manages a significant property portfolio in the UAE. The group also owns a 42.2% stake in Mashreq and holds an investment in National Cement Company, reinforcing the family’s long-standing influence across key sectors of the UAE economy.