Top 100 Arab Family Businesses 2026

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Arab family businesses are not a footnote to the region’s economic story: they are much of the story itself. Across MENA, family-owned and family-run enterprises play a big role…

Arab family businesses are not a footnote to the region’s economic story: they are much of the story itself. Across MENA, family-owned and family-run enterprises play a big role in the private-sector wealth, employ millions, and operate across nearly every sector that matters — energy, construction, retail, healthcare, logistics, financial services, and beyond.

The Arab region’s GDP reached approximately $3.8 trillion in 2025 and is forecast to surpass $4 trillion in 2026, according to the Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman).

This year’s list reflects that durability, but also the pace of transformation. The companies ranked here are not coasting on legacy. They are acquiring businesses, listing subsidiaries, closing infrastructure concessions, and pushing hard in markets where they were not present. Egypt’s Hassan Allam Holding reported a record backlog of $7.2 billion in 2025. Saudi’s Zahid Group-led consortium completed the full privatization of Barloworld in a deal that values the 123-year-old South African industrial company at $1.3 billion.

The GCC continues to dominate the ranking, with GCC-based countries together accounting for 86 entries, with 32 companies from Saudi Arabia, 31 from the UAE and 10 from Qatar. But the list also captures businesses from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, and Algeria. A reminder that Arab family enterprise extends well beyond the Gulf and, in many of these markets, is the primary engine of private-sector employment and economic growth.

For this ranking, we considered businesses owned or managed by Arab families. Data was gathered from stock exchanges, nominations, and other reliable primary sources. Family businesses were evaluated and ranked based on the following criteria:

• Scale and value of holdings: including listed companies, real estate and hospitality assets, and revenues from other ventures.

For this ranking, we considered businesses owned or managed by Arab families.

مطلع المقال، مقتطف من Forbes Middle East. لقراءة المقال كاملًا، افتحه على موقع الناشر.