Forbes Middle East has revealed its eighth annual 30 Under 30 list, celebrating the region’s most dynamic young leaders, innovative creators, and catalysts for change.
These trailblazers are redefining what success looks like in Middle East and North Africa (Mena) - from athletes achieving milestone victories to researchers pushing the frontiers of science.
To qualify for the 2025 list, candidates had to be under 30 years old as of December 31, 2024, meaning anyone born in 1995 or later was eligible, said Forbes in a statement.
Candidates could be of any nationality but were required to have their primary ventures or initiatives based in the Mena region. If multiple cofounders from the same business qualified, they were counted as a single entry. The list is presented in alphabetical order, it stated.
The 2025 honourees span 24 nationalities, with Egyptians leading at 19, followed by 18 Saudis, 15 Lebanese, and six Emiratis and Jordanians each. These rising talents are based across 18 countries, with the UAE hosting 34, Saudi Arabia 25, Egypt 15, and Lebanon 11. The average age across the list is 26.9 years old.
The Class of 2025 features 90 entries representing 113 individuals across three categories: commerce and finance, social impact, sports and lifestyle, and science and technology.
Each category comprises 30 entries, with commerce and finance leading with 42 individuals, followed by social impact, sports and lifestyle with 36, and science and technology with 35, said Forbes in a statement.
Among this year’s standout achievers are Palestine’s Asar Jaradat, Nuclear Physics Researcher & PhD Fellow at CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research); the Saudi cofounding team of Ejari – Yazeed Al-Shamsi, Fahad Albedah, Khalid Almunif, and Mohammed Alkhelewy; the Egyptian cofounders of 2oolameme Sarah Abouelkhair and Abdelrahman Selim; Jordanian footballers Ali Olwan, Mousa Al-Tamari and Yazan Alnemat; the Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna; and Lebanese fashion designer Jean Pierre Khoury. These individuals exemplify the innovation, leadership, and ambition driving the next generation of Mena changemakers.
Forbes Middle East conducted a rigorous evaluation to identify the region’s most promising young talent. Applicants could nominate themselves or be nominated by others, and hundreds of submissions were assessed by the research team.
Through multiple rounds, roughly 200 candidates were shortlisted, after which external judges with expertise across industries reviewed and recommended entries for the final list, said the statement.
Evaluation combined qualitative and quantitative measures, considering candidates’ influence on industries, markets, and communities, as well as tangible achievements such as funds raised, revenues, awards, deal values, audience reach, and social media presence, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
