UAE CEOs claim 51 spots in Forbes' Top 100 Healthcare Leaders

UAE-based leaders claimed 51 slots on Forbes Middle East’s Top 100 Healthcare Leaders list, with Shaista Asif, Group CEO of Abu Dhabi's PureHealth Holding, taking the top position.

Of the remaining 49 spots, 23 leaders were from Saudi Arabia, eight from Egypt, four each from Qatar, Kuwait, and Morocco, three from Jordan, two from Tunisia, and one each from Algeria and Lebanon.

The featured leaders represent a wide range of businesses across the MENA region, including 33 from pharmaceutical companies, 31 from hospital groups, 13 from diversified businesses, five from medical devices and technology, and three from major pharmacy chains.

Notable new entrants to the 2024 list include Nasser Al Huqbani at fourth place, who leads Saudi Arabia’s Health Holding Company, an entity poised to absorb the Ministry of Health's assets and manage healthcare clusters across the kingdom. Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, who launched M42 in the UAE in April 2023 after the merger of Mubadala Health and G42 Healthcare, is ranked fifth.

Key developments this year included the entry of Saudi Arabia's Health Holding Company, led by Al Huqbani, and Mazen Fakeeh, who oversaw the listing of Fakeeh Care Group on the Saudi Exchange in June 2024.

The GCC has also seen a surge in healthcare investments. An HSBC Kuwait report, citing Alpen Capital, revealed that as of March 2023, the region had 161 healthcare projects worth $53.2 billion, with Saudi Arabia leading with 19.2% of the projects under construction.

According to Fortune Business Insights, the healthcare market in MENA was valued at $226.97 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to $241.13 billion this year, reaching $412.25 billion by 2032.