19/11/2025
Share:
19/11/2025
Share:
From left to right: Sheikh Nawaf Saud Al-Sabah, Essam Jassim Al-Saqer, Khaled Al-Shamlan, Wadha Ahmad Al-Khateeb, Hanadi Al-Saleh, Dana Nasser Al-Sabah, Ahmed Jaber Al-Eidan
KUWAIT CITY, Nov 19: Forbes Middle East’s 2025 list of the 100 most powerful CEOs in the region included seven Kuwaiti leaders, whose influence extends beyond profits and financial metrics. They play a major role in reshaping the region’s economic arena, and are driving economic diversification and strengthening the region’s global position, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
Sheikh Nawaf Saud Al-Sabah, CEO and Vice Chairman of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), ranked first among Kuwaiti executives and sixth overall on the list. He joined KPC in 1999 and was appointed to his current position in 2022. During the 2024-2025 fiscal year, KPC reported revenues of nearly $118 billion.
Essam Jassim Al-Saqer, Vice Chairman and CEO of the National Bank of Kuwait Group, ranked second among Kuwaitis and 14th overall on the list. Al-Saqer joined the National Bank of Kuwait in 1978 and became Group CEO in 2014. In March 2022, he was appointed Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. During the first half of 2025, the group’s total assets rose 15.9 percent year-on-year to $143 billion, while net operating income reached $2.1 billion.
Khaled Al-Shamlan, Group CEO of Kuwait Finance House (KFH), ranked third among Kuwaitis and 16th overall. Al-Shamlan took on his current role in January 2025, after serving as CEO of KFH Kuwait since August 2023. In the first nine months of 2025, the group recorded net profits of $1.8 billion, with assets totaling $133.6 billion. He also serves as Vice Chairman of KFH Capital and as a board member of KNET and Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain.
Wadha Ahmad Al-Khateeb, the acting CEO of Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), ranked fourth among Kuwaiti executives and 20th on the list. Al-Khatib joined KNPC in 1994 and became the acting CEO in 2024. KNPC’s revenues reached $46.4 billion in the fiscal year ending March 2025.
Hanadi Al-Saleh, CEO of Agility Global, ranked fifth in Kuwait and 55th overall. She assumed her current role in May 2024. Agility Global’s portfolio includes companies such as Menzies Aviation Services, Tristar, and Agility Logistics Parks, and it holds an 8 percent stake in DSV, one of the world’s largest logistics firms. In the first half of 2025, the company recorded revenues of $2.34 billion, with investment sector assets valued at $5.5 billion and total assets exceeding $12.7 billion.
Dana Nasser Al-Sabah, CEO of Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO), ranked sixth in Kuwait and 67th on the list. She assumed her current position in 2022. In the first half of 2025, KIPCO reported revenues of $2.5 billion and assets of $44.2 billion.
Adana Al-Sabah also serves as Chairperson of OSN, Jordan Kuwait Bank, and the United Education Company, and she founded the American University of Kuwait in 2003. Ahmed Jaber Al-Eidan, CEO of Kuwait Oil Company, ranked seventh among Kuwaiti executives and 79th on the list.
Al-Eidan assumed his current position in November 2022. During the 2024-2025 fiscal year ending in March 2025, the company achieved its highest heavy oil production since operations began in 2020, reaching 95,000 barrels per day, and recorded revenues of $13 billion.
