Six Kuwaiti family businesses in Forbes Mideast Top 100 ranking

21/06/2026

KUWAIT CITY, June 21: Forbes Middle East has revealed its list of the “Top 100 Arab Family Businesses for 2026,” highlighting companies that drive growth and innovation and contribute to business sustainability across generations. The list includes six Kuwaiti family businesses, according to the Al-Seyassah daily reports. In a recent press statement, Forbes explained that the ranking of family-owned and operated companies is based on several criteria, including asset size and value, business performance over the past year, investments made, company history, and the level of business diversification in various sectors and geographic regions. Abdul Latif Jameel, led by Chairman Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, topped this year’s list. Al-Futtaim Group, led by Vice Chairman and CEO Omar Abdullah Al Futtaim, came in second. The Egyptian Mansour Group ranked third, making it the only family business from outside the Gulf region to appear in the top ten.

1. Alghanim Industries: Rank - 15th in the Arab world Executive Chairman - Qutaiba Yousef Ahmed Alghanim Year founded - 1932 Alghanim Industries was established by Yousef Al-Ghanim and employs over 15,000 people across 30 companies operating in 40 countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Turkiye, and Asian markets. The group’s portfolio includes partnerships with global brands such as American Express, British Airways, and Cadillac. It has launched Barq, a high-speed electric vehicle charging operator in Kuwait. In March 2026, the company also launched Starlink satellite internet services.

2. Alshaya Group: Rank - 20th in the Arab world Executive Chairman - Mohammed Abdulaziz Alshaya Year founded - 1890 Alshaya Group represents more than 50 international brands across the Middle East, North Africa, Turkiye, and Europe. The company operates over 3,500 stores, cafes, restaurants, and entertainment venues, in addition to businesses in logistics and food production, as well as more than 125 digital projects. The company’s portfolio includes brands such as Starbucks, H&M, and Debenhams. In April 2026, the company opened its first global talent acquisition center in Egypt.

3. Al-Sayer Group: Rank - 41st in the Arab world Chairman - Faisal Bader Al-Sayer Year founded - 1954 Al-Sayer Group operates in the automotive, trading, education, healthcare, investment, real estate, industrial, and animal feed sectors. The company’s activities also support a range of social and empowerment initiatives, including partnerships with the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Public Relations and Customer Service, the Kuwait Paralympic Committee, and the New English School (NES).

4. Al-Mulla Group: Rank - 51st in the Arab world Group CEO - Talal Anwar Al-Mulla Year founded - 1938 by the late Abdullah Al-Mulla. The group operates in eight countries with a workforce of 15,000 employees. Its portfolio includes more than 40 companies and over 200 global brands across sectors including automotive, engineering, financial services, leasing, and others. The company is a distributor for brands such as Mercedes- Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, and Stellantis. The group expanded its portfolio in Kuwait by adding Shakamoto Trucks and Soueast Motors. It also partnered with Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

5. Al-Mudhaf & Al-Kulaib Group: Rank - 87th in the Arab world Vice Chairman of the Board - Bader Al-Kulaib Year founded - 2012 by Abdullah Al-Mudhaf and Bader Al-Kulaib. This Kuwaiti group operates across diverse sectors including digital media and live streaming technologies, food and beverage, real estate, and media production. It employs more than 800 people in the Gulf and London. Between 2025 and 2026, the number of users of the group’s streaming platform, Shasha, exceeded 3 million worldwide. The company has acquired near-exclusive broadcasting rights for Italian Serie A matches in 16 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.

6. Alghanim Sons Group: Rank - 88th in the Arab world Board Chairman - Adel Alghanim Year founded - 1999 Based in Kuwait, the group is active in the hypermarket, automotive, retail, real estate, investment, contracting, and fresh produce sectors. It employs more than 5,000 people across four countries. In December 2025, the company launched a 180,000-square-meter waterfront development project in Al-Khafji, Saudi Arabia, marking its first project in Saudi Arabia. The company also plans to open a stateof- the-art automotive facility with an investment of $40 million.