The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Forbes Middle East unveiled yet another edition of their CEOs of the year list. Showcasing 100 influential leaders, the 2023 CEOs of the Year list was published on January 5th. Highlighting Egypt’s prominent leaders, the list included 19 Egyptian CEOs, after the UAE with 23 leaders. Here are some of the most influential CEOs from Forbes’ list. 

Hatem Dowidar 

Tenth on the list was Hatem Dowidar, CEO of e& (formerly Etisalat Group), and the first Egyptian on the list. He served as Group Chief Business Officer at e& for eight years. Additionally, he spent 12 years at Telefonica, where he was the Managing Director of Telefonica Empresas, the enterprise division of Telefonica Spain. Sharing his rich experience with e&, Dowidar has helped the company reach immense milestones in 2023. 

Yasser Zaghloul 

Taking the role of CEO of NMDC group in 2009, Yasser Zaghloul earned his place on Forbes’ list for initiating the “Let’s Grow Together” campaign in March 2023. The initiative was a  collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, fostering business ties with local suppliers. October 2023 marked the NMDC group’s unveiling of a unified brand identity across its subsidiaries, a testament to Zaghloul’s strategic leadership. Additionally, Zaghloul serves as a board member for the General Board of Control of Water U.A.E, the World Organization of Marine Construction and Dredging in Brussels/Belgium, and as the General Supervisor and Sponsor for the World Conference of CEDA in Brussels/Abu Dhabi.

Ahmed Galal Ismail 

Ranking 20th on the list, Ahmed Galal Ismail took the helm as Majid Al Futtaim Holding’s CEO in January 2023, transitioning from his role as CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Properties since 2018. The group reported a robust performance in 2023, boasting a 4.8% revenue increase to $5.1 billion compared to the previous year. Ismail, with a background as the CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Ventures, brings a wealth of experience from his tenure with Booz Allen Hamilton in Dubai and Procter & Gamble in Egypt and Germany.

Mohamed El Etreby 

In the world of finance, El Etreby, at the helm of Banque Misr since 2015, has been a leader with 40 years of expertise to 24,000 employees. Propelling the bank’s assets to $80 billion by March 2023, his influential journey not only shaped Banque Misr but also impacted regional financial landscapes.

Osama Bishai

Since joining Orascom in 1985, Bishai has played a pivotal role in the company’s extensive operations spanning the Middle East, Africa, and the U.S., with revenues reaching $1.6 billion and a substantial backlog of $5.5 billion in 2023. Due to his esteemed leadership, Orascom maintains its robust financial standing, and Bishai’s influence continues to extend beyond Orascom.

Omar El Hamamsy

Heading both ODE and its parent company, Orascom Development Holding (ODH), El Hamamsy operates from Switzerland. Notably, ODH declared revenues of $480 million and a net profit of $31.5 million in the initial nine months of 2023. In a strategic move, Orascom Development Egypt, ODH’s primary Egyptian subsidiary, inked a significant agreement with Egyptian authorities in February 2023, outlining the future of its flagship project in El Gouna. All the mentioned activities propelled Hamamsy to 88th CEO on the list and the second from Orascom holding.

Karim Awad 

Awad has been in his current role since 2013, having joined EFG Holding in 1998. In the first nine months of 2023, EFG Holding reported revenues of $338 million and a profit of $67.6 million. 

Hisham Talaat Moustafa

Moustafa has been with TMG Holding for more than 40 years. In the first nine months of 2023, TMG recorded $6.4 billion in total assets and $596 million in revenues. In September 2023, TMG Holding signed an agreement with the Saudi National Housing Company to develop a smart residential city in Riyadh, with an investment cost of $10.7 billion. Due to Moustafa’s expertise and leadership, the group owns 1,084 upscale hotel rooms across four properties in Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh, and Alexandria, managed by Four Seasons and Kempinski.