< Previous30 Vol. 23/06, June 2022 FEATURE / RECRUITMENT Blue-collar workers are not the only ones who will be incentivised to stay in the UAE because of the unemployment insurance programme as seasoned talent within the startup ecosystem will also be more comfortable staying in the country. “Funding for MENA startups more than doubled on an annual basis in Q1 to about $864m according to a recent report, indicating a buoyant sector. These new businesses must have instant access to talent when opportunity strikes, which means there must be boots on the ground. And so far we have seen a raft of visa initiatives designed to attract people to the UAE in the first place to fill these spots,” says Ramesh Jagannathan, NYU Abu Dhabi Associate Dean of Engineering, and startAD managing director. “However, another statistic worth noting is that 90 percent of startups fail within ten years. As any seasoned Silicon Valley entrepreneur will say, there is no reward without risk. And they will also note that there is no such thing as failures, only lessons learned. “Unemployment pay will therefore help ensure that the UAE market is able to not just attract new talent, but also retain the seasoned individuals who have learned valuable lessons, skills, and localised expertise that are put to good use in their next venture. Their knowledge will be key to the next phase of the sector’s development,” continues Jagannathan. WORKFORCE About 76 percent percent of employers in the UAE plan to expand their staff numbers this year, according to a survey by Bayt. com and YouGov u Talent retention The unemployment insurance programme is a huge step for employment stability and employee rights in the UAEarabianbusiness.com 31 / RECRUITMENT Q THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE NEW SCHEME IS THE MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN A SUITE OF MEASURES DESIGNED TO ENHANCE THE ECONOMY OF THE UAE” The initiative will provide a “financial safety net”, encouraging workers to remain in the country while looking for their next role and thereby deepening the UAE’s talent pool. Joanna Matthews-Taylor, partner and head of employment at Baker McKenzie, says: “The UAE has further upped its game in the regional competition for talent and investment. The move will further enhance the UAE’s ability to attract talent by providing employees with a financial safety net should they lose their jobs and encourage expats to remain in country.” “This will likely facilitate recruitment by providing employers with a greater pool of local talent to draw upon and reducing recruitment costs (more talent in the market will result in a reduced need to relocate new recruits and their families from overseas to the UAE),” she continues. The unemployment scheme could have implications on the UAE’s visa regime, which is sponsored by the resident’s employer, even as it complements the country’s latest initiatives towards enhancing its global business-friendly and investment ecosystem. “It is reasonable to assume that some further reform of the current visa regime will be introduced to compliment the new unemployment insurance programme,” says Mathews-Taylor. “At present, expatriate employees sponsored by their employers must leave the UAE or secure alternative sponsorship within 30 days of the cancellation of their residence visa. It will be interesting to see if an extension to the 30-day grace period will be introduced or perhaps an obligation for employers to continue to sponsor the visa during the period the employee is entitled to receive funds under the scheme. “The announcement of the new scheme is the most recent development in a suite of measures designed to enhance the economy of the UAE. These measures include, for example, the introduction of new employment laws, the switch to a Saturday – Sunday weekend and of course the introduction of an annual 2 percent Emiratisation rate in respect of highly skilled jobs in the commercial sector. Emiratisation is a key pillar of the UAE’s economic agenda and we should expect further developments in this space,” she adds. u National employment Emiratisation is a key pillar of the UAE’s economic agenda WORKPLACE The new and innovative scheme is likely to attract more workers and talent to the country and will boost trust in the UAE workplace‘Influence’, the dictionary tells us, is defined as “the capacity to have an effect on the character, develop- ment, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself”. In recent years, Arabian Business has published our Arab Power List, which this year felt like it needed a reboot, an update for the more nuanced world we find ourselves in, especially post-Covid. So this year, we unveil our Most Influential Arabs 2022 edition, which showcases just some of the individuals across the Arab world who are making a difference in the world. This year too, we’ve endeavoured to return to our roots, our DNA, with more business figures than ever, and perhaps fewer celebrities featured – those that make the list are successful entrepreneurs and brands in their own right. Of course, it’s important to state, that this isn’t an exhaustive list, no edition could capture in one snapshot the entirety of inspirational and influential Arabs working hard to make their mark. For every individual featured there are countless others who could, and perhaps should, have been featured. Instead, this is a curated look at individuals who are influencing, either overtly or subtly, the region. There are public sector figures, there are CEOs, founders and presidents, educationalists and financiers, healthcare leaders and entrepreneurs. Some names will be familiar, others will be new, but we hope you find this snapshot informative and inspiring. MOST INFLUENTIAL ARABS 2022MOST INFLUENTIAL ARABS 2022 / 34 Vol. 23/06, June 2022 Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Expo Centre Sharjah since May 2014, Abdalla Sultan Al Owais is also the chairman of Rawabi Emirates Group. With rich and diverse experience across various sectors, he was the vice chairman of the Federation of UAE Cham- bers of Commerce and Industry since 2014, was the head of the Executive Committee of Sharjah Insti- tute of Technology since 2009 to 2012, and was also a board member of Emirates NBD from 2005 to 2013. Prior to his role as chair- man of the board of directors of Mashreq Bank, Al Ghurair was the CEO of Mashreq Bank for around 30 years. It was under his leadership that Mashreq Bank has vastly expanded from a small local bank to a renowned customer- centric financial institution here in the region that is known for its innova- tive products and services. Al Ghurair is also a member of the board of directors of his family’s 50-year-old Abdulla Al Ghurair Group, which has operations spanning across ABDALLA AL OWAIS Chairman SHARJAH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ABDUL AZIZ AL GHURAIR Chairman MASHREQ BANK INDUSTRY BANKING AND FINANCE He has also occupied multiple positions at the UAE Ministry of Economy and Commerce since 1990 to 2003. Al Owais embarked upon his career after he graduated from the United Arab Emirates University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management in 1990. With a strong and distinguished track record, he began working in the Ministry of Economy and Commerce between 1990 and 2003. Then from 2003 to 2006, he joined the Ministry of Energy as the Deputy Minister. Also the chairman of Al Rawabi Dairy, the UAE’s biggest dairy that was established in 1989, Al Owais has successfully steered and shaped Al Rawabi’s journey to become a pioneer dairy company in the Middle East, setting new stand- ards across global best practices in safety stand- ards, hygiene, health and animal welfare. more than 20 countries and is one of the biggest and most successful business groups in the Middle East. He holds an Honours Degree from the California Polytech- nic State University (USA) in Industrial Engineering. Previously, he has been a member of the board of directors of several key companies including MasterCard, Visa Interna- tional, Dubai Investments, Emaar, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and as co-chairman of the Arab Business Council-World Economic Forum (WEF). He has also been a member of the board of trustees of New York University, as well as a member of the Consultative GCC Council for the GCC Leaders and President of The Knowledge Fund. $10m Mashreq’s investment in ‘buy now, pay later’ provider Cashewarabianbusiness.com 35 / MOST INFLUENTIAL ARABS 2022 Abdulaziz Al Sowailim first joined EY in Riyadh after graduating from King Saud University in 1987. He rose through the company to become the KSA Office Managing Part- ner of the Saudi Arabia practice, which includes Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar. As EY MENA Chairman and CEO, Al Sowailim leads the EY MENA manage- ment team where he has been a member for the past 12 years, and is actively involved in all aspects of the organisa- tion’s operations throughout the region. He is also a member of the Board of Management of EY’s Europe, Middle East, India and Africa area (EMEIA), which is EY’s largest geographical area worldwide. A proud advocate of EY’s purpose of building a better working world, Al Sowailim is passionate about community training activities directed towards the enhancement of business skills for young Saudi nationals joining the workplace. To support the career ambitions of aspiring finance professionals, he has lectured at several universities across the region, sharing his experiences and insights about the industry. Al Sowailim believes that the prosperity of the region and economy will be driven by the long-term value created through people, allowing for sustainable growth in the communities EY operates in. In March 2020, EY launched the Falcon program, an initiative focused on expediting the career journey of GCC nationals onto the EY MENA partnership track. By placing people at the centre, EY intends to change the nationalisation landscape in the GCC region by fast tracking the careers of its people and providing them with the experience and capabilities to become the next legacy builders for their respective nations. He also spearheaded the implementation of EY’s global sustainabil- ity program, EY Ripples, in the MENA region. It aims to positively impact the lives of one billion people globally by 2030 by concentrating on three distinct areas: supporting the next generation workforce, working with impact entrepreneurs, and accelerating environmental sustainability. Al Sowailim continues to lead the effort of corporate responsibility, looking to make a difference not only at EY, but as a decision-maker in the GCC corporate world. ABDULAZIZ AL SOWAILIM Chairman and CEO EY MENA 1923 The year in which the MENA practice of EY started operating in the region q The prosperity of our region and economy will be driven by the long-term value created through people, allowing for sustainable growth in the communities we operate in” BANKING AND FINANCE36 Vol. 23/05, May 2022 ENERGY 13.5 million Saudi Arabia’s target oil production capacity in barrels a day by 2027 q We believe oil consumption will continue to grow. The demand for oil will continue growing” Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud was appointed as the minis- ter of Energy in September 2019 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In his role, HRH is responsible for coor- dinating the kingdom’s domestic and international energy policies in line with the goals of Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia. This includes managing the energy activities within the Kingdom, in addition to regulating the oil, gas, electricity, nuclear and renewables sectors in the interests of the Kingdom, both in the short and long term. Prince Abdulaziz also directs Saudi international policy with regard to relations with producers, which includes both through OPEC and OPEC+, as well as with consumers. He has also been an active participant in steering energy policy on both the national and international front for over 30 years. Today, in addition to his role as the minister of energy, he is also the chairman of several energy related organisations. A wealth of experience Prince Al Saud attained his Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Management in 1982 as well as a master’s degree in Business Administration in 1985, both from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia. Post-graduation, from 1985 to 1987, he served as the director of the Economic and Industrial Research Division of the Research Institute at King Fahd University of Petroleum. Before his role as the Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz served in several noteworthy capacities in the Ministry spanning over three decades; this includes as minister of State for Energy Affairs, vice minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, assistant minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, deputy minister for Petroleum Affairs, and also as an adviser to the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. PRINCE ABDULAZIZ BIN SALMAN AL SAUD Minister of Energy SAUDI ARABIA MOST INFLUENTIAL ARABS 2022 /arabianbusiness.com 37 GOVERNMENT Over the past 35 years, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum has been a driving force of Dubai’s superlative economic develop- ment; particularly with successfully expanding the aviation sector which is a large facet of Dubai’s GDP. More- over, Sheikh Ahmed has been at the forefront of formulating economic, investment and fiscal policies and strategies aligned with Dubai’s vision. Sheikh Ahmed embarked on his career in the aviation industry when in 1985, he was appointed as president of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) – the governing body that managed the activities of Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai Duty Free; among others. That same year witnessed the launch of Emirates Airline, of which he was made the chairman. Today, he is the chairman and chief exec- utive of Emirates Airline and Group, including dnata, one of the world’s premier providers of travel and air services, as well as other aviation related entities. Sheikh Ahmed holds numerous government positions and plays an increasingly pivotal role in leading the emirate’s finance and energy sectors and has been the recipient of several accolades from various governments and multinational organisations. An award-winning airline, Emirates has a global footprint across six continents and has been profitable for over 30 years under Sheikh Ahmed’s leadership. Dubai Duty Free has become one of the biggest single airport retail operations in the world with $2.54bn in annual sales in 2020. He said: “Thanks to the vision and support of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Dubai Ruler, Dubai has taken proactive steps and initiatives to deal with the pandemic and enable the rapid recovery of the travel and tourism sector in the emirate.” 58 million The number of passengers Dubai International Airport is expecting to serve by the end of this year q Dubai International Airport has retained its position as the busiest airport in the world for the eighth year in a row” SHEIKH AHMED BIN SAEED AL MAKTOUM President DUBAI CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY (DCAA) Chairman DUBAI AIRPORTS Chairman and CEO EMIRATES AIRLINE AND GROUP / MOST INFLUENTIAL ARABS 2022MOST INFLUENTIAL ARABS 2022 / 38 Vol. 23/06, June 2022 ABDULLA AL KHALIFA Group CEO QATAR NATIONAL BANK ABDALLAH ABU-SHEIKH Co-founder and CEO BARQ EV ABDULLATIF ALSHAMSI President and CEO HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY (HCT) ADEL ALI CEO AIR ARABIA BANKING AND FINANCE TRANSPORTEDUCATIONTRANSPORT Abdulla Mubarak Al Khalifa boasts a diverse business and finance career that spans across over two decades. He has held numerous posts within the QNB banking group, including chief busi- ness officer and executive general manager, and since 2018, Al Khalifa has served as a board member for Oore- doo, Qatar’s multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Doha. His wealth of experi- ence spans across risk management, finance, busi- ness, M&A, sales and market- ing, and strategic planning. Al Khalifa joined the company in March 1996. A graduate in the corporate banking team, he was considered a future leader and was sent to gain interna- tional experience at Chase Manhattan. Later in 2007, he was appointed to the role of general manager for QNB’s Corporate Banking Group, and led QNB on an upward trajectory and expansion. He is also the chairman of QNB Capital which was established in 2008. A top tech, serial entre- preneur in the MENA region, Abdallah Abu-Sheikh is known for introducing innovative, future-ready platforms steered by digitisation, mobility, and sustainability. His previous project RIZEK, a localised digital market- place, launched in 2020 and managed to secure $10m in funds. His most recent venture, Barq EV, is a network of tech-driven electric vehicles developed to service the last mile deliv- ery sector in MENA, with key solutions to the trans- port industry’s demand for efficiency, comfort and rider safety. His earliest projects achieved $700m in assets within three years of entering sub-Saharan Africa and were focused on renew- able energy. At the forefront of the environmentally friendly mobility sectors in the region, Barq EV builds electric vehicles that are customised for the region, boost operational efficien- cies, and reduce carbon emissions. A pioneer amongst academic leaders in the Middle East, Dr Abdullatif Alshamsi is at the helm of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in the UAE which has a student population of around 25,000 in its 16 campuses. Alshamsi received his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Boston University in the US, and then went on to attain his Ph.D. from Duke Univer- sity, USA in 1997. Prior to this role, he was the manag- ing director of the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) for seven years, where he launched the Applied Technology High Schools, Fatima College for Health Sciences, and Abu Dhabi Polytechnic. He started his career at UAE University as assistant professor, then he was appointed an assistant vice chancellor for Research. Later, he founded a University-wide Intern- ship and Work Integrated Learning. AlShamsi has more than 70 research publications in world-class scientific journals. Adel Abdullah Ali is renowned for being a forerunner in the development of modern aviation and his achieve- ments and contribution in the wider Arab region towards air transport and the tourism sector are recog- nised globally. In October 2003, Air Arabia was launched and went on to become the MENA region’s first low-cost carrier and was a catalyst for a low-cost carrier niche in the market. In addition to his role as chief executive officer of Air Arabia, Ali is also the chair- man of Sharjah Information Systems Associates, Alpha Sharjah catering, Alpha Aviation Academy and Cozmo Travel. He is also a board member of Sharjah Aviation Services and is on the board of Air Arabia (Maroc), based in Casablan- ca’s Mohamed V Interna- tional Airport and Air Arabia (Egypt), based in Alexan- dria’s Burj Al Arab Interna- tional Airport. Today, Air Arabia’s portfolio includes tourism and hospitality services across the globe.arabianbusiness.com 39 17 The number of countries in which Foodics is currently available, with eight offi ces in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and the Netherlands Ahmad Al Zaini is the powerhouse behind Foodics, the leading cloud-based technology and payments platform for restaurants in the MENA region, based in Saudi Arabia. A serial entrepreneur by nature, Foodics is actually Al Zaini’s third venture. He observed a lack of technology in the food and beverage (F&B) sector in 2014, particularly in the ordering process, while many restaurants were also facing oher operational challenges. Together with his co-founder, he consequently built on this idea and developed a whole tech stack over time and a fully integrated ecosystem. Al Zaini thrives on introducing new technologies that change how people interact and connect with their favourite food brands. Today, Foodics is an end-to-end restaurant management and Fintech ecosystem that empowers F&B owners and merchants to run their oper- ations more seamlessly and efficiently, thereby fast-tracking their own business growth in the process. Earlier this year, Foodics made its first acquisition with the full ownership of POSRocket, the second largest restaurant Cloud technol- ogy provider in MENA. He also successfully raised $170m in the largest SaaS Series C funding round in MENA led by Prosus, one of the largest global technology investors in the world, and Sanabil Investments, a PIF-owned investment company. Other investors included Sequoia Capital India and existing investors including STV, Endeavor Catalyst and Vision Ventures. With more than 500 employees, today, Foodics has grown from its Khobar beginnings to eight offices spanning Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and The Netherlands. Formally licensed as a Fintech company by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), it caters to every segment of the F&B sector from traditional dine-in restaurants, cafés, quick service restaurants, bakeries, food trucks through to cloud kitchens. Under Ahmad’s leadership, Foodics has successfully processed over 5 billion orders through the platform, making it one of the most promis- ing SaaS companies to emerge from the MENA region. q Empowering restaurant owners is our ultimate goal and whenever momemtum is built, boundaries are broken” TECHNOLOGY AHMAD AL ZAINI Co-founder and CEO FOODICS / MOST INFLUENTIAL ARABS 2022Next >