Four individuals from Qatar have been named among the Middle East's Top 100 Travel and Tourism Leaders for 2023, as announced by Forbes Middle East.
The four are HE Akbar al-Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, who is ranked No. 2 on the list; Nasser Matar AlKawari, CEO of Katara Hospitality, ranked No. 22; Tarek M El Sayed, CEO and managing director of Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company (ARTIC), ranked No. 25; and Badr Mohamed al-Meer, COO of Hamad International Airport (HIA), ranked No. 31.
"The travel and tourism industry in the Arab world has been a major contributor to the region’s economic growth and development, with the region emerging globally as a world-class destination. Dubai has become a hub for tourism, and in recent years Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Abu Dhabi have invested heavily in the sector," the Forbes Middle East website says.
According to a UNWTO report, the tourism sector globally recovered 63% of pre-pandemic levels in 2022, with the Middle East recovering 83% of its pre-pandemic visitor numbers, it points out.
The region is also becoming an important sporting destination, it says, noting that Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and will bring the FIBA Basketball World Cup to the Middle East for the first time in 2027.
For this ranking, the publication included leaders who span the entire travel ecosystem, including aviation, hotels, destinations, and tourism development authorities. The ranking was based on the size of the business, ownership of assets, designation, experience and degree of influence of the business leader, as well as his/her other achievements.