Top Business Leaders in Kuwait

Marcopolis ranked the top business leaders in Kuwait, as part of the business report on the country. Businessmen Mohammed Alshaya of Alshaya Group, Kutayba Yusuf Alghanim of Alghanim Industries and Mohammad Saud Al-Osaimi of Boursa Kuwait, rank at the top the list of the most powerful business leaders in Kuwait.

The List

#1 – Mohammed Alshaya, Executive Chairman of Alshaya Group, remains its driving force since attaining his position in 1993. Alshaya Group is a multinational retail franchise operator headquartered in Kuwait and operating 90 consumer retail brands across the MENA region, Russia, Turkey and Europe, with thousands of stores, cafes, restaurants and leisure destinations, as well as a growing online and digital business. The Group operates in multiple sectors including fashion, food, health and beauty, pharmacy, home furnishings, leisure and entertainment.

#2 – Kutayba Yusuf Alghanim is the Chairman of Alghanim Industries, which his late father Yusuf founded in 1932. He is considered the head of one of the biggest private sector companies in the Gulf Area. The firm has established strongholds in the Middle East, India and Turkey, dealing with over 300 global brands and agencies. Despite recent economic challenges, Alghanim Industries was able to launch its 100th Costa Coffee branch in Kuwait last year. Kutayba Alghanim is the brother of Bassam Alghanim, who ran the family business for a while but is no longer involved.

#3 – Mohammad Saud Al-Osaimi currently holds the position of CEO at Boursa Kuwait. Prior to this, he played a pivotal role in the reforms and development of the capital markets, and the successful execution of Boursa Kuwait’s mission, vision, and strategic objectives, in his capacity as the Head of Markets, helping to create new business opportunities. Mr. Al-Osaimi joined Boursa Kuwait as a member of its first assembled Board of Directors in 2015, after spending over two decades in various senior positions in the investment field. He became CEO in 2019.

#4 – Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi is the current CEO and Vice Chairman of leading Kuwaiti mobile telecommunications company Zain Group. He has over 20 years of experience in the financial, banking, industrial, and telecommunications sector. He began his career with Al-Kharafi Group and held several leadership positions, concluding in the position of Director of the Executive Committee in the industrial sector of Al-Kharafi Group. In addition, Mr. Bader is a member of the Board of Directors in several local and international companies, including Gulf Cable and Electrical Industries, Mobile Telecommunications Company Saudi Arabia, Injaz Kuwait, Gulf Bank, Coca-Cola Kuwait, etc.

#5 – Tarek Sultan is the CEO and Vice Chairman of global supply chain company Agility. Sultan assumed leadership of the company in 1997, and spearheaded the company’s growth. Agility is a pioneer in emerging markets, a leader and investor in supply chain services and innovation, and champion of sustainable business. Sultan is a member of the Board of Directors of DSV A/S, a global top-three freight forwarding company, following DSV’s acquisition of Agility’s global logistics business in 2021. Sultan has also previously served as advisor to the Singapore Economic Development Board, sat on Wharton’s International Advisory Council, and served as a member of the Board of Directors of Gulf Bank and Burgan Bank.

#6 – Bassam Alghanim’s wealth comes from assets inherited from his father’s conglomerate Alghanim Industries, a diversified company chaired by his brother Kutayba, as well as his stake in Gulf Bank. He managed the family business from the 1970s to the 1990s but is no longer involved in the holding after a bitter fight with his brother regarding the division of assets inherited by his late father Yusuf. Bassam Alghanim filed lawsuits against his brother in the US and UK, accusing him of hacking his email in 2008. He lives in Los Angeles and is the honorary consul of Saint Kitts and Nevis in California.

#7 – Muhannad Mohammed Al-Kharafi is the Vice Chairman of M.A. Al-Kharafi & Sons, a conglomerate founded by his late father Mohammed in 1956. The Kharafi Group owns stakes in several Kuwaiti companies, including leading Kuwaiti mobile telecommunications company Zain. Al-Kharafi is the Chairman of Zain; while his nephew Bader is CEO and Vice Chairman. In 2016, M.A. Al-Kharafi & Sons sold its shares in Americana, which operates fast-food chains in the Middle East, including KFC and Hardee’s, for $2.3 billion.

#8 – Fawaz Al Hasawi belongs to one of the wealthiest families in Kuwait. The family business interests are in property, hotels, and air conditioning. He made news headlines as he took over Nottingham Forest Football Club as Owner and Chairman. Before acquiring the UK football club, Fawaz Al Hasawi was the President of Qadsia SC, one of the largest sporting clubs in Kuwait, between 2010 and 2012. His tenure was a successful one, with the club winning two Kuwait Premier League titles and two Emir Cups, along with the Federation Cup and the Super Cup.

#9 – Jawad Ahmed Bukhamseen is Founder and Chairman of Bukhamseen Group Holding, Chairman of Al-Houda Hotels and Tourism, Chairman of Misr International Towers (Egypt), Chairman of Annahar Newspapers (Kuwait) and Chairman and Managing Director of Al-Arabiya Real Estate Company for investment in Egypt. Mr. Bukhamseen is on the Board of Directors of Kuwait Hotel Owners Association, Al Zaad Commercial Group, Jeddah Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is also the Founder of several banks in Kuwait and the MENA region, including Kuwait International Bank, First Gulf Bank in Abu Dhabi, Egyptian Gulf Bank and Qatar First Bank.

#10 – Maha Al-Ghunaim is a Kuwaiti businesswoman and one of the most well known businesswomen in the GCC region. She was born in a noble Kuwaiti family. She is the Founder and now the chairperson of Global Investment House, which is one of Kuwait’s and the region’s largest investment companies. Maha Al-Ghunaim started her career life working in various investment companies. At the time when she began her career from the 1980s and until the 1990s, there were a few women in the business and investment world.