Forbes Middle East Unveils 2026 Sustainability Leaders List With 145 Executives Across 17 Sectors

Forbes Middle East has unveiled the fourth edition of its annual ranking, The Middle East's Sustainability Leaders 2026, recognising 145 executives across 17 sectors. The list, published by EIN Presswire, places the UAE first with 75 entries, followed by Saudi Arabia with 29, and Qatar and Egypt with 14 each.

How Forbes Middle East Built the 2026 Ranking

Forbes Middle East reviewed questionnaires, sustainability and ESG reports, official disclosures and recent performance metrics to assess listees on measurable ESG commitments, adoption of sustainable technology, and alignment with regional Net Zero targets. Entries were ranked within each sector, with greater weight given to the measures most relevant to each sector.

The list spans banks, development funds, energy and utilities, family businesses, financial services, food and agriculture, freezones, healthcare, investments and holding companies, manufacturing and industrials, oil and gas, real estate and construction, renewable energy, technology and telecom, transport and logistics, travel and tourism, and waste management.

Across the Middle East, companies are using automation and AI to improve resource efficiency, while extreme heat and water scarcity drive demand for efficient cooling, water reuse, and resilient food production. The International Renewable Energy Agency reports that renewable energy capacity across Arab countries grew 28.9% to 53.1 GW in 2025.

First Abu Dhabi Bank mobilised $31.1 billion in sustainable and transition finance in 2025, reaching 76% of its $136 billion target. Masdar's operating projects generated 40.2 TWh of clean electricity that year, and in July 2026 it reached financial close on a $6.1 billion project combining 5.2 GW of solar capacity with 19 GWh of battery storage. By June 2026, Saudi Energy had connected approximately 17.8 GW of renewable capacity to the national grid and energised 18 GWh of battery storage. Emirates Global Aluminium inaugurated the UAE's largest aluminium recycling plant in 2026, lifting its total capacity above 400,000 tonnes annually.

Forbes Middle East's Other 2026 Rankings

According to akta.pro company records, Forbes Middle East released its annual Top 100 Arab Family Businesses ranking in June 2026, covering GCC and broader MENA family enterprises and evaluating scale, holdings value, diversification, performance, legacy, and workforce. The same records show the publisher released the Middle East's Most Influential CMOs list in June 2026, featuring 101 individuals across 100 entries and 23 nationalities, with evaluation criteria including AI and digital tool utilisation. In March 2026, it published the 2026 World's Richest Arabs list featuring 36 billionaires across seven countries with combined net worth of $137.3 billion.

Earlier Forbes Middle East Lists This Year

Forbes Middle East named Mohammed Miandad, chairman of 33 Holdings Global and Naseem Healthcare, among its top healthcare founders and shareholders for 2026, one of only two Qatar-based founders selected, The Peninsula Newspaper reported in September 2026. In August 2026, Egyptian Streets reported that Egypt ranked second by nationality on the publisher's 2026 Top CEOs list, with 15 CEOs represented across sectors. Biz Bahrain reported the same month that NBB Group CEO Usman Ahmed was named among the Top 100 CEOs of 2026, his second consecutive appearance and third overall.

Forbes Middle East Summit 2026

The second edition of the Forbes Middle East Building the Future Summit 2026 will take place in Abu Dhabi on June 23–24, bringing together approximately 3,000 decision-makers to discuss urban development and sustainable infrastructure across the MENA region.