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Family businesses are the backbone of the Middle East’s economies, with some of the largest businesses in the region run by families through private companies.

Most of the companies on our list of the Top 100 Family Businesses In The Middle East have been passed down through at least one generation, with 10 companies more than a century old, and 13 formed between 75 and 100 years ago. In some cases, companies on the list appear younger than they actually are because they have been formed later, due to the splitting of the business between members, or the consolidation of diversified investments into one holding company.

Family businesses have certain advantages. They are able to take a long-term view on business, as they are not answerable to shareholders. They are able to adapt quickly to changes in the business environment, and, more importantly, they tend to diversify. Of the 100 companies on the list, 87 are diversified businesses.

Though diversified, over 80% of these family businesses are agents or dealers for international brands, either in their home countries or across the region. Dealers of international automotive brands, FMCG brands, bottlers and distributors of Coca Cola and Pepsi, and fashion retailers have been particularly successful.

Many family businesses have benefited from doing business with government-owned companies, particularly servicing the top national oil companies. Several founders as well as other members of the family business have held various government positions serving as ministers or mayors, or heading up government departments. Osama Al Zamil of the AlZamil Group is the Deputy Minister of Minerals in Saudi. Obeid Al Tayer of the Al Tayer Group is the U.A.E.’s Minister of State for Financial Affairs. Aziz Akhannouch is the Minister of Agriculture in Morocco.

The Mansour Group tops the list, with three family members on the Forbes’ World’s Billionaires 2020 list. While the group is among the world’s General Motors dealers, it has also made some smart investments in U.S. tech companies like Spotify and Uber. It is followed by the Al Futtaim Group, which owns 100% of Arab Orient Insurance and 50% of Emirates Investment Bank, as well as large auto dealership, real estate, and construction businesses.

With 36 family businesses, Saudi Arabia dominates the list. These businesses have grown with Saudi Arabia, making billions from the prosperity that transformed the country after the drilling of oil began. The U.A.E. follows with 21 entries on the list. Egypt, the region’s most populous country, has only three family businesses on the list, mainly because a large number of large family business were nationalized in the 1950s and 60s.

As most of the large family businesses in the region are reaching the second or third generation, they have begun to change with the times. Many of them are bringing in corporate governance, establishing clear structures, and putting professional managers in place. A few companies have separate family boards and corporate boards, and several have non-family members on their board. Most have a non-family member in the top management team. Many are still focused on traditional business and to a large extent have stayed clear of the tech industry, but while currently successful they will need to transform as tech begins to disrupt industry after industry.

Methodology

We looked at approximately 200 Arab family-owned businesses in the region. We considered:

  • Group investments in regional and global stock exchanges and real estate assets.
  • Business diversification and the number of sectors in which they have significant operations.
  • Types of business activity and to what extent they have been affected by this crisis.
  • Number of employees.
  • Number of countries they are present in and geographical diversification.
  • Date of establishment.
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Rank

Company

Country

Sector

Establishment

Chairperson

1
Mansour Group
Egypt Diversified 1952 Mohamed, Youssef, Yasseen Mansour
2
Al-Futtaim Group
U.A.E. Diversified 1930 Abdullah Al Futtaim
3
Olayan Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1947 Hutham Olayan
4
Majid Al Futtaim
U.A.E. Diversified 1992 Michael Rake
5
Rashed Abdul Rahman Al Rashed & Sons Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1950 Abudlaziz Al Rashed
6
Abdul Latif Jameel
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1945 Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel
7
Al-Ghurair
U.A.E. Diversified 1960 Abdul Aziz Abdulla Al Ghurair
8
Alghanim Industries
Kuwait Diversified 1932 Kutayba Y. Alghanim
9
Al Ghurair Group
U.A.E. Diversified 1960 Abdul Rahman Saif Al Ghurair
10
Zamil Group Holding
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1920 Khalid A. Al-Zamil
11
Al Muhaidib Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1943 Sulaiman Al Muhaidib
12
Yousuf M.A. Naghi & Sons Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1911 Mohammed Yousuf Naghi
13
Al Nahla Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1996 Abdulrahman Hassan Sharbatly
14
Alshaya Group
Kuwait Retail 1890 Mohammed Al Shaya
15
E. A. Juffali & Brothers
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1946 Khaled Al Juffali
16
S.S. Lootah Group
U.A.E. Diversified 1956 Saeed Bin Ahmed Al Lootah
17
Suhail Bahwan Group
Oman Diversified 1965 Suhail Bahwan
18
M.A. Al-Kharafi & Sons
Kuwait Diversified 1956 Fawzi Al-Kharafi
19
Morad Yousuf Behbehani Group
Kuwait Diversified 1935 Ali Morad Behbehani
20
Sedco Holding
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1976 Saleh Salem Bin Mahfouz
21
Zubair Corp
Oman Diversified 1967 Rashad M. Al Zubair
22
Cevital Group
Algeria Diversified 1971 Issad Rebrab
23
Juma Al Majid Holding Group
U.A.E. Diversified 1950 Juma AL Majid
24
Zahid Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1943 Talal Zahid
25
AKWA Group
Morocco Diversified 1959 Aziz Akhannouch
26
AlFardan Group
Qatar Diversified 1954 Hussain Ibrahim Alfardan
27
Saudi Bugshan Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 2000 Khaled Bugshan
28
Dallah Albaraka Holding
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1969 Abdullah Salah Kamel
29
Al Fozan Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1959 Abdullah bin Abdul Latif Al Fozan
30
YK Almoayyed & Sons
Bahrain Diversified 1940 Farouk Yousuf Almoayyed
31
Xenel
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1973 Mohamed Zainal Alireza
32
AW Rostamani Group
U.A.E. Diversified 1954 Khalid Al Rostamani
33
Saud Bahwan Group
Oman Diversified 1965 Mohammed Saud Bahwan
34
BoodaiCorp
Kuwait Diversified 1955 Jassim Boodai
35
Easa Al Gurg Group
U.A.E. Diversified 1960 Easa Saleh Al Gurg
36
Nesma Holding Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1979 Saleh Ali Al-Turki
37
Al Habtoor Group
U.A.E. Diversified 1970 Khalaf Al Habtoor
38
FinanceCom
Morocco Diversified 1977 Othman Benjelloun
39
Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo
Bahrain Diversified 1890 Khalid Mohamed Kanoo
40
Al Faisal Holding
Qatar Diversified 1964 Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani
41
Aujan Group Holding
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1905 Abdulla Aujan
42
Abudawood Group
Saudi Arabia FMCG 1935 Anas, Ayman Abudawood
43
Al Naboodah Holding
U.A.E. Diversified 1958 Abdullah Mohammed Juma Al Naboodah
44
Al-Qahtani Holding
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1948 Abdulaziz Al-Qahtani
45
WJ Towell & Co.
Oman Diversified 1866 Hussain Jawad
46
Ajlan & Bros.
Saudi Arabia Textiles 1979 Ajlan Bin Abdulaziz Al Ajlan
47
Khalifa Juma Al Naboodah Group
U.A.E. Diversified 1963 Khalifa Juma Al Nabooda
48
AlOthman Holding
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1967 Mohammed Abdullah Al-Othman
49
Ali & Sons Holding
U.A.E. Diversified 1979 Ali Bin Khalfan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri
50
MASIC
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1933 Ibrahim Alsubeaei
51
Albwardy Investment
U.A.E. Diversified 1976 Ali Saeed Juma Albwardy
52
Ghassan Aboud Group
U.A.E. Diversified 1994 Ghassan Aboud
53
Obeikan Investment Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1982 Fahd AlObeikan
54
Al Mulla Group Holding Co
Kuwait Diversified 1938 Najeeb Al Mulla
55
Memaar Al Morshedy
Egypt Real Estate and Construction 1983 Mohamed Morshedy
56
Mohsin Haider Darwish
Oman Diversified 1987 Areej Mohsin Darwish
57
Nuqul Group
Jordan Diversified 1953 Ghassan Nuqul
58
Al Sayer Group
Kuwait Diversified 1954 Faisal Bader Al-Sayer
59
Sayegh Group
Jordan Diversified 1932 Michael Sayegh
60
Sumou Holding Company
Saudi Arabia Diversified 2008 Ayedh Farahn Al-Qahtani
61
Marafie Group
Kuwait Diversified 1919 AbdulIlah Mohamed Rafie Marafie
62
Batterjee Holding Company
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1982 Mazen Mohammed Ibrahim Batterjee
63
Zahran Holding
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1975 Ghurmallah Al Zahrani
64
AlMana Group
Qatar Diversified 1960 Omar Hamad Almana
65
Manaseer Group
Jordan Industrials 1999 Ziad Al Manaseer
66
Bukhamseen Holding
Kuwait Diversified 1957 Jawad Ahmed Bukhamseen
67
Abu Ghazaleh Investments
U.A.E. Diversified 1970 Amir Abu Ghazaleh
68
Elaraby Group
Egypt Manufacturing 1964 Mahmoud Elaraby
69
Almajdouie Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1965 Ali Almajdouie
70
Mouawad
Lebanon Jewelry 1890 Robert Mouawad
71
Al Nowais Investments
U.A.E. Diversified 1979 Hussain AlNowais
72
BinDawood Holding
Saudi Arabia Retail 1984 Adulrazzaq Bin Dawood
73
Al Faisaliah Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1971 Abdulrahman Al Abdullah Al Faisal
74
Abdulla Yousif Fakhro Group
Bahrain Diversified 1888 Esam Abdulla Fakhro
75
Marei Bin Mahfouz Group &Co.
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1976 Marie bin Mahfouz
76
Oasis Investment Company
U.A.E. Diversified 1971 Abdulla M. Al Shirawi
77
Alissa Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1940 AbdulMohsen Abdul Latif Al-Issa
78
Al Fahim Group
U.A.E. Diversified 1958 Ahmed Abdul Jalil Al Fahim
79
Omar Kassem Alesayi Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1945 Saeed Omar Kassem Alesayi
80
Al Zayani Investments
Bahrain Diversified 1977 Nawaf Khalid Al Zayani
81
Chalhoub Group
U.A.E. Retail 1955 Michel Chalhoub
82
El Seif Engineering Contracting Company
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1975 Khaled Musaed El Seif
83
Diana Holding
Morocco Food and Beverage 1956 Rita Maria Zniber
84
Al Tayer Group
U.A.E. Diversified 1979 Obaid Humaid Al Tayer
85
Arabian Fal Holding
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1979 Saleh Abdullah Al-Sayed
86
Averda Group
Lebanon Diversified 1964 Steve Lucas
87
Alturki Holding
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1975 Khalid Alturki
88
Holmarcom Group
Morocco Diversified 1978 Mohamed Hassan Bensalah
89
Tamimi Group
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1977 Tariq Al Tamimi
90
Jaidah Group
Qatar Diversified 1898 Jassim M. Jaidah
91
Abunayyan Holding
Saudi Arabia Diversified 1950 Mohammad Abunayyan
92
Benhamadi Group
Algeria Manufacturing 1948 Abderrahmane Benhamadi
93
Gulf Marketing Group
U.A.E. Diversified 1978 Abdul Aziz Hassan Baker
94
Kettaneh Group
Lebanon Diversified 1922 Nabil Kettaneh
95
Munir Sukhtian Group
Jordan Diversified 1933 Nidal Sukhtian
96
Al Muftah Group
Qatar Diversified 1963 Abdulrehman Muftah Almuftah
97
MB Holding Company
Oman Petrochemical 1982 Mohammed Al Barwani
98
Al Wazzan Group
Kuwait Diversified 1952 Abdel Rahman Jassim Mohammad Al Wazza
99
 Haji Hassan Group
Bahrain Diversified 1952 Adel Hassan Al A’ali
100
Mehri Group
Algeria Food, Hospitality 1965 Djillali Mehri