Leading regional business magazine Gulf Business has named Sheikha Al Mayassa Al Thani as one of the five most powerful Arabs in Qatar.
Gulf Business has revealed its Arab Power list for 2021 and Qatari nationals emerged as the third largest group with eight entries this year.
This includes Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who has been listed as one of the most powerful Arabs in Qatar for her work in culture and society.
With an annual reported budget of $1 billion, according to the leading regional business magazine, Al Thani has played an incredibly crucial role in promoting cultural growth while also staying true to national traditions.
As the chairperson of Qatar Museums, Sheikha Al Mayassa has continued to engage in work to revamp the art scene across the region, making a noteworthy impact on the global art and establishing Qatar’s role in the world of international contemporary art.
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Al Thani has brought in some of the globe’s leading artists to the region through exhibitions and artwork purchases from world renowned artists, including the most expensive painting in the world, Paul Gauguin’s “When Will You Marry?”
The Qatari royal has been featured by Forbes in The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, was considered the most influential person on ArtReview’s Power 100, and frequents Time 100 for her impact on the art scene.
Other initiatives under her stewardship include the recent announcement of Qatar Museums (QM) as a sponsor to the Ro Guiltless Plastic prize 2021 competition, an initiative that aims to challenge and inspire the design community to think differently about sustainability and how objects are made.
Sheikha Al Mayassa was joined by a number of other “most powerful Arabs in Qatar”, include President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum and Chairman Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, who ranked 5th regionally.
Chairman for Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup Hassan Al Thawadi also made it to the list and ranked 13th regionally due to work in the sports sector.
CEO of Qatar Investment Authority Mansoor Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud is also among the top most powerful Arabs in Qatar and placed 17th regionally.
Finally, CEO of Qatar National Bank Abdulla Mubarak Al-Khalifa was also named in the list, standing at number 19 in the region.
Gulf Business looks at the events of 2020 and judges each individual case on the basis of four criteria: financial capital, human capital, expansion plans and personal fame levels.
