Forbes Middle East has released its first annual "Top CEOs in the Middle East" ranking; the list has included Hisham Okasha, chairman of Egypt's largest state lender, National Bank of Egypt (NBE). Okasha was ranked 16 in the top 100 CEOs in the Middle East. According to Forbes, he has led NBE into achieving unprecedented success as its total retail banking portfolio amounted to $6.3 billion in Q3 2019/20 while revenue reached $12.2 billion in 2018/19. The first-ever list is recognising the executives making significant contributions to the region's economies. Having joined NBE as deputy chairman responsible for the risk, operations, compliance, and audit functions in April 2008, Okasha's banking career spans over 26 years. He leads the bank's global workforce of over 20,000 employees serving the bank's 14 million customers The 100 CEOs represent 24 nationalities and 21 sectors. Saudi nationals dominate the list with 18 entries, followed by Emirati and Egyptian leaders with 16 entries each. Combined, these three groups make up half of the ranking. Executives within the banking and financial services sector dominate the list with 29 entries, contributing nearly a third of the ranking. Forbes Middle East assessed the size of the CEO's company using various measures, the individual's accomplishments over the past year, and their impact on their firm and the wider industry.
