Forbes Middle East has named Egyptian businessman Hisham Talaat Moustafa to its list of the most powerful CEOs in the Middle East for 2025, placing him 35th in the real estate and hospitality sector. Moustafa, the CEO and Managing Director of Talaat Moustafa Group Holding (TMG), was the only Egyptian in this sector on the list, which includes leading business figures from banking, industry, real estate, construction, and energy. He also topped the list of the most influential figures in the real estate and hospitality sector for his leadership in developing strategic projects that represent a qualitative leap in urban and tourism development in Egypt. "Under his leadership, the sector has witnessed pioneering projects that combine modern design, high quality, and environmental sustainability, making him one of the most important investors and influencers in shaping the real estate and hospitality sector across the Arab world," Forbes said. The selection reflects Moustafa's long career of more than 40 years leading TMG, which has developed a huge portfolio of residential and hotel projects across 115 million square metres of developed land in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Oman, in addition to 14 million square metres planned for development in Iraq. In the first half of 2025, Moustafa succeeded in increasing the group's assets to $8bn, and the group achieved revenues of $507m. In May, the group signed an agreement with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning in Oman to develop two real estate projects near Sultan Haitham City. Projects such as Banan in Saudi Arabia and Southmed on Egypt's North Coast contributed to a nearly threefold increase in the group's real estate sales in 2024, reaching $10bn after the sale of about 30,000 units, reflecting the strength of Moustafa's strategy in growing the group's portfolio and increasing its returns.
