Revealed: Arabian Business' 150 Most Influential Arabs

This year’s edition arrives with a bold new framework and a sharper lens on power, reach and relevance that captures leaders whose impact resonated far beyond borders.

For 2025, the list is organised into three distinct categories that reflect the many ways Arab influence is forged and sustained:

• Family Dynasties – the multigenerational empires that continue to anchor regional economies while reinventing tradition for a new era.

• Disruptors – entrepreneurs, creatives and trailblazers rewriting industry playbooks and challenging the status quo across technology, media, sustainability, fashion and more.

• Visionaries – the policymakers, cultural pioneers and business thinkers whose ideas define long-term narratives and inspire across generations.

We are immensely proud to see Amer El Hajj, CEO MENA at WPP Media listed in the Disruptor category. Since taking up tenure at the group, Amer has evolved WPP Media MENA into a bold, innovative and people-focused business, helping to put us on the map as a regionally leading media group. Read on below to hear more how Amer has been disrupting media and marketing in 2025.

Disruption has been at the core of what Amer El Hajj does in his role as Chief Executive Officer of WPP MENA, a global leader in the media agency industry, ever since he was appointed in September 2023. It was rebranded from GroupM in May 2025. He brought with him over two decades of distinguished experience in the MENA media market and his clear vision upon taking the helm was to decisively shake up WPP MENA, disrupt the industry, prioritise client obsession, and firmly re-establish the company’s leadership in the region by guiding it into the next generation of media.

El Hajj immediately spearheaded a comprehensive overhaul of the business, which encompasses 11 markets, four agencies, and 650 employees. In just 10 months, he revolutionised the company’s operating model, transforming previously siloed agencies and practices into a cohesive group that works seamlessly as one, addressing significant internal cultural challenges.

El Hajj’s leadership philosophy is intensely people-centric, firmly of the belief that “people are at the heart of every successful organisation”. He recognises that in the service industry, employees are the main assets. His sterling reputation stems from his unwavering commitment to creating an environment where teams can thrive both personally and professionally. This includes a commitment to employee wellness. Recognising that cultural stigma, long work hours, and geopolitical instability contribute to making mental health a sensitive topic in the region, WPP has implemented robust wellbeing strategies.

Regarding technological transformation, El Hajj is actively managing the impact of AI, which he views as a tool to enhance workload management by offloading operational tasks, and to improve learning and development through personalised training programmes. WPP is responding by investing millions of dollars in reskilling and upskilling programmes to ensure technological literacy across the organisation, utilising platforms like the WPP Learning platform.