Forbes Middle East revealed its annual “30Under30” list for the fifth year in a row, which includes an inspiring group of entrepreneurs, innovators and athletes, covering 6 categories, namely sports, commerce, science & technology, finance, social impact, and creativity.
In an issued statement, Forbes Middle East indicated that in order to qualify for the list, candidates must be under 30 years of age by December 31, 2021, without any nationality requirement; however, they must reside in the Middle East and North Africa region.
“This year’s list includes 35 individuals of 13 nationalities,” the statement added, noting that “Egyptians are the most represented with 12 people, followed by 6 persons from Lebanon and 3 from Oman and Saudi Arabia.”
“The residency of the candidates is distributed among 8 countries in the Middle East, with 12 of them residing in Egypt, followed by 10 in the UAE, 5 in Lebanon, and 3 in Saudi Arabia, while the average age of all those who qualified for the list is around 27 years,” the statement explained.
In its strive to find the region’s most promising young talent, Forbes Middle East evaluated more than 400 nominations in two rounds, yielding a shortlist of 80 candidates. Then the judges, who are all experts in their respective fields, screened the candidates’ data to select those who deserved to qualify for the final list. Among the selection criteria, the team of judges considered the impact of the candidates on the industry and market, as well as their societal influence and future growth opportunities. Additionally, they also assessed their quantitative data and numbers, such as: the amount of funds, the prizes won by the candidates, the revenues and the value of the deals, the number of customers and followers on social media.
It is worth mentioning that business entrepreneurs dominate the 2022 list, with 21 figures on the list being corporate founders or co-founders. The list also includes scientists, mathematicians and digital content creators.
Today, Forbes Middle East is finalizing its program for the first “Under 30” summit in Egypt, to be held in El Gouna in November 2022. The event will bring together the Middle East’s “Under 30” community, investors and prominent business leaders.
Source: National News Agency