The list also included 20 Lebanese, 12 Tunisians, 10 Saudis, nine Jordanians, and seven Syrians.

The 30 Under 30 list illuminates a generation of ambitious innovators and trailblazers who, although young, are driving significant changes in the MENA region and making a substantial impact on the world through their determination to leave a lasting legacy.

The 30 Under 30 achievers are spread across 19 countries, with 35 based in Egypt, 40 in UAE, 12 in Saudi Arabia, 10 in Tunisia, and eight in Lebanon.

The list showcases remarkable talents across various fields, including Science and Technology, Sports and Entertainment, Commerce and Finance, and Social Impact.

Although each category features 30 entries, Commerce and Finance stand out with the highest representation at 45 individuals, followed by Social Impact with 42, Sports and Entertainment with 34, and Science and Technology with 32. 

Science and Technology category
 

The Science and Technology category, comprising 120 entries and 153 individuals from 24 nationalities, included several Egyptians.

Among them was Ahmed Farouk, the co-founder and head of Business Development at Invictux. Farouk co-founded the cybersecurity startup Invictux in 2023, specializing in Operational Technology and Industrial Control Systems. The company protects critical infrastructure and industrial operations across MENA and has a growing presence in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

The list also included Ahmed Nassar, the co-founder and CTO of Labtronic and the founder and CEO of AQMAAR. Nassar co-founded Labtronic in 2020 to create lab equipment for engineering colleges and vocational schools, with projects exceeding $650,000 in 2024. The company now operates a 1,500-square-metre factory and employs 30 people. He also launched a new startup, AQMAAR, focused on space mission technologies.

Nada Raafat Elkharashi, a co-founder and chief creative officer of Electric Skin, was also in this category. Elkharashi co-founded Electric Skin in 2021, a project that generates electricity from ambient air using innovative biomaterials. The company is developing BioVolt, a temperature-sensing sticker, and a self-powering battery, with plans to integrate the technology into medical products.

Moreover, the list included Salma Younes, a PhD candidate at Qatar University. Younes' research focuses on sustainable antimicrobial hydrogels as alternatives to antibiotics, with a project developing a 2D diphosphate nanocrystalline hydrogel for eco-friendly acne treatments. The hydrogel is in the patent filing stage and has secured significant funding, including a $247,253 annual research grant.

Sports and Entertainment category
 

The average age of individuals in the Sports and Entertainment category is 26 years, with the youngest being just 17.

Among Egyptians listed in this category is Ahmed El-Gendy, Egypt's Modern Pentathlete player, who won a gold medal in the men’s individual category at the Paris 2024 Olympics and achieved a world record.

Egyptian footballer Omar Marmoush, whose market value reached $43.4 million as of October 2024 according to Transfermarkt, is also in this category. Marmoush scored nine goals in seven matches in the 2024-2025 season, becoming the Bundesliga's top scorer as of 23 October 2024.

The list also includes Fatma Elyan, Egypt's Para Powerlifter who won a silver medal in the women's up to 67kg category at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

Furthermore, it includes Mohamed Elsayed, the Egyptian Fencer who had a bronze medal in the men's individual épée fencing at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Nora Zeid, an illustrator and visual artist who held her first solo exhibit, "Cairo Illustrated: Stories from Heliopolis," at Taskheel in Dubai in 2021, under its Critical Practice Programme, was also on the list. Her notable clients include Google, Bloomberg Markets, Wegz, Cadillac Arabia, Diwan Publishing, and VICE Arabia.

Commerce and Finance category
 

The Commerce and Finance category listers are based in 19 countries, with 40 individuals from the UAE.

Among the Egyptians in the category was Jewellery designer Fatma Mostafa. Mostafa's designs have been worn by celebrities like Bella Hadid and Naomi Ackie. Since 2023, she has sold through her website and retail stores in London, Lagos, and Dubai, with her work showcased at the Brooklyn Museum and Paris Fashion Week. She also collaborated with Italian brand MAX&Co. for its Spring-Summer 2024 collection.

Fatma Youssef and Abdelrahman Youssef, the siblings who co-founded Fati's, a cloud-based donuts bakery, in November 2021. From a home stove to a two-floor facility, it now processes thousands of orders monthly and serves 6,500-7,000 customers across Cairo and Giza with a team of 55 employees.

Habiba Hany, the founder and CEO of CULT Egypt, was also on the list. Hany launched CULT Egypt in September 2021, offering coffee, matcha, bagels, and in-house ingredients. From a single shop, it now has over 10 branches across Egypt and processed 490,000 orders from January 2023 to September 2024. CULT Egypt also partners with the Misr El Kheir Foundation, donating 10 percent of its Ramadan sales to support financially struggling women.

Additionally, the list spotted Hadi Mazen, the founder and CEO of ēlancē. Mazen founded ēlancē in 2017 to offer customized furniture and fixtures for indoor and outdoor spaces.

With studios and showrooms in the UAE and Egypt and an e-commerce platform serving the GCC, the company achieved a gross merchandise value of $577,000 in 2023. It serves B2C and B2B clients, including real estate developers and design firms, and recently partnered with Holo and Kvadrat.

Social Impact category
 

Egyptians feature the most in this category, with 48 individuals, followed by 20 Lebanese and 12 Tunisians.

Egyptians listed in this category include Hazem Awad, a research associate at the University of Cambridge. Awad focuses on reducing harmful emissions from fossil fuel combustion.

During his PhD, he worked on "flameless combustion" to achieve ultra-low NOx emissions and proposed modelling equations to improve gas turbines and aircraft engines. He is collaborating with Rolls-Royce to design a hydrogen-fueled aircraft, using computational fluid dynamics to test designs for minimal emissions.

The category also included Ibrahim Zalat, a founding member of the Youth Entrepreneurs Network (YEN) and Global Young Professionals Network (GYPN). YEN, founded in 2018 and registered as an NGO in 2023, connects entrepreneurship stakeholders, while GYPN empowers young professionals.

Zalat oversees both organizations, with YEN having 160+ members and GYPN 450+ across the US, Egypt, and South Korea. YEN is funded by USAID and GYPN by the US Department of State and the US embassy in Egypt. Zalat has over 1,200 hours of social business consultation.

Mohamed Refai, the founder and host of Moghamra, was also present. In June 2023, Refai launched Moghamra, a podcast on startups and VCs in MENA, interviewing speakers from leading companies like Swvl, MaxAB, and Thndr. The podcast is expanding with Moghamra Studios, an independent production and media house sponsored by Nawy, Wuzzuf, and Forasna.

In addition, Mohamed Tarek and Naglaa Mohamed, cofounders of P-Vita, clinched a spot in the category. Tarek and Mohamed co-founded P-Vita in 2022, recycling agricultural waste into sustainable ingredients for F&B products. With five products, the company sells licenses to manufacturers and has secured over $200,000 in funding. P-Vita has 10 B2B clients, graduated from programmes like 500 Global, and holds a patent for its carbon-reducing technology.

Rigorous selection process
 

Forbes Middle East scouted the region's top young talents through market scans for outstanding young achievers and online nominations, which allowed individuals to nominate themselves or others for consideration.

It shortlisted 200 candidates, from hundreds of applications, with final selections made in collaboration with expert external judges.

Judgments considered candidates' impact on their industry, future potential, and measurable achievements, including funds raised, awards, revenues, deals, societal influence, customer base, and social media following.