Eight Qatar-based companies have been listed among the Forbes' Top 100 Arab Family Businesses 2023

Eight Qatar-based businesses have been included to Forbes' Top 100 Arab Family Businesses 2023 list. This year's firms include Al Faisal Holding (Rank 10), Power International Holding (Rank 13), Alfardan Group (Rank 17), Darwish Holding (Rank 57), Almana Group (Rank 69), Abu Issa Holding (Rank 96), Ali Bin Ali Holding (Rank 97), and Al Muftah Group (Rank 100). According to Forbes, most of the top family-owned firms in the Middle East began as dealers, agents, or distributors for foreign companies, with the most successful organisations developing by adding new services and industries to their portfolios. However, more family firms appear to be attempting to utilise the region's stock exchanges for expansion recently.

The list contains enterprises owned or controlled by Arab families, based on data gathered from stock exchanges, consulting company reports, and other original sources. The companies were ranked based on the size and value of the businesses they own, including listed entities, real estate and hospitality assets, and revenues from other holdings, their business activity in the previous year, the sectors and geographies into which they diversified, the performance of their key businesses and the sectors in which they operate, the company's legacy, and the total number of employees it recruits.

Darwish Holding and Ali Bin Ali are the only two firms on the list that were on the previous year's list, which contained seven companies.

Forbes reported in a brief summary of each of the listed firms that Al Faisal Holding, which was rated ninth last year, has over 50 companies working across eight industries. Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company (ARTIC), the group's hospitality arm, operates 35 hotels and projects in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. ARTIC and JW Marriott announced the completion of the first stage of the makeover of the JW Marriott Hotel Berlin in January 2023. It went on to say that Al Faisal Holding's Chairman, Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, was worth $1.7 billion as of July 4, 2023.

Power International Holding (PIH) is a diverse corporate organisation with operations in construction, agriculture and food, real estate, and healthcare, according to Forbes. It has a workforce of 65,000 workers. The firm maintained its ranking of 13 from the previous year. In June 2023, PIH signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China International Capital Corporation and Baiterek National in Kazakhstan. The company intends to grow into Saudi Arabia, Algeria, the Maldives, Antigua, and the Seychelles.

Al Fardan Group recorded the greatest increase in its rating among Qatari firms, rising to 17 from 33 last year. According to Forbes, Alfardan Group is one of the top family companies in Qatar, with operations in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Turkey, and Switzerland.

Jewellery, financial services, property development, automotive, hotel, maritime, agricultural, and medical services are all part of the group's portfolio. Alfardan Group established cooperation with Google Cloud in October 2022 to help the group's digital transformation. Alfardan Group commits to its principles-based approach to sustainability as a member of the United Nations Global Compact.

Abdullah Darwish and his brothers, Kassem and Abdulrahman, created Darwish Holding (Rank 57) in the 1900s. Today, the group employs over 1,700 people who represent over 800 big brands. It comprises nine segments, including retail, malls, real estate, and technology. Its retail sector includes mono brands as well as Fifty One East, Qatar's oldest, which sells luxury labels such as Boucheron, CHANEL, Givenchy, Rolex, and TUDOR. 

The company also owns Lagoona Mall, which has 160 retailers. Darwish Tower, a $400 million investment, is the group's biggest real estate landmark. Fnac, Sony, Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Yamaha, iSpace, Promethean, Hisense, and other worldwide companies are represented by Darwish Holding's technology branch.

Al Mana Group, which was placed 74 last year, has risen a few points to 69 this year. Since its inception as a trading company in 1960, the Group has grown into automobile distribution and services, real estate, investments, retail, food and beverage, engineering, technology, media, and entertainment. The automotive branch of Almana Group represents some of the world's most recognisable brands, including Ford, Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge.

Abu Issa Group In 1981, Abu Issa Holding introduced its first concept, Blue Salon. The company now operates in nine countries and 11 industries, including retail, distribution, telecommunications, information technology, energy and engineering, construction support services, investment, real estate, and marketing. The firm plans to establish an EX NIHILO PARIS flagship shop in Qatar in 2022.

In 1945, ABA Holding began importing international items into Qatar. It is now one of the leading retail and distribution enterprises in the nation, with operations in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Europe. It employs over 5,000 people and operates over 400 brands. Fashion, property management, hospitality, luxury, lifestyle, manufacturing, medical, and information technology are some of the industries in which the corporation works. The corporation owns Monoprix in Qatar as well as the 21 High Street shopping mall. It also has a plastic bottle manufacturing plant, as well as a water treatment unit and a separate bottling and packaging business.

In 1963, the Almuftah Group began selling phonograph records, and in 1968, it opened a tyre showroom. It now employs approximately 6,000 people in a variety of industries, including engineering and construction, tourism, education, industrial equipment, automotive, restaurants and catering, consumer electronics, wellness, and trade. In Qatar, Almuftah Audio Visual is the sole authorised distributor of SHARP goods. Altadamon Motors and Trading is a Toyota and Lexus authorised sub-dealer. In 1991, the group founded the English Modern School.