Kingdom Holdings named as most admired Arab company

In placing Kingdom first, the magazine pointed to Kingdom's diverse investment portfolio, its rapid expansion strategy and the 'stunning' financial results of Kingdom Hotels Investments, which has posted a 68% increase in revenues and 24% increase in profits.

'Defining and ranking the 50 Most Admired Arab Companies has been a difficult task involving the input of correspondents and researchers from across the Arab World and beyond, but we believe we have arrived at a definitive classification of the region's most iconic, respected and trusted enterprises,' said Arabian Business editor James Bennett.

Other key companies that made it to the list include new entry Air Arabia, which enters the list at No. 20; home furnishing retailer The One, a relatively small company which has built a larger than life reputation and brand, in at 49 and Al Jazeera television at No. 11. The list contains a mix of public and private companies in the Arab World, ranging in size from $20 million to $20 billion.