G42, Diriyah put UAE, Saudi Arabia on Time’s 100 most influential firms in 2025

Dubai: Two standout companies from the Gulf — UAE-based artificial intelligence powerhouse G42 and Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Company — have been named to Time magazine’s 2025 list of the 100 Most Influential Companies in the World. It marks a historic first for the UAE, with G42 becoming the nation’s inaugural entry on the prestigious global ranking.

They join global heavyweights such as BlackRock, ByteDance, Nintendo, SoftBank, Hyundai, and Coinbase, as well as fast-rising innovators like BYD, DeepSeek, and Pop Mart — known for its collectible “ugly-cute” figurines.

G42’s inclusion comes on the heels of rapid global expansion and the launch of the largest AI infrastructure project outside the U.S. In May, the company unveiled plans for a 10-square-mile AI campus in Abu Dhabi, developed in partnership with American firms including OpenAI.

The AI zone — housing supercomputers, R&D facilities, and a science park — supports the UAE’s ambitious AI 2031 strategy, aimed at making the country a global AI superpower. G42 is also spearheading major initiatives across Europe, Kenya, and the United States, including Europe’s first giga-scale AI supercomputer.

“We don’t view other AI companies as competition, but as collaborators,” said Faheem Ahamed, G42’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer.

The company’s strategic outreach to Washington has been critical. In May, the Trump administration relaxed export restrictions, allowing U.S. firms to sell advanced AI chips to the UAE at scale — a turning point that gives the Emirates a technological edge, while also raising global debate over ethics, control, and influence in AI development.

Ahamed, however, downplays such concerns:

“My humble view is that [the] UAE has one of the strongest democratic values as a society.”

While many headlines around Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 focus on mega-cities still in planning, Diriyah Company is already delivering results. Its flagship project, Diriyah Gate, is a $63 billion cultural tourism development built around At-Turaif, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Riyadh.

“We’re embracing the modernity of technology to enhance 300 years of history,” said Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of Diriyah.

Since December, Diriyah has unveiled its first luxury resort, the Marriott Bab Samhan, and launched Diriyah Art Futures, the region’s first digital art museum. A new commercial district, Zallal, also opened, with more to come from the 37-resort masterplan scheduled through 2030.

Diriyah’s momentum has caught international attention. In May, U.S. President Donald Trump visited the site during his first overseas trip of his second term — underscoring the project's diplomatic and economic visibility. With over $1 billion in deals inked with European partners last year, the company is fast proving that Saudi’s tourism ambitions are turning from vision into reality.