Moroccan Achraf Hakimi is one of the notable athletes on the Forbes 2019 list for the Middle East, an Arab 30 under 30 ranking.
Rabat – Representing Morocco, Achraf Hakimi is one of the athletes from Forbes 2019 list for the Middle East, which is a 30 under 30 ranking of Arabs who have “secured remarkable achievements on a global stage.”
Hakimi is a 20-year-old footballer who plays for both the Moroccan National Team and Borussia Dortmund. Though he lives in Germany, he was born in Madrid to Moroccan parents.
Hakimi joined Real Madrid’s youth setup in 2006, aged eight. In 2017, Hakimi was promoted to the main squad. A year later, German club Borussia Dortmund signed him on a two-year loan deal. Achraf made his full international debut for Morocco in 2016 and was selected CAF Youth Player of the Year in 2018.
Forbes publishes the annual list to recognize the region’s youth, who “are advancing in fields as diverse as science, business, sports, arts, and culture—transforming the Middle East into a promising economic hub of the future. Forbes Middle East’s latest list has tried to capture the essence of this by ranking some of the young achievers.”
More about the list – who makes the cut
The Middle East’s 30 under 30 were all under the age of 30 as of February 1, 2019, and are either in residence in an Arab country or have Arab heritage. So, for example, South Korean entrepreneur Shane (You Keun) Shin of Shorooq Investments made the list as he lives in the UAE, where he has helped to shape the venture capital landscape.
Forbes elaborates, “We also have people of Arab origin who reside abroad like Lebanese national Marwan Aboudib, who is based in Massachusetts, US, but has whipped up a solid reputation in designing smart cities across the world.”
The ranking this year includes individuals from 14 sectors, hailing from 15 countries: “From world champions to CEOs leading high-growth businesses, these 30-somethings have left an indelible mark in the economy. Their technological innovations have closed a market gap or have created a niche concept that has earned global acclaim.”
“To formulate this list, we sent out questionnaires to a pool of achievers who nominated themselves,” Forbes details. After collecting the nominations, researchers calculated their impact on the world.
The methodology behind the list factored in remarkable accomplishments: “Their level of achievement in their respective fields was measured through the number of accolades they have received for their achievements, their annual turnover and the investment they have received.”
Factors include disruption, or “how they changed their traditional industry”, future prospects, and media coverage (traditional and social media).
The Middle East is among the few regions in the world with a sizeable young population. “Governments are devising various strategies to utilize this youth bulge and transform them into a growth engine.”
To realize that aim, nations are “investing heavily in upskilling the youth” while also encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship.
Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 for 2019 is now narrowing down nominations in order to compile its list. The publication is yet to produce its ranking of “resilient self-starters, innovators, entrepreneurs, and disruptors who have the acumen to stay the course in their chosen field.”
