Rabat – Forbes Middle East has unveiled its “30 Under 30 2023” list, recognizing individuals under the age of 30 in the Middle East and North Africa region who have made significant achievements in their respective fields.
The list featured seven Moroccans, who were put in the spotlight for their contributions and potential in areas such as entertainment, technology, finance, and more.
Azzedine Ounahi
The list included Moroccan football player Azzedine Ounahi, who plays as an attacking midfielder for the national team and for Ligue 1 club Marseille.
The 23-year-old footballer played a crucial role in Morocco’s fairytale journey to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Ounahi featured in the list’s entertainment category.
Sofyan Amrabat
The list also featured Moroccan player Sofyan Amrabat in the entertainment category. The 27-year-old footballer plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United.
Like Ounahi, Amrabat greatly contributed to Morocco’s success at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Faouzia Ouihya
The entertainment category also featured Moroccan-Canadian singer Faouzia Ouihya, known by her stage name Faouzia.
The 23-year-old singer rose to fame in recent years, with her songs garnering more than 1.1 billion global streams to date. Her song “RIP, Love” garnered over 107 million worldwide streams since its release in March 2022.
Zineb Wakrim
Moroccan filmmaker Zineb Wakrim also made it to the Forbes list’s entertainment category.
She became the first female Moroccan filmmaker to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival in 2023. Her short film Ayyur won the third prize in the 2023 La Cinef, held as part of the 76th Cannes Film Festival.
Malak Bennani
Meanwhile, the Co-founder of eyewear brand LNKO, Malak Bennani, featured in the Commerce and Finance category. She founded LNKO with her sister Maha in 2020.
The company currently has 12 points of sale and plans to open three stores in Morocco by the end of 2023. With over 70,000 clients from 24 countries, the company is currently expanding in the West African market.
Zakaria Azemzi & Abdelaziz El Aiachi
The science and technology category featured Zakaria Azemzi and Abdelaziz El Aiachi, co-founders of AZA Petrosolutions.
The company specializes in creating software and hardware solutions for the petroleum industry. The duo have developed a system that uses data analytics to optimize fuel consumption and reduce waste and costs for businesses.
This year’s 30 Under 30 list featured 120 entries across four categories, including social impact, with 30 entries each.
Egypt dominated the list with 44 individuals, followed by Saudi Arabia (15), Lebanon (14), the UAE (13), and Jordan (10).
