Each year, Forbes recognizes the region’s “most promising young talent.” This year, the magazine featured young people who are affecting the Middle East market with their outstanding achievements.
After receiving over 400 applications, Forbes Middle East researchers chose the candidates based on the impact that the candidates had on their industry, market, or society, as well as their future potential.
The team also looked at how much the candidates raised funds, the awards won, revenues, the number of people impacted, and the number of social media followers.
Additionally, Forbes’ 2022 list featured 35 individuals from 13 nationalities, with 12 based in Egypt, 10 in the UAE., 5 in Lebanon, and 3 in Saudi Arabia.
Meet the 6 young Lebanese entries on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list:
Mohamad Bekdache
In 2016, 29-years-old Mohamad Bekdache cofounded the eco-friendly notebook brand Dingbats* Notebooks.
Since then, the brand has grown to include pens and backpacks and with sales channels in the UK, Europe, Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and even the Far East. In 2021, the company was valued at $9.5 million.
Elie El Khoury and Rudy Wehbe
Featured in the Creative category, Elie El Khoury and Rudy Wehbe co-founded the creative agency Digital SocioPath in Lebanon in 2019.
The company’s augmented reality filters help brands, public figures, and celebrities find new ways to engage with their customers and fans.
Focusing on digital services, such as social media, augmented reality, and branding, the two have worked with renowned brands, namely McDonald’s, Elie Saab, Bioderma, and Expo 2020 Dubai, as well with many celebrities, including Elissa, Nadine Njeim, and Najwa Karam.
El Khoury and Wehbe also launched their second agency, MetaPath, specializing in creating virtual worlds for their international clientele.
Ramzi Mallat
Aged 26 years of age, Lebanese Ramzi Mallat is one of the youngest artists to have a solo exhibition in the UNESCO Palace, Beirut.
His art was showcased at the Cervantes Institute in Beirut, and he collaborated with the Arab Foundation for Freedom and Equality for a group exhibition in Cyprus.
Ramzi is now completing his master’s degree at the Royal College of Art in London and finalizing a short documentary highlighting the socio-economic crisis in Lebanon.
The young Lebanese artist has also been selected for the upcoming artist residency with the “Nirox Foundation” in Johannesburg, South Africa, which will be held in July 2023.
He currently has solo exhibitions in London with the Danuser & Ramirez Gallery and will also showcase his art at the P21 Gallery in October 2023.
Wadah Malaeb
Listed in the Impact category, Wadah Malaeb founded DLOC Biosystems in 2017. DLOC Biosystems is a biotech startup developing new technologies to predict drug failure in human trials, to enable preclinical trials on-chip, and to make it cheaper and safer.
In the future, the “Organ-On-Chip” also aims to replace animal testing.
In 2020, Wadah Malaeb won the Top Innovator title in the grand finale of Stars of Science Season 12 for his innovative idea.
Jad Antoun
The 28-years-old Jad Antoun is the co-founder and CEO of Huspy. Launched in 2020, Huspy aims at supporting home buyers throughout their purchase journey, from finding a property to finances and closing deals.
The company also raised $37 million in funding and launched its property listing in 2022. Recently, Huspy also opened its first overseas office in Spain.
In previous years, Jad also worked with a healthcare startup in the US before returning to the Middle East to join BECO Capital.
