Every year, The Known List highlights ten leaders whose work says something important about where the world — and especially this region — is heading.
This isn’t a celebrity list.
It’s a signal.
These are people who turn policy into lives changed, technology into healthcare, science into hope, and platforms into real opportunities for others. Many of them are still early in their journeys. All of them are already shaping the conversation — in boardrooms, labs, courts, arenas, and global forums.
Here are The Known List 10 — emerging leaders to watch this year.
1. Fouz AlZahrani – The Strategist of Culture-Led Branding
Fouz AlZahrani works at the intersection of national identity, culture, and strategic communication. Her work in branding and positioning helps institutions tell stories that feel both globally relevant and deeply rooted in Saudi culture.
She represents a new kind of communicator: not just managing campaigns, but helping define how a country introduces itself to the world.
Why she’s on the list: Because the future of influence belongs to those who can turn culture into strategy — and strategy into trust.
Quote mindset: “Branding isn’t decoration. It’s how a nation explains its values in a single sentence.”
2. Showg AlBarjas – A Rising Voice in Cultural Diplomacy
Showg AlBarjas is part of the generation turning culture, soft power, and international relations into a lived practice, not an abstract concept. Her work in cultural diplomacy reflects how exhibitions, dialogues, and public programs can shift perceptions of an entire country.
She speaks the language of policy and the language of people — equally comfortable in formal forums and community spaces.
Why she’s on the list: Because in an age of polarization, cultural diplomats are often the quiet bridge-builders we never see on the front page.
Her mindset: “If you tell your own story well enough, you don’t need to correct anyone else’s version.”
3. Maha AlAbduljabbar – Strategy, Innovation, and Youth Leadership
A consultant, global youth representative, and innovation advocate, Maha AlAbduljabbar embodies the hybrid leader: part strategist, part bridge between global platforms and local impact. Her profile highlights work in consulting, cultural representation, and social change, positioning her as one of the young Saudis helping reframe how the Kingdom is understood abroad.
Why she’s on the list: Because the most important conversations about the future are happening where policy, business, and culture overlap — and that’s exactly where she operates.
Her mindset: “The point isn’t to be the only young person in the room — it’s to make sure you won’t be the last.”
4. Rayyanah Barnawi – From Cancer Research Labs to Space
Rayyanah Barnawi made history as the first Saudi and Arab Muslim woman to travel to space, serving as a mission specialist on Axiom Mission 2 to the International Space Station. There, she conducted microgravity experiments in cancer and immune-cell research, after nearly a decade working in biomedical science at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre.
After the mission, she helped launch BioGravity, a microgravity bioscience platform that connects space research with local health and education initiatives.
Why she’s on the list: Because she turned a spaceflight into a classroom for thousands of students — and a catalyst for an entire region’s scientific ambition.
Her mindset: “Dream big, believe in humanity.”
5. Jana AlRifi – Engineering a Sustainable Future
Jana AlRifi represents the sharp, science-driven face of the next generation. An Electrical & Electronics Engineering student at Penn State, she has already contributed to projects at NEOM, KAUST, and King Saud University around energy, sustainability, and advanced technology.
Her research into hydrogen, renewable energy, and solar efficiency has earned her international recognition, including the Ricoh Sustainable International Development Award and a gold medal at ITEX Malaysia for an innovation in green hydrogen production.
She recently addressed the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York, symbolizing how young Saudi researchers are stepping directly into global policy conversations.
Why she’s on the list: Because she shows what it looks like when a science fair project turns into global advocacy — and real solutions for the energy transition.
Her mindset: “My research is not just a paper — it’s a proposal for how we could live differently.”
6. Noor Binsaleh – Redefining Youth Leadership Through Law and Sport
At just 19, Noor Binsaleh is already combining law, sports, and global leadership in one profile. She studies Law and International Relations at Alfaisal University, while holding leadership roles in student legal associations and external affairs.
On the court and in the arena, she’s a professional tennis player who represented Saudi Arabia at the WTA Finals Riyadh 2024, and a competitive show jumper under the Saudi Equestrian Federation.
She’s also part of global networks like Tomouh and a Friend of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers, taking Saudi youth perspectives into international dialogues.
Why she’s on the list: Because she proves that modern leadership is multi-lane — one person can drive change in law, sport, and global youth spaces at the same time.
Her mindset: “Youth isn’t a waiting room. It’s a launchpad.”
7. Dr. Dana Al Sulaiman – Bioengineer of the Future
Dr. Dana Al Sulaiman is an assistant professor at KAUST, leading the BioMAD Lab and working on next-generation biosensing technologies for early cancer and chronic disease detection.
Her journey runs from Imperial College London (MEng & PhD) to an MIT postdoctoral fellowship, where she helped pioneer barcode-inspired diagnostic tests that make cancer screening cheaper and more accessible.
She has been recognized with major awards, including the L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science Regional Young Talent Award and global recognition for a non-invasive cancer sensor that won a Best Inventor Award in Geneva in 2025.
Why she’s on the list: Because she is turning nanoscale science into real-world tools that could change how millions of people are diagnosed and treated.
Her mindset: “If we can move diagnosis earlier, we don’t just extend lives — we rewrite what a disease means for a family.”
8. Mishaal Ashemimry – The Aerospace Pioneer Opening Space for a Region
Mishaal Ashemimry is widely recognized as the first female aerospace engineer in the GCC and the first Saudi woman to join NASA-linked projects.
She founded MISHAAL Aerospace at 26 to design rockets for launching small satellites, worked as a space nuclear power and propulsion consultant at Northrop Grumman, and today serves as Vice President of the International Astronautical Federation for diversity initiatives and special advisor to the CEO of the Saudi Space Agency.
Beyond her technical work, she uses social media and public talks to normalize the idea that Arab and Gulf youth can lead in space, not just watch from afar.
Why she’s on the list: Because she turned a childhood dream under the desert sky into a national and regional space agenda.
Her mindset: “Failure is the seed from which success grows.”
9. Dunya Abutaleb – Fighting Her Way into History
Dunya Abutaleb is the first Saudi woman to medal at the World Taekwondo Championships and the first to qualify for the Olympics in taekwondo on merit, later becoming one of the top five in her category at Paris 2024.
Her career began training in private spaces when opportunities for women in sport were limited. From there, she climbed to:
- Gold at the Asian Taekwondo Championships 2024
- Gold at the Australia Open 2024
- Bronze at the World Taekwondo Championships 2022
- A historic role as one of Saudi Arabia’s Olympic flagbearers.
She was later honored with the IOC Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Award for Asia, recognizing her as both an athlete and an advocate for gender equality in sport.
Why she’s on the list: Because she turned a once-impossible path into a clear route for the next generation of Saudi girls in sport.
Her mindset: “First, I win for myself. Then I win for Saudi Arabia.”
10. Dima Malibary – The Brand Architect Behind Next-Generation Destinations
Who she is
Dima Malibary is a senior brand leader whose career spans nearly two decades across the Gulf. Currently Senior Brand Manager at Qiddiya, she stands as a powerful example of how brand management and innovation can drive national transformation.
With a background in Design Management from the American University of Sharjah, she has built a career at the crossroads of design, culture, tourism, and strategy.
What she’s working on
At Qiddiya, one of the Kingdom’s flagship entertainment, sports, and culture destinations under Vision 2030, she is responsible for crafting a brand that is not just visually compelling, but emotionally resonant — bridging Saudi heritage with a bold, future-focused identity.
Before Qiddiya, she spent 14 years at the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), rising from Creative and Brand Manager to Acting Marketing Director. There, she helped shape regional brands and major initiatives like the Sharjah International Book Fair and Knowledge Without Borders, strengthening Sharjah’s position as a cultural capital.
As a Certified Innovation Strategist and former Innovation Manager, she also led the creation of the first Innovation Center in the Emirate of Sharjah, building ideation labs, training programs, and internal cultures of creativity.
Why she’s on the list
Because she embodies the shift from “marketing as promotion” to branding as nation-building — proving that destinations like Qiddiya are not just physical projects, but narratives that can inspire future generations and attract the world’s attention.
Mindset in one line
“My role is to help build a foundation that the next generation can stand on, not a campaign that ends after a season.” (spirit).
What This List Means
The Known List 10 isn’t about perfection or pedestal-building.
It’s about evidence:
- That youth isn’t a pre-leadership phase — it is leadership.
- That science, sport, policy, and storytelling are all part of the same transformation.
- That the Arab world, and especially Saudi Arabia, is producing leaders whose work speaks to global challenges, not just local ones.
These ten leaders are not the only names to watch. But if you want to understand where this generation is heading — and where leadership is going next — this is a powerful place to start.
And next year, ten new names will join them.