Our 2020 Top Voices in the Gulf List

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, today announced the second annual Top Voices list in the Gulf, comprising 15 local experts driving today’s professional conversations. Through their posts, videos or analysis on insightful articles, these selected professionals are fostering meaningful discussions and engaging members on the platform in dialogue as well as keeping them better informed on the latest from around the region.

LinkedIn Top Voices is an annual global list that highlights and celebrates members who have made the biggest impact through their online contribution on the platform. 

So, who has been identified as a Top Voice and why? To uncover these voices, LinkedIn leveraged a combination of qualitative and quantitative signals. Lynn Chouman and Salma Altantawy, LinkedIn’s MENA editors, studied engagement among regional professionals sharing insights in their area of expertise and looked deeper into the consequent conversations they brought about, through comments and re-shares, as well as posting frequency and follower growth. As part of the qualitative analysis, LinkedIn News Editors refined and curated the list by assessing whether the contributions are insightful, conversational and timely, and whether they seek to give and get help.

Salma Altantawy, MENA News Editor at LinkedIn, said: “As a result of the pandemic, conversations and engagement across the platform significantly increased this year as members sought to utilize the platform to learn, inform, remain up to date with the latest developments and share their thoughts on topics that are important to them. At LinkedIn, we aim to foster an environment where professionals are empowered to share their expert opinions to inspire impactful conversations. The GCC region’s Top Voices 2020 list celebrates these individuals who, throughout the year, have played an influential role in this thriving social and professional community.”

This year’s Top Voices shared with LinkedIn what they talk about, and their best advice to create engaging conversations on the platform. To learn more about the people on the Top Voices list this year, click here.

The Top Voices list for 2020 in the GCC region includes:

• Alaa Alhashem, Business and Financial Advisor

• Arjun Vir Singh, Board Member, MENA Fintech Association

• Claudia Vergueiro Massei, CEO, Siemens Oman

• David Mackenzie, Group Managing Director, Mackenzie Jones Group &
  Founder, Women@Work ME

• Israa Garatli, Founder, Resume Reborn

• Loic Morel, Head of Trade Finance, Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP)

• Lucy Chow, Senator representing UAE, World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF)

• Maisa Al-Haddad, Vice President, Treasury Investment, Gulf International Bank

• Mo Ali Yusuf, Regional Manager, Checkout.com

• Nada AlHarthi, Vice President of Business Affairs, Zain KSA

• Najla Al-Midfa, CEO, Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa)

• Nimer Yasin, Digital Payments Business Leader

• Riyadh Al-Najjar, KSA Country Leader - Transformation Management Leader, PwC Middle East

• Robert Abboud, MENA Financial Services Market Segment Leader, EY

• Zeta Yarwood, Executive Personal Development & Career Coach

The list shines a spotlight on the diversity, relevance and thought leadership that prevails on the platform. It measured all sharing activity over a period of 12 months between October 1 2019, and September 30, 2020. To ensure fairness and transparency, all LinkedIn Lists exclude LinkedIn and Microsoft employees, while Top Voices honorees from 2019 were excluded from consideration in order to highlight new voices.