RONALDO MOUCHAWAR

CEO, SOUQ.COM ORIGIN SYRIA RESIDENCE UAE SECTOR RETAIL/TECHNOLOGY 2016 RANK 48

This year could be a game-changer for Souq.com. As the Arab world’s biggest e-commerce platform – and possibly its biggest website – seeks new investment and even a buyout valuing the firm at more than $1bn. It seems light years away from when CEO Ronaldo Mouchawar co-founded Souq with Samih Toukan and Hussam Khoury as a small auction site on the now non-existent Maktoob portal in 2005. Fast-forward 12 years and the site receives 368 million monthly page views and last year generated $275m in funding from investors.