For all Gulf countries, you'll find the power within the large corporate Boardrooms. Boardrooms are composed of various representatives from the region's various financial families.
Of the more than 600 companies that are considered to be in possession of power and governance within the region, 3.500 board seats are controlled by various financial families, of the total 4.200 board records.
In a survey conducted by the UAE's financial group in 2008, The National Investor (TNI) the result was the following, where weighted value is represented by how many board seats the family holds within a total of more than 600 large companies surveyed.
Abu Dhabi, Top 10 Families (unweighted):
Qassimi, Dhaheri, Mazroei, Qubaisi, Suwaidi, Khoury, Rumaithi, Muhairi, Shamsi and Hosani.
Abu Dhabi, Top 10 Families (weighted by market value)
Suwaidi, Dhaheri, Hajeri, Qassimi, Nahyan (Rulers), Otaiba, Mazrouei, Omran, Rostomani, Sayegh.
Bahrain, Top 10 Families (unweighted):
Fakhro, Kanoo, Moayyed, Khalifa (Rulers), Amin, Buhindi, Jalal, Murad, Nass, Sabah.
Bahrain, Top 10 Families (weighted by market value)
Mashani, Mazrouq, Meer, Faivre, Harthy, Khalili, Murshidi, Razak, Yahyai.
Dubai, Top 10 Families (unweighted)
Ghurair, Mulla, Futtaim, Sari, Jallaf, Kazim, Lootah, Mazrouei, Shamsi, Maktoum (Rulers).
Dubai, Top 10 Families (weighted by market value)
Ghurair, Shamsi, Lootah, Shaibani, Ba'alawy, Alabbar, Matrooshi, Belhoul, Jawa, Mohannadi.
Kuwait, Top 10 Families (unweighted)
Sabah (Rulers), Ghanim, Kharafi, Wazzan, Sultan, Behbahani, Bahar, Mazrouk, Shaya, Mutawa.
Kuwait, Top 10 Families (weighted by market value)
Kharafi, Sabah (Rulers), Bahar, Rashed, Behbahani, Fulaij, Ghanim, Marafi, Sultan, Nafisi.
Omani, Top 10 Families (unweighted)
Shanfari, Rawas, Sultan, Lawati, Mashani, Busaidi (Rulers), Harthy, Saleh, Zawawi, Hassan.
Omani, Top 10 Families (weighted by market value)
Harthy, Mashani, Zadjali, Razak, Yahyai, Khalili, Faivre, Murshidi, Abduwani, Nahari.
Qatar, Top 10 Families (unweighted)
Thani (Rulers), Mana, Attiya, Saad, Ali Naimi, Mannai, Mohannadi, Ansari, Sulaiti.
Qatar, Top 10 Families (weighted by market value)
Thani (Rulers), Mohannadi, Attiya, Suwaidi, Kamal, Ibrahim, Salat, Mana, Hitmi, Fardan.
Saudi Arabia, Top 10 Families (unweighted)
Rajhi, Issa, Zamil, Rashid, Saleh, Babtain, Subaei, Turki, Agil, Drees.
Saudi Arabia, Top 10 Families (weighted by market value)
Rajdhi, Issa, Mady, Saud (Rulers), Abanumay, Faris, Hakami, Husseini, Omran, Rashid.
Cecilia Helland