Essa Faqeeh, Chief Executive of Bahrain-based Areen Hospitality, has been included in Forbes Middle East’s 2026 list of the region’s Top 100 Travel and Tourism Leaders.
Forbes Middle East placed Faqeeh at No. 69 on the list, in the Hotels and Resorts category.
Faqeeh joined Areen Hospitality in 2017 and became chief executive in 2023, according to Forbes Middle East.
The publication said Areen Hospitality operates Janat Dilmun Waterpark and Pearlhouse Bahrain Harbour and provides asset-management and consultancy services to properties operated by international hospitality brands.
Forbes reported that the group served about 250,000 customers in 2025.
Faqeeh’s professional background spans more than three decades in tourism and hospitality, according to Biz Bahrain. His experience includes project development, hotel and tourism asset management, hotel classification systems and tourism-performance indicators.
In addition to his role at Areen Hospitality, Forbes lists him as an adviser to the president of the Arab Tourism Organization and a board member of Exhibition World Bahrain, Al Areen Palace & Spa Co. and Surf Park Bahrain.
The ranking comes as Bahrain and the wider Gulf continue to invest in tourism infrastructure, hotels, events and destination development as part of broader economic-diversification strategies.
Forbes Middle East’s 2026 tourism list includes executives from hotels, airlines, airports, tourism authorities, destination developers and travel-services companies.
The publication said its assessment considers factors including business scale, revenues, investments, assets, regional presence and growth, as well as executives’ responsibilities, initiatives, experience and contribution to the wider sector.
Forbes also described the Middle East’s travel and tourism industry as a growing contributor to regional economies, with investment continuing across hospitality, aviation and destination development.
Faqeeh’s inclusion is an individual industry recognition rather than a regulatory award or government appointment.
For Areen Hospitality, the listing provides regional visibility for the company and its chief executive within a ranking that includes leaders of much larger aviation, hotel and destination organisations.
The practical significance for Bahrain lies in the representation of locally based hospitality leadership on a regional industry list.
Future performance will still be measured by business outcomes, project delivery, visitor demand and the development of Bahrain’s tourism and hospitality market rather than by the ranking alone.