Explore the Fast Company Middle East’s Most Innovative Companies 2025 list, featuring 56 winning entries reshaping businesses and industries. We’ve selected the companies making the most significant impact with their initiatives across 24 categories, including the most innovative AI and data science, sustainability, energy, finance & fintech, and women-backed companies.

AI and data science are transforming the way businesses operate and innovate. By analyzing vast amounts of data, companies can uncover insights that drive smarter decisions and identify opportunities before they arise. These companies are leveraging AI, predictive analytics, and machine learning to automate processes, deliver hyper-personalized experiences, and transform complex problems into actionable strategies, thereby staying ahead in a competitive world.

ADNOC Distribution

For redefining mobility with AI and sustainability

ADNOC Distribution is transforming from a traditional fuel retailer into a future-ready, AI-native mobility and convenience company. Over the past year, it has advanced more than 20 AI-driven initiatives across logistics, operations, and customer analytics, launched the next-generation Oasis by ADNOC stores, and expanded its E2GO charging network to 368 renewable-powered fast chargers. ADNOC Rewards program, with over 2.5 million members, is now the region’s largest fuel and mobility loyalty ecosystem, driving double-digit growth in non-fuel retail. ADNOC Distribution’s innovation is grounded in sustainability, targeting a 25 percent reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 and maintaining a 71 percent in-country value contribution. 

e&

For shaping an AI-powered digital future

In the past year, e& has accelerated its transformation into a global technology powerhouse, driving the UAE’s AI ambitions. With over 1,100 AI use cases deployed, the company has embedded AI across operations, customer experience, and connectivity. Its autonomous retail platform, EASE, delivers fully paperless and cashless transactions, eliminating queues and redefining the telecom retail experience. e& Wider Web, the AI-powered autism-friendly browser extension, now supports more than 67,000 people in the UAE, advancing digital inclusion at scale. In financial services, AI-driven onboarding cuts processing time from 30 days to two minutes, achieving near-zero fraud and setting new benchmarks for efficiency. AI-powered network optimization reduced energy consumption across 5G and fiber infrastructure, enhancing environmental performance. Through purposeful technology and inclusive design, e& continues to expand access and accelerate innovation.

IBM

For developing AI technologies tailored to regional needs

IBM continues to strengthen its role as a trusted AI partner in the Middle East, driving digital transformation through enterprise-ready AI solutions, advanced infrastructure, and large-scale skills development. The company launched ALLaM, an Arabic large language model, on watsonx and made it available to government entities via DEEM Cloud, while establishing a Software Lab in Riyadh to develop AI technologies tailored to regional needs. Through its Client Zero program, IBM applied AI internally, saving 3.9 million employee hours in 2024 and generating $4.5 billion in productivity gains since January 2023. Collaborations with e&, Riyadh Air, and Al Rajhi Capital have delivered measurable business results, including a 1,000% increase in mutual fund onboarding and 40 percent growth in brokerage volumes. 

L’Oréal Middle East

For driving AI-powered personalization, efficiency, and sustainable marketing 

L’Oréal Middle East has made AI the core of its marketing and media strategy, enabling campaigns to respond in real time to consumer behavior. Across platforms like Meta Advantage+, Google Performance Max, TikTok Smart+, and Snapchat, AI powers predictive planning, creative selection, and audience targeting, delivering measurable results including higher conversion rates, lower acquisition costs, and improved return on ad spend. YSL Beauty campaigns and Copilot AI automation have showcased the impact of AI in streamlining workflows and maximizing performance. This combination of AI-driven personalization, operational efficiency, employee development, and environmental responsibility positions L’Oréal Middle East as a leader in innovative marketing in the region.

PureHealth

For transforming preventive healthcare with AI-driven longevity insights

Pura, the digital health arm of PureHealth, has evolved into the region’s first AI-powered healthspan platform, combining clinical intelligence, behavioral science, and real-time data to promote healthier, longer lives. The Pura AI Engine 2.0 analyzes millions of data points from wearables, health records, and lifestyle inputs to generate the PureScore, predicting users’ healthy years and providing personalized guidance. Innovations such as FitCoin rewards and Mental Wellbeing programs boosted engagement by 37% and drove measurable lifestyle improvements, including reduced LDL cholesterol and HbA1c levels. By integrating predictive AI, adaptive nutrition recommendations, and gamified incentives, Pura empowers individuals to make informed health decisions while supporting social and economic sustainability, thereby reducing disease burden and healthcare costs, and aligning with the UAE’s national strategy for longevity-focused healthcare.

ZainTECH

For driving AI-powered cybersecurity, data innovation, and digital transformation 

ZainTECH has advanced the adoption of AI and data-driven solutions, embedding intelligence at the core of digital services across industries. Its AI-powered Managed Security Operations (SecOps) platform combines machine learning, regional threat intelligence, and human oversight to automate 80 percent of threat triage, reduce alert fatigue by 65%, and accelerate response times from hours to minutes, enhancing enterprise cybersecurity across the region. Beyond security, ZainTECH has implemented AI and data governance frameworks, explored non-traditional data sources, and developed tools such as the Regulatory AI platform to streamline compliance workflows. The company also fosters innovation through university partnerships, internships, and competitions, such as the ZainTECH Data Challenge, engaging students and emerging talent in practical AI projects. By combining operational efficiency, human-AI collaboration, and regional contextualization, ZainTECH delivers a sustainable technological impact, empowering clients, communities, and the broader digital ecosystem.