We're in a post-pandemic world. As far as business planning and innovation go, many companies appear to be ill-equipped to thrive as they confront practical and existential challenges. But some have survived, and a select few are defining this period, reshaping their businesses. And those are the companies we're honoring on our annual list of the Most Innovative Companies 2022.

From the agritech firm behind growing drought-tolerant crops, enabling greater production, improving food security and sustainability (RedSea and Pure Harvest Farms) and a real estate startup developing proprietary tech to create a transactional platform that lets users participate in every stage of the home-buying process (Huspy) to a startup making learning finance a stimulating experience, the Fast Company Middle East' Most Innovative Companies addresses a society that is reinventing. Many of them pioneered business models that are now accelerating: Cafu and JustLife DMCC, for example, are disrupting the on-demand service economy in new directions.


To determine the list, Fast Company Middle East's editors mined several hundreds of nominations from companies that embody innovative and creative problem-solving. Here are the ones that rose above and the business trends they're advancing.

  • Winners

To improve customer experience and last-mile transformation, Aramex has implemented frictionless and contactless delivery, and boosted digital touchpoints to optimize delivery routes and shorten delivery times.

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Asharq News offers continuous insights into the people, events, organizations, and ideas that impact the MENA region and international markets through a dedicated television channel and multiple digital platforms.

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Aster DM Healthcare was one of the first private healthcare players in the UAE to introduce telehealth ensuring the best critical care experts from different countries could come together to provide medical care to critically ill patients.

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Augustus Media built the first-of-its-kind immersive digital media studio in Dubai Production City, equipped with a VR room and a fully-automated cloud-based production broadcast television studio.

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Making learning fun, Dubai-based financial training platform Balinca's innovative financial training methodology allows companies to use their human capital for a better turnover. The edtech company uses an innovative board game simulation to teach finance.

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Barakat Group is developing new products in the health and wellness space, sourcing local produce. The company scouts for the finest products through its global sourcing network, pioneered cold chain management in the UAE.

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BitOasis has pioneered making the buying and selling of crypto assets easier, safer, and quicker for users across the Middle East and North Africa. Users can grow and manage their crypto portfolios without complexity on BitOasis' Lite platform.

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As the MENA region's first on-demand car service designed to meet the consumer's needs, CAFU has evolved to become the app of choice to streamline car ownership.

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Being a key player in the luxury market across the Middle East, Chalhoub Group rolled out programs to empower local designers, accelerate startups, and encourage women leaders.

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Crayon has leveraged AI-powered technology to accelerate digital transformation, providing end-to-end solutions.

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Dulsco has diverted more than 1.1 million tonnes of waste for Dubai Expo 2020 by creating a three-bin stream system that separated waste into landfill waste, mixed recyclables, and organic waste. It has commissioned a material recovery facility in Dubai to sort multiple waste.

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It has taken the lead as the region's first fuel retailer to employ solar-powered service stations to introduce the future-forward service station. To reduce environmental footprint and enhance fuel efficiency, ENOC promotes products and services that meet these goals.

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FIVE Hotels and Resorts, which includes FIVE Palm Jumeirah and FIVE Jumeirah Village, has been rewriting the rules of hospitality and is a culinary destination with a range of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.

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GMG has redesigned to promote healthier and active lifestyles through its business verticals. The global well-being retailer has expanded its footprint across the MENA region by collaborating with multinational conglomerates.

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Deploying scalable Al solutions and harnessing Big Data, G42 unlocks the potential of personalized and preventive care in the UAE and beyond. It launched Research Organization and Solutions in the UAE.

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Huspy uses technology to create a transactional platform that lets users participate in every stage of the home-buying process--from finding a property to financing it.

Read More

IBM is focused on artificial intelligence to create efficient processes, augment human capabilities, and improve business outcomes, generating critical insights through natural language processing, and fostering trust in outcomes derived from AI.

Read More

To create unique homegrown food concepts that bring people together, the UAE-based Independent Food Company currently operates four F&B brands across the Middle East — Salt, Switch, Parker's, and Dubai-based coffee concept Grind.

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With the UAE's on-demand home services market expanding due to increased service options, Justlife has grown from offering cleaning services to various home services and ranking among the Middle East's fastest-growing technology companies.

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From AI skin diagnostics to augmented reality shopping experiences, L'Oréal has been striving to bring immersive beauty technologies across its product portfolio.

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Dubai-based Mamo, a peer-to-peer payment app, simplifies fund transfers by making payments instant. The startup also offers a similar service for businesses, allowing them to send their customers payment links on demand.

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Abu Dhabi's Masdar City has become home to a clean-tech cluster, business-free zone, residential neighborhood and public green spaces. It has emerged as a hub for research and development, offering quality life with the lowest possible environmental footprint.

Read More

Monkibox has made playtime engaging and interactive, reaching nearly 10,000 parents in the Middle East while enabling crucial neural development for their little ones. The specially curated playboxes provide babies with valuable experiential learning.

Read More

Incubated at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, NOMADD employs an automated system to clean dust from solar panels without water and without scratching the surface of the panels.

Read More

In the first quarter of 2022, the online retailer launched a quick-commerce service in Dubai, Riyadh, and Cairo. Its newly launched service delivers beauty and home products, toys, and groceries to customers in as little as 15 minutes.

Read More

Dubai-based entertainment streaming service OSN+ was revamped with better features and quality content, new functionalities such as an intuitive and immersive user experience, enhanced navigation, and responsive browsing behavior.

Read More

Launched in 2021, Peacefull has brought forth tailor-made skin care products backed by science and active ingredients. The gluten-free formulations have been tested according to the region's weather conditions and skin issues.

Read More

Food and beverage giant PepsiCo has been combining game-changing innovation and adapting to evolving consumer needs, with a broad portfolio of brands and products with compostable packaging across key markets in the Middle East.

Read More

Pickl has garnered a following, delivering on customers’ tastes. The homegrown-UAE brand is now aiming to cement its place in the metaverse, launching virtual-to-physical buying and delivery of products.

Read More

The UAE-based agri-tech business, a pioneer in deploying AI-guided vertical farms in the GCC, has integrated innovation into its operations by growing fresh produce affordably.

Read More

Egypt's ecommerce enterprise Rabbit disrupted the instant retail market with quick delivery in under 20 minutes. After a year of operation, it has a record of more than 350,000 app downloads, delivering orders with a success rate of 94%.

Read More

RedSea uses its patented proprietary technology to grow fruits and vegetables in harsh desert climates, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE while reducing carbon, energy, and water footprint. It has developed salt, heat, and drought-tolerant crops.

Read More

Helping organizations solve the problems of today and innovate for tomorrow, SAS marries data and analytics with algorithmic intelligence to translate complex concepts into actionable insights, while ensuring fairness and eliminating bias in the process.

Read More

With a history and reputation for building entertaining narrative-driven single-player games such as The Last of Us and Horizon and the upcoming God of War Ragnarok, Sony has also begun expanding into PC and mobile development. After the PlayStation 5, Sony is branching into the live ops multiplayer space.

Read More

Stripe introduced an all-digital onboarding and KYC service enabling companies of any size in the UAE to begin collecting payments online in more than 135 different currencies worldwide within minutes with a valid trade license.

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To help brands take customer engagement to the next level, TBWA\RAAD launched NEXT, disrupting the traditional approaches to customer experience with emerging tech.

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The Technology Innovation Institute has ten specialized research centers working on transformative technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, renewable energy, propulsion, and space.

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The platform has put a studio in every content creator's pocket. The video-sharing app has launched Effect House, an AR tool that makes creating, publishing, and sharing high-quality augmented effects easy, allowing anyone to build Community Effects for the platform.

Read More

In 2022, it became the region's first telco to implement a cloud-based fintech solution offering Buy Now Pay Later, with the tool built into the app flow so more customers can opt for discounted plans. It also launched and scaled its app wallet.

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UAE-headquartered company formation and corporate services provider Virtuzone has moved towards automating internal processes, improving customer response time and quality. Being a formation specialist, Virtuzone has launched a dedicated online platform for its referral program to incentivize clients and employees.

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ZainTech is at the forefront of the Middle East's digital transformation. It supports enterprises and government clients across the Middle East with a wide array of business needs ranging from cloud, cybersecurity, digital, data, drones and robotics, and telecommunications.

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Zuhair Fayez Partnership has developed and implemented regional projects ranging from urban development to high-tech medical facilities, including SABIC Learning Center in Riyadh, using BIM technology throughout the design process, sustainability study, and construction management.

Read More

To improve customer experience and last-mile transformation, Aramex has implemented frictionless and contactless delivery, and boosted digital touchpoints to optimize delivery routes and shorten delivery times.

Read More

Asharq News offers continuous insights into the people, events, organizations, and ideas that impact the MENA region and international markets through a dedicated television channel and multiple digital platforms.

Read More

Aster DM Healthcare was one of the first private healthcare players in the UAE to introduce telehealth ensuring the best critical care experts from different countries could come together to provide medical care to critically ill patients.

Read More

Augustus Media built the first-of-its-kind immersive digital media studio in Dubai Production City, equipped with a VR room and a fully-automated cloud-based production broadcast television studio.

Read More

Making learning fun, Dubai-based financial training platform Balinca's innovative financial training methodology allows companies to use their human capital for a better turnover. The edtech company uses an innovative board game simulation to teach finance.

Read More

Barakat Group is developing new products in the health and wellness space, sourcing local produce. The company scouts for the finest products through its global sourcing network, pioneered cold chain management in the UAE.

Read More

BitOasis has pioneered making the buying and selling of crypto assets easier, safer, and quicker for users across the Middle East and North Africa. Users can grow and manage their crypto portfolios without complexity on BitOasis' Lite platform.

Read More

As the MENA region's first on-demand car service designed to meet the consumer's needs, CAFU has evolved to become the app of choice to streamline car ownership.

Read More

Being a key player in the luxury market across the Middle East, Chalhoub Group rolled out programs to empower local designers, accelerate startups, and encourage women leaders.

Read More

Crayon has leveraged AI-powered technology to accelerate digital transformation, providing end-to-end solutions.

Read More

Dulsco has diverted more than 1.1 million tonnes of waste for Dubai Expo 2020 by creating a three-bin stream system that separated waste into landfill waste, mixed recyclables, and organic waste. It has commissioned a material recovery facility in Dubai to sort multiple waste.

Read More

It has taken the lead as the region's first fuel retailer to employ solar-powered service stations to introduce the future-forward service station. To reduce environmental footprint and enhance fuel efficiency, ENOC promotes products and services that meet these goals.

Read More

FIVE Hotels and Resorts, which includes FIVE Palm Jumeirah and FIVE Jumeirah Village, has been rewriting the rules of hospitality and is a culinary destination with a range of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.

Read More

GMG has redesigned to promote healthier and active lifestyles through its business verticals. The global well-being retailer has expanded its footprint across the MENA region by collaborating with multinational conglomerates.

Read More

Deploying scalable Al solutions and harnessing Big Data, G42 unlocks the potential of personalized and preventive care in the UAE and beyond. It launched Research Organization and Solutions in the UAE.

Read More

Huspy uses technology to create a transactional platform that lets users participate in every stage of the home-buying process--from finding a property to financing it.

Read More

IBM is focused on artificial intelligence to create efficient processes, augment human capabilities, and improve business outcomes, generating critical insights through natural language processing, and fostering trust in outcomes derived from AI.

Read More

To create unique homegrown food concepts that bring people together, the UAE-based Independent Food Company currently operates four F&B brands across the Middle East — Salt, Switch, Parker's, and Dubai-based coffee concept Grind.

Read More

With the UAE's on-demand home services market expanding due to increased service options, Justlife has grown from offering cleaning services to various home services and ranking among the Middle East's fastest-growing technology companies.

Read More

From AI skin diagnostics to augmented reality shopping experiences, L'Oréal has been striving to bring immersive beauty technologies across its product portfolio.

Read More

Dubai-based Mamo, a peer-to-peer payment app, simplifies fund transfers by making payments instant. The startup also offers a similar service for businesses, allowing them to send their customers payment links on demand.

Read More

Abu Dhabi's Masdar City has become home to a clean-tech cluster, business-free zone, residential neighborhood and public green spaces. It has emerged as a hub for research and development, offering quality life with the lowest possible environmental footprint.

Read More

Monkibox has made playtime engaging and interactive, reaching nearly 10,000 parents in the Middle East while enabling crucial neural development for their little ones. The specially curated playboxes provide babies with valuable experiential learning.

Read More

Incubated at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, NOMADD employs an automated system to clean dust from solar panels without water and without scratching the surface of the panels.

Read More

In the first quarter of 2022, the online retailer launched a quick-commerce service in Dubai, Riyadh, and Cairo. Its newly launched service delivers beauty and home products, toys, and groceries to customers in as little as 15 minutes.

Read More

Dubai-based entertainment streaming service OSN+ was revamped with better features and quality content, new functionalities such as an intuitive and immersive user experience, enhanced navigation, and responsive browsing behavior.

Read More

Launched in 2021, Peacefull has brought forth tailor-made skin care products backed by science and active ingredients. The gluten-free formulations have been tested according to the region's weather conditions and skin issues.

Read More

Food and beverage giant PepsiCo has been combining game-changing innovation and adapting to evolving consumer needs, with a broad portfolio of brands and products with compostable packaging across key markets in the Middle East.

Read More

Pickl has garnered a following, delivering on customers’ tastes. The homegrown-UAE brand is now aiming to cement its place in the metaverse, launching virtual-to-physical buying and delivery of products.

Read More

The UAE-based agri-tech business, a pioneer in deploying AI-guided vertical farms in the GCC, has integrated innovation into its operations by growing fresh produce affordably.

Read More

Egypt's ecommerce enterprise Rabbit disrupted the instant retail market with quick delivery in under 20 minutes. After a year of operation, it has a record of more than 350,000 app downloads, delivering orders with a success rate of 94%.

Read More

RedSea uses its patented proprietary technology to grow fruits and vegetables in harsh desert climates, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE while reducing carbon, energy, and water footprint. It has developed salt, heat, and drought-tolerant crops.

Read More

Helping organizations solve the problems of today and innovate for tomorrow, SAS marries data and analytics with algorithmic intelligence to translate complex concepts into actionable insights, while ensuring fairness and eliminating bias in the process.

Read More

With a history and reputation for building entertaining narrative-driven single-player games such as The Last of Us and Horizon and the upcoming God of War Ragnarok, Sony has also begun expanding into PC and mobile development. After the PlayStation 5, Sony is branching into the live ops multiplayer space.

Read More

Stripe introduced an all-digital onboarding and KYC service enabling companies of any size in the UAE to begin collecting payments online in more than 135 different currencies worldwide within minutes with a valid trade license.

Read More

To help brands take customer engagement to the next level, TBWA\RAAD launched NEXT, disrupting the traditional approaches to customer experience with emerging tech.

Read More

The Technology Innovation Institute has ten specialized research centers working on transformative technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, renewable energy, propulsion, and space.

Read More

The platform has put a studio in every content creator's pocket. The video-sharing app has launched Effect House, an AR tool that makes creating, publishing, and sharing high-quality augmented effects easy, allowing anyone to build Community Effects for the platform.

Read More

In 2022, it became the region's first telco to implement a cloud-based fintech solution offering Buy Now Pay Later, with the tool built into the app flow so more customers can opt for discounted plans. It also launched and scaled its app wallet.

Read More

UAE-headquartered company formation and corporate services provider Virtuzone has moved towards automating internal processes, improving customer response time and quality. Being a formation specialist, Virtuzone has launched a dedicated online platform for its referral program to incentivize clients and employees.

Read More

ZainTech is at the forefront of the Middle East's digital transformation. It supports enterprises and government clients across the Middle East with a wide array of business needs ranging from cloud, cybersecurity, digital, data, drones and robotics, and telecommunications.

Read More

Zuhair Fayez Partnership has developed and implemented regional projects ranging from urban development to high-tech medical facilities, including SABIC Learning Center in Riyadh, using BIM technology throughout the design process, sustainability study, and construction management.

Read More

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