Forbes has just released its annual "World's Most Powerful People" list for 2016. Saudi king Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, Emirati president Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi made it to the top 50.
The ranking is made based on the amount of human and financial resources a person has power over, the geographical scale of his/her influence and his/her role in affecting world events.
King Salman was ranked the 16th most powerful person in the world, Sheikh Khalifa came in at 39th and President Sisi took 44th place.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia's petroleum minister Khalid al-Falih landed in >49th place, while Syrian president Bashar al-Assad claimed 63rd place.
Self-proclaimed caliph of ISIL >Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and al-Qaeda leader >Ayman al-Zawahiri also made the list.
So who is the most powerful person in the world? Russian president Vladimir Putin, followed by American president-elect Donald Trump.
King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud is the "most powerful" person in the Middle East
The Saudi monarch placed >16th on the list, making him the most powerful person in the Middle East and Arab world according to Forbes. In 2015, King Salman ranked 14th place.
King Salman's reign began January 2015, following the death of his half-brother King Abdullah. He had previously served as the governor of Riyadh for 48 years. "Under his leadership, Riyadh urbanized and prospered, attracting tourism, trade and investment," Forbes explains.
Forbes adds that the Saudi king has helped poor Muslim countries and is known for mediating conflicts among the extended al-Saud family.
Additionally, Forbes describes King Salman for maintaining order in the kingdom "by whatever means necessary", citing the execution of 47 people in January 2016 based on terrorism charges.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan
President Sheikh Khalifa was ranked the second most powerful Arab in the world, claiming the 39th spot on Forbes' list for the second year in a row.
The president of the United Arab Emirates, emir of Abu Dhabi and supreme commander of the Union Defense Force runs one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which is said to be worth around >$800 billion.
Sheikh Khalifa is among the world's wealthiest monarchs. Forbes states, "It's not all from oil, although he does control 97.8 billion barrels of proven reserves."
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
The 44th most powerful person in the world rules the most densely populated state in the Arab world. The former Egyptian defense minister and commander-in-chief of the armed forces took office in 2014, after winning 97% of the vote in the country's presidential election.
Forbes states that he is a "friend of economic reform and foe to many civil liberties and 'extremist thought'."
"El-Sisi has backed actions against ISIS as the West turns to the former general as a moderating force and economic stabilizer in the region."
But el-Sisi's ruling has been subject to heavy criticism. Soon after his election, he decreed an unprecedented expansion of the powers given to military courts. Hundreds of Egyptians have been imprisoned or have disappeared since he came to power.