The list includes names from many well-known Arabic families representing a variety of businesses from Internet start-ups to fashion labels to construction firms and oil and gas companies.

Ms Tabra (pictured), who is of Iraqi origin, was born in Scotland. At five years of age, her parents decided to return to Iraq to her father's home town of Baghdad to raise her in the Arabic culture and develop her Arabic language skills.

However, with the first Gulf War well on its way, Ms Tabra's parents soon decided to relocate back to Scotland for the family's safety and well-being.

While in Scotland, Ms Tabra struggled to learn the Arabic language and customs as Arabic language books, educational toys and computer games were either in limited supply and variety or non-existent.

Her appreciation of the Arabic language and culture today is in a large part due to the efforts made by the small local Arab community in her neighbourhood in Scotland.

Upon her family's return again to the Gulf a few years ago, Ms Tabra had the idea to provide Arab children, as well as adults, with fun and easy to access Arabic learning tools over the internet. She launched ARABOH.com., balancing her studies at Carnegie Mellon Qatar with running her own business.

"It is very exciting to be recognised by CEO Middle East," said Tabra. "It means that people value our efforts to promote the Arabic language and culture. It's such an honour to be considered one of the Middle East's 'Top 30 Under 30' and although ARABOH.com is just over one year old, it tells me we're on the right track."

ARABOH.com is a website that promotes the education of the Arabic language, particularly among Arabs living outside the Arab world.

Ms Tabra has also worked closely with Al Jazeera Children's Channel, whose broadcasts are among the best Arabic-language children's television programming. Many of these programs are now available on DVD through ARABOH.com.