Culture
Middle East leaders at a glance: the heads of state and heads of government of all 17 countries on TheMiddleEast.com, with their formal titles and the date each took office, a quick reference for travelers, investors and anyone doing business in the region.
At a glance
The region's governments come in two broad families. Eight countries are monarchies, where a king, amir or sultan is head of state and often appoints the head of government. Nine are republics, where a president is head of state and a prime minister may lead the government day to day. In some countries one person holds both roles.
Titles follow each country's own official usage. Kings of Morocco, Jordan and Bahrain are styled His Majesty, as is the Sultan of Oman; the King of Saudi Arabia uses the title The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques; the Amirs of Kuwait and Qatar and the Rulers of the seven emirates are styled His Highness. For the families behind each throne, see our royal families of the Middle East.
Heads of state
| Country | Head of state | Since | Head of government | Since | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | His Majesty King Mohammed VI | July 23, 1999 | Head of Government Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri | Named September 29, 2026; government sworn in October 16, 2026 | Constitutional monarchy |
| Algeria | President Abdelmadjid Tebboune | December 19, 2019 | Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb | September 14, 2025 (acting from August 28, 2025) | Republic |
| Tunisia | President Kais Saied | October 23, 2019 | Prime Minister Sarra Zaafrani Zenzri | March 21, 2025 | Republic |
| Egypt | President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi | June 8, 2014 | Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly | June 2018 | Republic |
| Israel | President Isaac Herzog | July 7, 2021 | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu | December 29, 2022 | Parliamentary republic |
| Jordan | His Majesty King Abdullah II | February 7, 1999 | Prime Minister Jafar Hassan | September 2024 | Constitutional monarchy |
| Lebanon | President Joseph Aoun | January 9, 2025 | Prime Minister Nawaf Salam | February 8, 2025 | Parliamentary republic |
| Cyprus | President Nikos Christodoulides | February 28, 2023 | The President also leads the government | February 28, 2023 | Presidential republic |
| Türkiye | President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | August 28, 2014 | The President leads the government; Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz | June 4, 2023 (Vice President) | Presidential republic |
| Iraq | President Nizar Amedi | April 11, 2026 | Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi | May 14, 2026 | Federal parliamentary republic |
| Iran | Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei | March 8, 2026 | President Masoud Pezeshkian | July 28, 2024 | Islamic republic |
| Kuwait | His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | December 16, 2023 | His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister | May 15, 2024 | Emirate |
| Saudi Arabia | The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | January 23, 2015 | His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister | September 27, 2022 | Monarchy |
| Bahrain | His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa | March 6, 1999 (King since February 14, 2002) | His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister | November 11, 2020 | Constitutional monarchy |
| Qatar | His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani | June 25, 2013 | His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs | March 7, 2023 | Emirate |
| United Arab Emirates | His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President | May 14, 2022 | His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai | January 5, 2006 | Federation of seven emirates |
| Oman | His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik | January 11, 2020 | His Majesty the Sultan is also Prime Minister | January 11, 2020 | Sultanate |
Crown princes and designated
| Country | Heir or deputy |
|---|---|
| Morocco | His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan |
| Jordan | His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II (since 2009) |
| Saudi Arabia | His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (since June 21, 2017) |
| Kuwait | His Highness Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah (since June 1, 2024) |
| Bahrain | His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (Crown Prince since 1999) |
| Qatar | No crown prince named; His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani has been Deputy Amir since 2014 |
| United Arab Emirates | Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (since March 29, 2023); Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (since March 29, 2023) |
| Oman | His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham, Crown Prince (since January 2021) |
Protocol tips for business
If you are meeting officials or members of a ruling family, use the full formal title in writing and the shorter form in speech: 'Your Highness' or 'Your Excellency' is always safe. Ministers are generally addressed as His or Her Excellency. Our guide to customs and etiquette in the Middle East covers greetings, dress and gift-giving, and the majlis tradition explains how leaders and citizens have long met face to face.
Many of these leaders are closely tied to their country's national development plan, from Saudi Vision 2030 to Oman Vision 2040. Our page on the visions shaping the region shows where the investment, tourism and technology opportunities are, and doing business at the region's conferences is a natural place to start.
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