Seven Pakistanis Make Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 List, Including Hania Aamir
- Seven Pakistanis have been named in the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list for 2026 across entertainment, technology, science, finance and social impact.
- Actress Hania Aamir and filmmaker Saman Kamran were recognized for their contributions to arts and entertainment.
- Pakistani innovators, entrepreneurs and researchers also earned places for achievements in AI, technology, science and youth leadership.
Seven Pakistanis have earned places on the prestigious Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list for 2026, highlighting the growing influence of young Pakistani talent across entertainment, technology, entrepreneurship, science and social impact.
The annual list, now in its 11th edition, recognizes outstanding young individuals under the age of 30 who have made significant contributions in their respective fields across Asia.
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Announcing the list, Forbes said this year’s honorees include entrepreneurs, scientists, investors, artists and innovators who are pushing boundaries and shaping the future of their industries.
Among the most prominent Pakistani names featured this year is actress Hania Aamir, who was included in the Entertainment & Sports category.
Hania Aamir, currently the most-followed Pakistani woman on Instagram with around 20 million followers, was recognized for her achievements in the entertainment industry. Since making her acting debut in 2016, she has become one of Pakistan’s most popular television stars.
Her breakthrough came through the acclaimed drama Phir Wohi Mohabbat, while she has since appeared in numerous successful television projects. Forbes also highlighted her upcoming appearance in Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo, which is expected to become Netflix’s first Pakistani original series later this year.
Filmmaker Saman Kamran was also recognized in the Arts category for her contributions to independent cinema and experimental filmmaking.
Her film Gandhara: Land of Fragrance was officially selected for the Cortomontagna-Premio Leggimontagna 2022 festival. In 2024, she collaborated with New York-based artist Wong Kit Yi on The Bed She Made, an experimental film exploring themes of fertility and ecological collapse in Asia.
Kamran also gained international recognition for directing the stop-motion music video See Through the Sin for Pakistani grunge band Skehlaaj, which won Best Music Video at the Film Tuition International Festival.
Pakistan’s growing technology and startup ecosystem was also represented through entrepreneurs Muhammad Furqan Karim Kidwai and Sarfraz Shahid Hussain, co-founders of Singapore-based Plouton AI.
The duo was named in the Finance & Venture Capital category for building an AI-powered automation platform that helps companies streamline finance-related operations such as invoicing, payroll management and month-end reconciliations.
According to Forbes, Plouton AI uses auditable browser-based agents and integrates with platforms including Xero, QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel, allowing businesses to automate complex financial workflows.
Another Pakistani entrepreneur recognized on the list is Syed Ismail, who was included in the Consumer & Enterprise Technology category.
Ismail co-founded Karachi-based Saraaf in 2021 with the goal of modernizing commodity sourcing across Central and South Asia. The platform provides businesses dealing in commodities such as cotton and onyx with real-time pricing information, shipment tracking, digitized contracts and communication tools.
In the Healthcare & Science category, Pakistani researcher Maheera Ghani earned recognition for her contributions to advanced materials science and efforts to promote women’s participation in scientific fields.
After completing her PhD in Materials Science at the University of Cambridge in 2025, Ghani began postdoctoral research focused on ultra-thin semiconductors. She also leads WinSci Pakistan, an initiative encouraging young women to pursue careers in science.
Her work received international recognition through the Nature Inspiring Women in Science Award, presented by Springer Nature and The Estée Lauder Companies.
The final Pakistani honoree on the list is Fahad Shahbaz, who was recognized in the Social Impact category for his work in youth leadership and civic engagement.
Shahbaz founded the Youth General Assembly in 2015 at the age of 18 to create opportunities for young Pakistanis to participate in policymaking and governance discussions.
The initiative operates an annual 96-member youth assembly modeled after Pakistan’s National Assembly and the UK Parliament, providing young participants with experience in public policy debates and legislative processes.
Shahbaz is also a recipient of the Diana Award 2023 and serves as a member of the Pakistan chapter of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community.
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