Seven young Pakistanis have been named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list for 2026, highlighting their remarkable achievements in various sectors. Among them are actor Hania Aamir and filmmaker Saman Kamran, both honored in the Arts category. This marks the 11th edition of Forbes’ annual recognition of 30 outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions in their respective fields.
Forbes noted that this year’s list includes entrepreneurs innovating in robotics and AI, as well as investors, artists, athletes, and scientists who are pushing the boundaries across industries. Hania Aamir, placed in the Entertainment & Sports category, is the most-followed Pakistani woman on Instagram with nearly 20 million followers. Since her debut in 2016, she gained widespread acclaim for her award-winning role in the romantic drama Phir Wohi Mohabbat. She is also set to star in Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo, slated for release later this year as Netflix’s first original Pakistani series.
Filmmaker Saman Kamran has been recognized for her work including Gandhara: Land of Fragrance, which was officially selected for the Cortomontagna-Premio Leggimontagna in 2022. In 2024, she collaborated with New York-based artist Wong Kit Yi on the experimental film The Bed She Made, addressing themes of fertility and ecological crisis in Asia. Additionally, her stop-motion music video for Pakistani grunge band Skehlaaj’s See Through the Sin won Best Music Video at the Film Tuition International Festival that same year.
In the Finance & Venture Capital category, entrepreneurs Muhammad Furqan Karim Kidwai and Sarfraz Shahid Hussain were acknowledged for founding Plouton AI, a Singapore-based agentic automation platform supported by Antler Singapore. Their platform aids midmarket companies in automating finance workflows such as invoicing, payroll, and month-end reconciliations. It integrates with popular tools like Xero, QuickBooks, and Microsoft Excel, offering an affordable alternative to enterprise software. Kidwai, who previously launched a fintech startup in Pakistan, identified a need for automation in emerging markets where finance teams still rely heavily on spreadsheets and emails.
Syed Ismail was named in the Consumer & Enterprise Technology category for his efforts to digitize commodity sourcing and enhance transparency in trade. He co-founded Karachi-based Saraaf in 2021, a technology platform focused on modernizing commodity sourcing across Central and South Asia. Saraaf is developing a mobile app designed for businesses dealing in materials such as onyx and cotton, offering features like real-time pricing, shipment tracking, digitized contracts, and integrated communication tools.
Pakistani scientist Maheera Ghani earned recognition in the Healthcare & Science category for her work in advanced materials research and science education. She completed her PhD in Materials Science at the University of Cambridge in 2025 and is currently engaged in postdoctoral research there, specializing in ultra-thin semiconductors. Ghani also leads WinSci Pakistan, an initiative promoting women’s participation in science. This project received the Nature Inspiring Women in Science award last year, presented by Estée Lauder Companies and Springer Nature, underscoring her commitment to gender inclusion in scientific careers.
Youth leader Fahad Shahbaz was honored in the Social Impact category for his dedication to increasing youth involvement in leadership and policymaking. Shahbaz founded the Youth General Assembly in 2015 at age 18 to provide structured opportunities for young Pakistanis to engage in governance and policy discussions. The initiative organizes an annual 96-member youth assembly modeled after the UK Parliament and Pakistan’s National Assembly, where participants debate public policy and formulate recommendations. Shahbaz is a recipient of the 2023 Diana Award and is part of the Pakistan chapter of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community.
