President Dr. Irfaan Ali has been named one of the world’s most influential rising stars in Time’s Magazine 2025 TIME100 Next list, which spotlights pioneers, leaders, titans, artists, innovators and icons shaping the future.

TIME editor-at-large and president of Eurasia Group, Ian Bremmer, described President Ali’s inclusion as a recognition of both Guyana’s rapid economic ascent and the delicate geopolitical challenges it faces.

“In recent years, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali has contended with news, extraordinarily good and bad. On the positive side, this country of over 800,000 people has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, thanks to a discovery of offshore oil that has produced $7.5 billion from sales and royalties since 2019. On the negative, Guyana lives next door to Venezuela, which claims part of that oil-rich territory despite its international recognition as a part of Guyana,” Bremmer wrote.

President Ali was re-elected to a second term in September 2025, with voters endorsing his administration’s use of the oil windfall to transform national infrastructure—building roads, schools, and hospitals. Looking ahead, he has pledged to diversify the economy, reducing dependence on oil while navigating regional security challenges.

“The strong mandate he just won from Guyana’s voters signals how much he’s already accomplished,” Bremmer noted, adding that Ali’s diplomatic skill will be critical to keeping tensions with Venezuela at a simmer.