GEORGETOWN, Guyana — President Irfaan Ali has been named one of Time Magazine’s “Most Influential Rising Star Leaders of 2025,” a recognition he described as a humbling honor.
Time noted that Ali has led Guyana through “extraordinarily good and bad” times. On the positive side, the country of just over 800,000 has become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, buoyed by offshore oil discoveries that have generated more than US$7.5 billion in sales and royalties since 2019. Ali was listed alongside Iceland’s Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.
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Foreign affairs analyst Ian Bremmer, who profiled Ali for Time, highlighted the challenges posed by Venezuela’s ongoing territorial claims, despite global recognition of Guyana’s sovereignty. Ali’s re-election to a second term earlier this month was credited in large part to his government’s use of oil revenues to fund infrastructure projects such as roads, schools, and hospitals.
Looking ahead, Ali has pledged to diversify the economy to reduce overdependence on oil, while carefully managing regional tensions. “The strong mandate he just won from Guyana’s voters signals how much he’s already accomplished,” Time wrote.
