7 Emirati women named among most influential business leaders in Middle East

  DUBAI – Seven Emirati women were named among the most influential business leaders in the Middle East and Africa region this year. The Forbes list featured representatives of 19 different nationalities and 17 sectors. The UAE and Egypt scored the most entries with seven each, followed by Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Kuwait, and Oman, with four entries each. More than 25 percent of the women on this year’s list are leaders of regional offices and divisions for multinational companies, such as Saeeda Jaffar of Visa, Derya Matras of Meta, Sophie Doireau of Cartier, and Rima Assi of McKinsey & Company. There were also 12 newcomers, eight of which are based in the UAE, two in Qatar, and two in Saudi Arabia.

Top 7 most influential Emirati women business leaders

1. Raja Easa Al Gurg

Group Managing Director and Vice-Chairwoman of Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group Al Gurg is also a proponent of gender equality. She serves as the president of the Dubai Business Women Council, and as a board member of the Dubai Women’s Association and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She is also the first Emirati woman to be appointed to the board of HSBC Middle East.

2. Hana Al Rostamani

Group Chief Executive of First Abu Dhabi Bank Al Rostamani has more than 22 years of experience in the field of banking and financial services. She is a board member of the AW Rostamani Group, chairperson of FAB Private Bank Suisse, and a member of MasterCard Advisory.

3. Maryam Buti Al Suwaidi

Chief Executive of the Securities and Commodities Authority  

4. Huda Al Rostamani

Managing Director of AW Rostamani Group Amina is the COO of the group, overseeing Group HR, Group IT and Group Strategy. She also oversees the group properties division as the CEO of AWR Properties. Huda has been the managing director and board member of the group since 2007. She monitors and manages the performance of the companies under the group’s portfolio.

5. Saeeda Jaffar

Senior Vice President and GCC Group Country Manager of Visa  

6. Najla Ahmed Al Midfa

Chief Executive of Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre Al Midfa is vice-chairperson of Young Arab Leaders, a board member of Endeavor UAE, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Schools Establishment.  

7. Rola Abu Manneh

Chief Executive of Standard Chartered Bank in UAE She is the first Emirati woman to head a bank in the UAE and has helped to transform the country's business into one of the biggest five markets for the Standard Chartered Group.
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