Seven Emirati women named among Forbes’ most influential businesswomen in MENA

Abu Dhabi, February 8 (BNA) Seven Emirati women were chosen among this year’s list of the most influential and successful businesswomen in the Middle East and North Africa region, by Forbes magazine, which included representatives from 19 different nationalities and 17 sectors.

The United Arab Emirates and Egypt recorded the highest number of posts with seven each, followed by Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Kuwait and Oman with four each.

The Emirates News Agency (WAM) stated that the banking and financial services sector is the most dominant with 16 entries, followed by the diversified conglomerates and the retail sector with six entries each, and the technology sector with five entries.

More than 25 percent of the women on this year’s list are the leaders of regional offices and divisions of multinational companies, such as Saida Jaafar of Visa, Deria Matras of Meta, Sophie Douero of Cartier, and Rima Assi of McKinsey & Company.

Emirati women on the list are as follows: Raja Easa Al Gurg, Group Managing Director and Vice President of Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group. Hana Al Rostamani, Group CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank; Maryam Butti Al-Suwaidi, CEO of the Securities and Commodities Authority. Huda Al Rostamani, Managing Director of Abdul Wahed Al Rostamani Group. Saida Jaafar, Senior Vice President and Country Director of the GCC Group at Visa; Naglaa Ahmed Al Midfa, CEO of the Sharjah Center for Entrepreneurship. Rola Abu Minh, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank in the UAE.

MI