Forbes list: Seven Emiratis among 50 most powerful businesswomen in Middle East

List includes Arab entrepreneurs who are at the helm of multinational companies

Raja Easa Al Gurg, group managing director and vice chairperson of Essa Saleh Al Gurg Group. Photo: Forbes

Hana Al Rostamani, group chief executive of the First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Maryam Buti Al Suwaidi, chief executive of the Securities and Commodities Authority.

Huda Al Rostamani, managing director of AW Rostmani Group.

Saeeda Jaffar, senior vice president and GCC group country manager of Visa.

Najla Ahmed Al Midfa, chief executive of Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre.

Rola Abu Manneh, chief executive of Standard Chartered Bank in UAE.

Seven Emiratis have been named among Forbes’ 50 most powerful businesswomen in the Middle East in 2021.

The UAE, along with Egypt, had the most entries in the list of the Middle East and North Africa’s most influential and successful female entrepreneurs.

Some are leaders of multinational companies, while others helped their organisations achieve major milestones in 2021.

The list includes women of 19 nationalities working in 17 sectors, with banking and financial services featured most.

Raja Easa Al Gurg, an Emirati who is the group managing director and vice-chairwoman of Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, ranks first on the list.

Her organisation owns 27 companies that have been operating for more than 60 years in retail, lifestyle, construction and real estate.

Ms Al Gurg is also the president of the Dubai Business Women Council and a member of the board of directors of Dubai Chambers.

Hana Al Rostamani, an Emirati who is the group chief executive of First Abu Dhabi Bank, ranks third on the Forbes list.

She is the first female chief executive of the bank, which is the UAE’s largest, with total assets of $268 billion as of September 2021.

With more than 23 years of experience in banking and financial services, Ms Al Rostamani is also a board member of her family business AW Rostamani Group.

Women leading companies based in the UAE are also on the list.

Renuka Jagtiani, chairwoman and chief executive of the Landmark Group, was ranked in second place.

The Dubai-based organisation operates in 21 countries and has more than 50,000 employees working in more than 2,200 outlets.

The full list is available online.

Forbes also released a list of the top five Arab women that made history in 2021. It included Emirati engineer Nora Al Matrooshi, who is the first Arab female training to be an astronaut.

Emirati women on the list:

Raja Easa Al Gurg, group managing director and vice-chairwoman of Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group

Hana Al Rostamani, group chief executive of First Abu Dhabi Bank

Maryam Buti Al Suwaidi, chief executive of the Securities and Commodities Authority

Huda Al Rostamani, managing director of AW Rostamani Group

Saeeda Jaffar, senior vice president and GCC group country manager of Visa

Najla Ahmed Al Midfa, chief executive of Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre

Rola Abu Manneh, chief executive of Standard Chartered Bank in UAE