Eleven Saudis Make it to Forbes Middle East's Top Businesswomen List

Forbes has released a top 100 list of the most powerful businesswomen in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia ranked third with 11 Saudi Nationality businesswomen on the list, with one of the top three positions being taken by a Saudi nationality businesswoman Lubna S. Olayan. 

The list is dominated by the banking and financial services industry with 23 entries, followed by 11 entrepreneurs running diverse enterprises, eight from the investments sector, six from the retail sector, and five from the healthcare sector.

The 11 Saudi businesswomen who made the 2023 Forbes Middle East list are:

1. Lubna S. Olayan

Ranking: 3rd

S. Olayan is the Chair of the Saudi British Bank (SABB) and the Executive Committee and Deputy Chair of Olayan Financing Company (OFC). In 2004, Olayan became the first female board member of a Saudi company that was listed on a public exchange. In September 2022, she will be invited to join the World Economic Forum's Board of Trustees. She also serves as the Saudi Swedish Business Council's chairperson.

2. Sarah Al Suhaimi

Ranking: 7th

Al Suhaimi is the Chairperson of the Saudi Tadawul Group. She has been working in the financial services sector for 20 years. In September 2022, she was chosen as chair of Lazard's MENA financial advisory business. Al-Suhaimi formerly held the role of CEO of the Saudi National Bank Capital.

3. Enji Ahmed Al-Ghazzawi & Haifa Othman Bin Ahmed

Ranking: 23rd

Enji Ahmed Al-Ghazzawi is the COO and Haifa Othman Bin Ahmed is the Chief Experience Officer (CXO) of Riyadh Bank. Al-Ghazzawi and Bin Ahmed took on their present roles in 2022. Al-Ghazzawi has worked at Riyad Bank for 18 years and has more than 28 years of expertise in the field. Her prior roles included head of corporate banking, EVP of operations, and EVP of corporate banking. Bin Ahmed has more than 17 years of experience in this industry. She was previously the customer champion's senior vice president.

4. Jomana R. Al-Rashid

Ranking: 25th

Al-Rashid is the CEO of the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG). She started in her present position in October 2020. Al-Rashid worked as a senior media advisor before being appointed communications director of the Saudi Embassy in London, where he oversaw the embassy's media division. She also serves as chairperson of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, chairman of Thmanyah Publishing and Distribution, and a member of the board of the Argaam Investment Company.

5. Rania Nashar

Ranking: 47th

Rania Nashar was appointed the Head of Compliance & Governance & Senior Advisor at Public Investment Fund (PIF) in February 2021. She is a board member of the Saudi Space Commission, the Saudi Tadawul Group, the National Center for Performance Measurement, and the Saudi Polo Federation.

6. Sheila Al-Rowaily

Ranking: 60th

Al- Rowaily is the CEO at Wisayah Global Investment Management. She played a key role in the establishment of Wisayah, an Aramco subsidiary that is fully responsible for administering the pension funds of the firm. She started working with Aramco in 1998 and has since held a number of positions in the fields of finance, trading, investing, risk management, planning, and energy economics. She has been serving in this position since January 2019.

7. Reem Osman

Ranking: 52nd

Osman, the Regional CEO of Saudi German Hospitals Group has been in charge of the Saudi German Hospitals Group's regional activities, which include the UAE, Pakistan, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq since 2021.

8. Basmah Al-Mayman

Ranking: 79th

Al-Mayman works as a Regional Director for the Middle East at UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). She has been the regional director since 2018, becoming the first woman to lead the GCC for the UNWTO and the first member of the GCC to hold a leadership position in the organization. In 2020, the World Bank recognized her as one of the MENA region's youngest CEOs.

9. Amal Dokhan

Ranking: 86th

Amal Dokhan is the General Partner at 500 Global MENA. Dokhan began working with 500 Global as an adviser in 2020. In June 2022, she received a promotion to general partner so she could take charge of the Riyadh-based Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator fund.

10. Adwa AlDakheel

Ranking: 95th

Adwa is the Founder & CEO of Falak Investment Hub in 2018. AlDakheel is a board member of the Saudi Squash Federation in addition to having created or co-founded other firms, including Ns3a Recruitment.

Click here to view the full list of the Middle East’s 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2023.