Meet the Arab Women on Forbes List of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women
BY: Nisreen Eadeh/Staff Writer
The Forbes list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women was released on Monday. Included on the list were world leaders, CEOs, justices, financial ministers, media moguls, and more. Also making the list were Arab women whose success transcends borders and combats harmful stereotypes about women in the Arab World.
Four metrics are used every year to determine the list: “money (either net worth, company revenues, or GDP); media presence; spheres of influence; and impact, analyzed both within the context of each woman’s field (media, technology, business, philanthropy, politics, and finance) and outside of it.”
The celebrity category was cut this year to make room for the larger number of women in presidential positions, which is not a bad trade-off.
Coming in at #91 is Raja Easa Al Gurg, the Managing Director at Easa Saleh Gurg Group. Al Gurg is from the United Arab Emirates, which is also where she is a business leader in her company. Since joining Easa Saleh Gurg Group, Al Gurg has expanded trade and commerce to include 24 companies and 370 international brand partnerships, according to Forbes.
Al Gurg regularly speaks about women’s rights and advancements in the workplace, and participates in the Dubai government’s discussions on commerce. Al Gurg is the first Emirati woman on the board of HSBC Bank Middle East Limited. Additionally, she sits on the advisory board of Coutts Bank.
Lastly, Al Gurg is an active member of Dubai’s philanthropic society. She is the deputy chair of the Dubai Healthcare City Authority and president of the Dubai Business Women Council. Raja Easa Al Gurg is not only a leader in business, but also a champion of women’s empowerment and charitable giving.
Also on the Forbes list is Lubna Olayan who comes in at #65. Olayan is the CEO of Olayan Financing Company. She is from Saudi Arabia, where her business is based. The Olayan Group is owner to elite properties across the world, “including the Sony Building in New York, the Hotel Ritz in Madrid, and Knightsbridge Estate in London.” Olayan operates the Middle East branch of the company, which overseas over 40 companies in the region and is one of the biggest investors in local markets.
Olayan entered her family’s business in 1983, and for 18 years was the only woman employee out of 4,000 in the company. She is the first woman in Saudi Arabia to be elected to a board position, and the first woman to give a keynote address at a major Saudi conference.
Olayan also holds several prominent positions on boards of trustees, including the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, INSEAD, Rolls Royce, and Schlumberger. Moreover, Olayan is a member of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum, where she proves every day that Saudi Arabian women have voices to be heard.
At #59 is Nemat (Minouche) Shafik, the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Englad in the United Kingdom. Shafik was born in Alexandria, Egypt, but moved to the U.S. for school in 1960, then to England to obtain her doctorate in economics at Oxford University. Since obtaining her position in 2014, Shafik has been nicknamed the “sheriff of the markets” and is often referred to as the most powerful woman in London.
Shafik’s duties at the Bank of England include: “reshaping risk management practices, stabilizing the U.K.’s dropping inflation levels, and overseeing the bank’s international surveillance.” She is also working on reshaping England’s electronic payment system, which operates with 500 billion pounds a day.
Before her current position, Shafik was the deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund. She was also the youngest ever vice president of the World Bank, serving at only 36 years old. Shafik’s dedication and hard work in the field of economics has paved a path for other women to enter the field and take leadership positions.
Last but not least is #43, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the Minister of Tolerance for the United Arab Emirates where she is from. Al Qasimi was appointed to her position earlier this year, and has already planned a diplomatic trip to meet Pope Francis and other dignitaries later this month.
Before being appointed to her current position, Al Qasimi was the Minister of International Cooperation and Development, where she propelled the United Arab Emirates into an unprecedented period of philanthropy. Under Al Qasimi’s direction, the UAE gave $5.4 billion to foreign countries in 2013, nearly five times the amount donated in 2012. She also helped maintain the UAE’s development budget at nearly $5 billion, and is the first woman to ever be appointed to a UAE cabinet position.
In her personal life, Al Qasimi is just as benevolent. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Dubai Autism Center, and is a volunteer with Friends of Cancer Patients Society. Al Qasimi is a leader in government, development, and philanthropy, who leads by example in promoting tolerance, both at work and at home.