Most Powerful Businesswomen
The Middle East is seeing a booming rise of strong business women who are making the world better. In this article we have listed the Forbes 20 Businesswoman From the Middle East.
Top 20 Most Powerful Businesswomen To Watch in 2025
Sr No. | Name | Role & Company | Nationality |
1. | Hana Al Rostamani | Group CEO, First Abu Dhabi Bank | Emirati |
2. | Shaikha Khaled Al Bahar | Deputy Group CEO, NBK Group | Kuwaiti |
3. | Shaista Asif | CEO, PureHealth Holding | Pakistani (UAE) |
4. | Wadha Ahmad Al-Khateeb | CEO, Kuwait National Petroleum Company | Kuwaiti |
5. | Dana Nasser Al Sabah | CEO, Kuwait Projects Company | Kuwaiti |
6. | Randa Sadik | CEO, Arab Bank | Jordanian |
7. | Sarah Al-Suhaimi | Chair, Saudi Tadawul Group | Saudi |
8. | Tayba Al Hashemi | CEO, ADNOC Offshore | Emirati |
9. | Alisha Moopen | Deputy MD, Aster DM Healthcare GCC | Indian (UAE) |
10. | Suzanne Al Anani | CEO, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects | Emirati |
11. | Huda Kattan | Founder and CEO, Huda Beauty | Iraqi-American |
12. | Dalia Khorshid | CEO, Beltone Holding | Egyptian |
13. | Elena Sorlini | CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports | Italian |
14. | Sima Ganwani Ved | Founder and Chairwoman, Apparel Group | Indian (UAE) |
15. | Soha El-Turky | CFO, National Bank of Egypt | Egyptian |
16. | Kami Viswanathan | President, FedEx Express MEISA | Indian |
17. | Nadia Bader Al-Hajji | CEO, Petrochemical Industries Company | Kuwaiti |
18. | Samia Bouazza | CEO, Multiply Group | Lebanese |
19. | Fouziyah Al-Jarallah | CEO, Hayat National Hospitals Group | Saudi |
20. | Ebru Pakcan | CEO, Citi Middle East & Africa | Turkish |
Hana Al Rostamani
Hana Al Rostamani is one of the leading businesswomen in the UAE. She is the current CEO of the First Abu Dhabi Bank. Her nationality is Emirati. She ranked 60th on the Forbes list of the world’s most powerful women in 2024. She also has various recognitions under her name. She is one of the prominent figures when it comes to working towards the upliftment of women in the Middle East.
Shaikha Khaled Al Bahar
Shaikha Khaled Al Bahar is the deputy group CEO of the National Bank of Kuwait. She is from Kuwait and is considered a powerful businesswoman in the Middle East. She completed her education in international marketing at Kuwait University and also completed multiple executive programs from various universities like Harvard, Stanford, Duke, etc.
Shaista Asif
Shaista Asif is a UAE businesswoman who is the CEO of PureHealth Holding. She is known for her major role in the acquisitions of SEHA, Ardent Health, and Circle Health UK. She was listed in Forbes’s Most Powerful Women in Healthcare in 2022.
Wadha Ahmad Al-Khateeb
The next powerful businesswoman of the Middle East is Wadha Ahmad Al-Khateeb, who is the CEO of the Kuwait National Petroleum Company. She was the first Kuwaiti woman to head the Gas Processing Association. She is one of the leading women in the business world who is constantly working in a male-dominated industry.
Dana Nasser Al Sabah
The next powerful businesswoman on our list of the top 20 most powerful businesswomen to watch in 2025 is Dana Nasser Al Sabah, who is the CEO of Kuwait Projects Company. She completed her education at Dartmouth College and was the founder of Kuwait’s first liberal arts university.
Randa Sadik
Randa Sadik was born in Jordan and is the CEO of Arab Bank. She leads one of the biggest financial institutions in the Middle East. She was listed by Forbes as one of the most powerful businesswomen in the Middle East in 2021.
Sarah Al-Suhaimi
Sarah Al-Suhaimi has been the chairperson of the Saudi Tadawul Group. She is of Saudi nationality and is one of the key businesswomen from the Middle East, who is a prominent figure in Saudi capital markets.
Tayba Al Hashemi
Tayba Al Hashemi is from the Emirates and is leading the major oil and gas company in the UAE. She is currently the CEO of ADNOC and has received many awards for her contributions to the oil and gas industry.
Alisha Moopen
Alisha Moopen is an Indian-based UAE businesswoman who is one of the senior leaders in the UAE’s largest healthcare group. She is the deputy managing director of Aster DM Healthcare GCC.
Suzanne Al Anani
The next businesswoman to be added to our list of the top 20 most powerful businesswomen to watch in 2025 from the Middle East is Suzanne Al Anani, who is the CEO of Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects and is from the Emirates. She became popular due to successfully accompanying various major aviation projects in Dubai.
Huda Kattan
Huda Beauty was founded and is run by Huda Kattan, an American Iraqi businesswoman who lives in the United Arab Emirates. With an estimated net worth of $1 billion, she is a prominent global influencer and businesswoman in the beauty sector. She has received various awards and global recognition due to her constant influence in the beauty industry.
Dalia Khorshid
Dalia Khorshid, the CEO of the premier financial services firm Beltone Holdings and an Egyptian native, is the latest Middle Eastern businesswoman to rank among the top 20 most influential businesswomen.
Elena Sorlini
Elena Sorlini is of Italian origin and currently is the CEO of Abu Dhabi Airport. She is a prominent name when it comes to the powerful businesswomen from the Middle East.
Sima Ganwani Ved
Sima Ganwani Ved is someone who is based in the UAE. She is another popular businesswoman on our list of the top 20 most powerful businesswomen from the Middle East. She is the founder and chairperson of Apparel Group, which is one of the biggest retail conglomerates in the Middle East.
Soha El-Turky
Another Egyptian, Soha El-Turky, is the CFO of the National Bank of Egypt at the moment. She is one of the well-liked leaders of Egypt’s biggest bank.
Kami Viswanathan
FedEx Express’s president across Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and the Middle East is Kami Viswanathan. She is of Indian origin and is one of the growing popular faces in the Middle East business world.
Nadia Bader Al-Hajji
Nadia Bader Al-Hajji is the CEO of a Petrochemical Industries Company in Kuwait. She became the CEO in 2022.
Samia Bouazza
Samia Bouazza is from Lebanon. She is a renowned businesswoman from the Middle East who is currently the CEO of Multiply Group, which is one of the leading investment holding companies in Abu Dhabi.
Fouziyah Al-Jarallah
Fouziyah Al-Jarallah is the CEO of Hayat National Hospitals Group. She was born in Saudi and is the first Saudi female doctor and CEO managing a big medical company.
Ebru Pakcan
The final businesswoman from the Middle East to be added to our list of the top 20 most powerful businesswomen to watch in 2025 is Ebru Pakcan. She is the popular CEO of Citi Middle East & Africa. She was born in Turkey.