These 50 business leaders are holding some of the most challenging and important positions in MENA, as well as playing fundamental roles in making the Middle East a globally competitive marketplace.

This year’s list of MENA’s most influential and successful businesswomen features representatives of 19 different nationalities and 17 sectors. The U.A.E. and Egypt scored the most entries with seven each, followed by Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Kuwait, Oman, and Israel four entries each. The banking and financial services sector is the most dominant with 16 entries, followed by diversified conglomerates and the retail sector with six entries each, and the technology sector with five. Over 25% of the women on this year’s list are leaders of regional offices and divisions for multinational companies, such as Saeeda Jaffar of Visa, Derya Matras of Meta, Sophie Doireau of Cartier, and Rima Assi of McKinsey & Company. And there are 12 newcomers, eight of which are based in the U.A.E., Two in Qatar, and two in Saudi Arabia. Many of these businesswomen led their companies to cross major milestones in 2021. Under Sarah Al Suhaimi’s leadership, Saudi Tadawul transformed into a holding group and executed a long-awaited IPO. Mona Ataya of Mumzworld sold a majority stake in the company to Saudi-based Tamer Group in what was one of MENA’s most significant exit deals in 2021. And Angel Woodland of Last Foreign Queen oversaw the fashion giant’s collaboration with Expo 2020 Israel to launch the Women’s Fashion, the first standalone fashion dedicated to women at a world exhibition. Methodology When creating the ranking, we considered the following criteria, with each point assigned a weight:

Revenues, assets, AUM, market capitalization, and number of employees

Accomplishments achieved over the last year by the businesswomen

Designation

Overall work experience

CSR and other initiatives led by the businesswomen

Editorial points

50 Most Powerful Businesswomen     

Raja Easa Al Gurg    

Renuka Jagtiani    

Hana Al Rostamani    

Sarah Al Suhaimi    

Maryam Al Suwaidi    

Hutham Olayan    

Angel Woodland    

Hanadi bint Nasser Al Thani    

Nezha Hayat    

Shaikha Khaled Al Bahar    

Lubna Olayan    

Sima Ganwani Ved    

Mona Yousuf Almoayyed    

Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch    

Basmah Abdulaziz Al-Mayman    

Miriem Bensalah Chaqroun    

Wadha Ahmed Al-Khateeb    

Henadi Al-Saleh    

Huda Al Rostamani    

Mona Zulficar    

Pakinam Kafafi    

Eaman Al Roudhan    

Lujaina Mohsin Haider Darwish    

Areej Mohsin Haider Darwish    

Elissar Farah Antonios    

Samia Bouazza    

Farida Khamis    

Yasmine Khamis    

Mona Ataya    

Saeeda Jaffar    

Derya Matras    

Reem Asaad    

Nadia Al Saeed    

Elham Mahfouz    

Rita Maria Zniber    

Hend El-Sherbini    

Sophie Doireau    

Hoda Mansour    

Haifa Al Khaifi    

Jalila Mezni    

Hind Bahwan    

Najla Al Shirawi    

Najla Ahmed Al Midfa    

Rima Assi    

Linda Fitz-Alan    

Rola Abu Manneh    

Alanoud Bint Hamad Al-Thani    

Zainab Kufaishi    

Leila Hoteit    

Narjes Farookh