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2/28/25, 4:25 PM Forbes Middle East celebrates 100 prominent female leaders defining business In 2025

Forbes Middle East has released its highly anticipated annual ranking of the region’s most powerful businesswomen, ranking leaders who are driving
impact and transformation across industries for 2025. Image courtesy: Forbes Middle East
Recognizing the Region’s Most Powerful Women in Business

Press Release

February 13, 2025

The list of 100 businesswomen spotlights leaders from 32 sectors and 29 nationalities.
The U.A.E. leads with 46 entries, followed by Egypt with 18 and Saudi Arabia with nine.
The banking and financial services sector remains dominant, comprising 25% of the list.

Dubai: Forbes Middle East has released its highly anticipated annual ranking of the region’s most powerful
businesswomen, ranking leaders who are driving impact and transformation across industries for 2025. The
selection process considered business size, individual achievements, leadership impact, and contributions to
corporate social responsibility initiatives.

For the third year in a row, Hana Al Rostamani, Group CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank—the U.A.E.’s largest bank
in terms of assets—retains the top spot. She was also featured for the fourth time on Forbes' list of the World’s
Most Powerful Women 2024, securing the 60th position globally. In the first nine months of 2024, the bank
recorded $3.5 billion in net profits and $334.8 billion in assets. Shaikha Khaled Al Bahar of NBK Group and

Shaista Asif, cofounder and Group CEO of PureHealth Holding follow in second and third place, completing the
top three.

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