Three Gulf Women Named in World’s Most Powerful list

Three Gulf women have been named on Forbes’ World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list.

UAE-based Raja Easa Al Gurg and Renuka Jagtiani have made the list alongside Saudi Arabia’s Rania Nashar, with Al Gurg the top ranked at 84th.

Al Gurg is managing director and vice chairperson of one of the biggest conglomerates in the Middle East. The Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group consists of 27 companies ranging from retail to construction to a metal foundry.

Al Gurg is also president of the Dubai Business Women Council and works to improve female entrepreneurship in the UAE. She is the first ever Emirati woman appointed to the board of HSBC Bank Middle East Limited.

Ranked 96th, Jagtiani is the chairwoman and CEO of Landmark Group, a multi-national consumer conglomerate based in Dubai and founded by her husband Micky Jagtiani.

For more than 20 years, she has led the company’s corporate strategy and expansion into new markets. As head of the company, Jigtiani oversees more than 50,000 employees.

Nashar, ranked one place lower at 97th, is the first female CEO of Samba Financial Group, Saudi Arabia’s third-largest bank by assets.

Nashar previously served as a board member for Samba’s global markets subsidiary and has over 20 years of experience in the commercial banking sector.

Globally, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was named the world’s most powerful woman for the ninth year running.

Merkel was joined in the top spots by fellow prominent female political leaders.

Christine Lagarde moved up one place this year to second position after taking over a president of the European Central Bank while Speaker of the US House of Representative, Nancy Pelosi, took third place.

Ursula Von Der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and General Motors CEO Mary Barra rounded out the top five.

Source: arabianbusiness