Arabian Business presents our list of 50 inspiring women leaders. These are women who are making a difference in their industries, their communities, and the world at large. They are role models for all of us, and we are proud to share their stories with you.
NAME: Ahlam Bolooki
DESIGNATION: CEO
COMPANY: Emirates Literature Foundation
INDUSTRY: Culture and Society
In addition to her current role as the managing director of ELF Publishing and director of Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Bolooki is taking over the helm as the new CEO of the Emirates Literature Foundation, succeeding Isobel Abulhoul, its founder.
Initially launched in Dubai in 2009, 65 authors had travelled to Dubai from all over the world for the event. To date, the festival has transformed the UAE’s cultural calendar, and through competitions and a creative writing fellowship, has helped expand the UAE’s reading and writing community.
With the addition of a children’s programme, the festival held its 15th event in February and is the Middle East’s largest celebration of the written and spoken word.
In her role at the Emirates Festival of Literature, Bolooki is responsible for devising strategy and curating a diverse, inclusive and enlightening festival programme that appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Prior to her role with the festival, Bolooki was the head of Regional Campaigns at Dubai Tourism, the principal authority responsible for strengthening Dubai’s positioning as a world-leading tourism destination.
In addition to raising awareness for the environment, the effects of climate change on ecosystems had inspired her to co-found the Mangroves 4 Mankind in 2020, a UAE licensed social enterprise which aims to combat climate change by conserving and restoring natural mangrove ecosystems in coastal cities around the world.
She said: “Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is so much more than an annual highlight on the cultural calendar. The festival promotes reading as a life-changing habit and culture as a fundamental right. Over the past 15 years, the festival has contributed to raising awareness about the role of literature in understanding the world, each other, and in embracing our differences before our similarities. The festival has the ability to bring together the best of all cultures in order to make a real difference in the world.”
NAME: Alisha Moopen
DESIGNATION: Deputy Managing Director
COMPANY: Aster DM Healthcare
INDUSTRY: Healthcare
Alisha Moopen is the Deputy Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare, managing the company’s operations in India and the GCC. Having joined the company as a director in 2013, she is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and development of the company, and notably spearheading the expansion of the group into new markets. Aster DM Healthcare is one of the largest integrated healthcare conglomerate with a presence across seven countries.
With 36 years of strong track record of providing compassionate care to patients, Aster provides the complete circle of care through its primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary care services, and its network of 30 hospitals, 125 clinics, 20 labs and 157 PECs and over 496 pharmacies. Along with providing medical care to millions of people across geographies, Aster DM Healthcare now provides direct employment to more than 29,108 people which includes approximately 3,820 doctors, 8,299 nurses, and the numbers are still growing.
Moopen was elected by World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader to join the class of 2018. Recognising her past work in healthcare, she has been inducted into a five-year programme with like-minded people who are committed and passionate to tackle the main challenges of the world today, with healthcare being one of them. She is currently serving as the first female Chapter Chair of YPO’s Dubai Chapter, a global leadership organisation that brings together over 27,000 chief executives from over 130 countries. She is the founder and vice-chairwoman of Dubai Healthcare Business Group.
In 2021, she was also appointed to the Board of Thought Leadership and Innovation Foundation, a US-based non-profit organisation. In 2022, Moopen was recognised as the Healthcare CEO of the Year by CEO Middle East and awarded with UAE’s Young Leader of the Year recognition by India Global Forum.
She is a Chartered Accountant from the ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland) and graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with distinction in Finance & Accounting. She also holds a degree in Global Leadership & Public Policy Change from Harvard University.
NAME: Amanda Turnbull
DESIGNATION: CEO and Co-founder
COMPANY: Rise Studios
INDUSTRY: Entertainment
With over three decades of experience in the media industry, including six years as managing director at Warner Bros Discovery Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, and a diploma from the European television Management Academy, Turnbull holds a wealth of expertise in the Middle Eastern media sector. She is deeply committed to nurturing editorial and operational talent, ensuring the region’s potential is further unlocked and connected with leading regional and global platforms to gain the recognition rightly deserves.
During her time at Warner Bros Discovery, she launched businesses in Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, and South Africa, and optimised the newly acquired Fatafeat TV business to profitability with three years, doubling its topline revenue.
Rise Studios is an entertainment company driving investment in content from regional markets. It aims to support local talent with sustainable growth in a hub where editorial and operational talent is nurtured and connected with leading regional and global platforms. The company uses industry expertise and data intelligence to identify audience needs and desires with precision, driving long-term, diverse, and bespoke content investments.
Rise Studios leverages its funding to create owned intellectual property that reflects the regional tone and delivers the type of content that audiences are looking for. The company is backed by Great Mountain Partners (GMP), a global investor with an exceptional track record of investments in the media and entertainment sector.
NAME: Amna Al Owais
DESIGNATION: Chief Registrar
COMPANY: DIFC Courts
INDUSTRY: Government (Judicial)
Amna Al Owais is the Chief Registrar of the DIFC Courts and provides high level support to operations, the administration of the Registries, as well as the delivery of a comprehensive suite of ancillary court public services. Amna spearheads special projects across DIFC Courts operations, particularly in the field of technology and innovation, harnessing digital transformation for core courts services, including major partnerships under the Courts of the Future initiative with the Dubai Future Foundation, such as Court Tech Lab and the Courts of Space, in addition to Court of the Blockchain with Dubai Digital Authority and the creation of the Digital Economy Court specialised Division.
In addition to her role as Chief Registrar of the DIFC Courts, Amna is also Chairperson of the DIFC Courts’ Users’ Committee, Chairperson of the DIFC Courts’ In-House Counsel Committee, and a member of the Consulting Council for the University of Sharjah College of Law. In 2014, Amna was appointed to the Advisory Board of the International Bar Association’s Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee. In September 2019, Amna was also appointed to the College of Law Advisory Board of the University of Dubai.
In 2014, Amna was selected to join the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development (MBRCLD) – the Young Leaders category, and furthermore in 2018 after the relaunch of the MBRCLD, under the Dubai Executive Office and after an extensive selection process, Amna was selected to join the first batch of the MBRCLD Impactful Leaders Programme. Amna successfully graduated in December 2018. Amna has played a key part in the establishment and development of the DIFC Courts and creation of the Dispute Resolution Authority in 2014. She also spearheaded the establishment of the DIFC Courts’ Pro Bono Programme, launched in 2009, which is the first scheme of its kind in the Middle East.
In 2019, Amna was invited to join the Dubai Future Councils, a new initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Dubai Future Foundation. Consisting of 13 councils, its main mandate is to envisage the future agenda of Dubai in strategic sectors and launch initiatives with both private and public sector partners to create the foundation for that future. Amna specifically plays an active role in the membership of the Dubai Future Council on Entrepreneurship & Innovation Ecosystems.
Launched in 2019 by His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance, Amna was also selected by the University Leadership Council and Patheon Assas-Université Paris II to be in the first cohort of the International Business Law LLM and graduated summa cum laude in 2020, making it her second Master’s degree. In January 2023, Amna was also appointed as a member of the Advisory Board of the University of Patheon Assas-Université Paris II, Dubai Campus.
Amna has also successfully completed the Director Development Programme for Corporate Governance (4 modules) provided by the prestigious Hawkamah Institute in 2019 and in 2020 Amna was selected to join the inaugural members of Pathway2020, a regional board career accelerator dedicated solely to building the pipeline of highly competent female board directors and connecting them to boards of listed and large-scale private companies.
In 2021, Amna was accepted to join the selective Strategic Leadership and Public Governance course provided by the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP). The Programme is provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Singapore in collaboration with the international embassies, who then coordinated with the Singaporean consulate in each country to nominate qualified personnel.
Previous to her employment at the DIFC Courts, Amna practiced as a lawyer in the litigation department with Hadef & Partners, formerly Hadef Al Dhahiri & Associates. Amna holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Law from the University of Sharjah and obtained a Master’s Degree (LLM) with Commendation in International Commercial Law from Kingston University, London.
NAME: Amrita Sethi
DESIGNATION: Digital Artist
COMPANY: SoundBYTE
INDUSTRY: Arts and Culture
The UAE’s first NFT artist, Sethi was born and raised in Kenya, later residing in Uganda, Switzerland, and the UK, before moving to Dubai in 2007. This international diversity is reflected in her art which juxtaposes the tradition of storytelling with today’s modern technology. She is best known for her Voice Note art, a digital art form for which Sethi holds the intellectual property rights.
The basic premise of this is to take a word and then use the sound waves that the word produces when spoken out loud to create a picture. She is also the first artist from the UAE to launch her NFT portfolio in 2020, and the first NFT artist to create a 2D animation with audio, enabling people to ‘see sound’ through her art.
After having a successful career for over 15 years in some of the world’s largest multinational financial companies, Sethi left the corporate world which subsequently led to the creation of Voice Note Art, now called SoundBYTE. She was one of the top 10 international and local artists for Expo 2020’s Flagship Community Art project, My Urban Freej, which transformed the UAE into a large art canvas for the community.
With collections on other platforms including OpenSea and MakersPlace, Sethi launched her first NFT portfolio on Terra Virtua; a digital ecosystem that allows people to share, trade and collect 2D and 3D digital assets such as crypto art, NFTs, and other collectibles.
NAME: Amy Roko
DESIGNATION: Content Creator
COMPANY: [email protected]
INDUSTRY: Social Media
Without ever really pushing for it, Roko has mega brands knocking at her doorstep for paid endorsements and has ultimately transformed into a role model for millions of Arab women in just a few years. Part of the success of her persona has been the fact that she does not reveal her face or real name. The name ‘Roko’ was borrowed from a stationary brand while ‘Amy’ was her nickname at the international school she attended.
She graduated with a degree in medical sciences followed by a routine job in a hospital. In 2014, her life took a completely different trajectory where while waiting for a bus to return home, she captured a video of a couple behind her which she posted on Vine, followed by a post on her own Instagram account. A famous Kuwaiti designer reposted it, urging his 60,000 followers to follow her, and subsequently, within a week, she gained 100,000 followers.
She ultimately left her hospital job to work full-time in social media and now has nearly three million followers on Instagram and TikTok. As a role model for millions of women around the world, mega brands like Levi’s, Benefit Cosmetics, and Destination KSA are all backing her with highly paid collaborations across multiple social media platforms.
From her first paid collaboration in 2016 for AED500 to AED20,000 for a single post in 2019, Roko today is a strategic investor who has delved into several investments including three high value NFTs.
NAME: Basma Ashry
DESIGNATION: CEO
COMPANY: Business Incorporation Zone (BIZ)
INDUSTRY: Business Setup Services
After earning her Bachelor’s Degree in European Civilisation from Ain Shams University in Egypt, Ashry gained invaluable experience through the multiple roles she held across client relations, business development, retail banking operations, and general administration. Integrating such a diverse work experience background enabled her to acquire a skill set. From flexibility and quick adaptation to being able to understand different industries, she has developed the ability to excel in every role that she has undertaken.
A key highlight from her career trajectory includes her appointment to CEO from general manager in a short time span. By fostering an inclusive and supportive atmosphere, she firmly believes that women leaders facilitate open dialogue, bridge divides, and create lasting change. In her current role at Business Incorporation Zone (BIZ), she sets the strategic direction, oversees daily operations, and ensures that financial objectives are achieved.
A significant aspect of her role involves fostering a nurturing work culture and building strong relationships with partners and clients. She is always seeking ways to evolve professionally and contribute to the advancement of the business incorporation industry and currently, is working on initiatives to enhance their service offerings, streamline internal processes, and provide even better support to the BIZ clients as they establish and grow their businesses.
In addition, she is steering significant effort into their branding strategy to ensure BIZ continues to stand out in the market and connect with their customers effectively. During challenging times, as a business leader, Ashry strives to inspire her team by leading with compassion, understanding, and determination. She prioritises open communication and aims to always be on-hand to provide the necessary support to address any difficulties team members may face.
As the business sector is facing challenges including adapting to regulatory changes, global economic fluctuations, and increasing competition, Ashry has devised new strategies with a focus on leveraging technology, exploring new markets, enhancing customer satisfaction, and investing in branding to address these challenges.
NAME: Carole Moawad
DESIGNATION: Founder
COMPANY: M’OISHI and UCHI
INDUSTRY: Retail
Born and raised in Lebanon with chemistry educational background, Moawad tried mochi ice creams for the first time ever at a Japanese restaurant in Beirut, and instantly fell in love with everything about it. She decided to launch her very own mochi ice cream café in Dubai, which would be the UAE’s first and only local mochi ice cream manufacturer in the UAE.
An unconventional take on the novelty Japanese dessert, M’OISHÎ is the only homegrown mochi ice cream brand in the region, and it is based in the UAE. Having launched their very first venue in 2017 at Citywalk, M’OISHÎ rapidly grew to become a favourite amongst the residents of the country and has now expanded to 10 concept cafes across the UAE including locations like Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Yas Mall, Galleria Al Maryah, and more. It is also available on Deliveroo and caters private events and weddings.
In addition to the UAE market, M’OISHÎ expanded regionally with three franchises in KSA, Kuwait, and Egypt, and has plans to expand into the rest of the GCC region and Europe.
Steered by a passion for all things Japanese, in 2020, Moawad added another concept to her portfolio, UCHI, a Sushi bar concept that was launched in THAT concept store with a second branch soon to open in June 2023 in the heart of DIFC bringing together the best ingredients and skills from Japan and the UAE.
NAME: Dalya Al Muthanna
DESIGNATION: President UAE and Global Chief Strategy and Operations
COMPANY: GE International Markets
INDUSTRY: Industry
Partnering with the GE businesses across the industrial verticals of energy and aviation and healthcare, Dr Al Muthanna helps to develop and facilitate the execution of market business strategy in the UAE. She also plays a global role in leading the strategic direction of the GE International Markets organisation, which empowers GE to operate within specific strategic and emerging markets by fostering robust stakeholder relationships, analysing distinctive market dynamics, and spearheading lean transformation across its operational management system. She also steers the growth strategy for the MENA region and Turkey.
Prior to her career with GE, Al Muthanna founded Haya Enterprises LLC, a retail group of multi-brands and exclusive franchises in the UAE. She initially joined GE in 2008 as part of the company’s two-year rotational experienced commercial leadership program. Since then, she has successfully juggled several senior roles including heading strategic marketing for GE’s Energy businesses, where her responsibilities included driving results for GE oil and gas, energy management, and power and water.
As GE cultivates diversity in the workforce, its Women’s Network creates opportunities for female employees to foster their business and leadership skills. Al Muthanna strives towards steering innovation to advance technological growth in the region in addition to developing leadership capability and local talent. She is also a member of the Steering Committee of the MENA Clean Energy Business Council.
NAME: Eaman Al Roudhan
DESIGNATION: CEO
COMPANY: Zain Kuwait
INDUSTRY: Telecoms
Previously in the role of the chief regulatory officer of Zain Group, Al Roudhan was appointed to her current role in December 2015. As a results-focused telecommunications executive with over two decades of experience spent in various executive management and leadership roles within Zain Kuwait as well as several Zain Group affiliates, her career in the company began in the Kuwait operations, where she launched the first mobile prepaid service in the country that went on to dominate the country’s prepaid mobile customer base.
Leading Zain with key projects after assuming the role of CEO, Al Roudhan helped shape a new period in Zain’s history, most notably with the commercial launch of 5G wireless technology in June 2019, making Zain the first operator to offer 5G technology in the GCC region via the Kuwaiti market with nationwide coverage. In addition, Al Roudhan led the signing of the smart metres project with the Ministry of Electricity and Water, considered one of the largest projects in Kuwait’s ICT sector, that is testament to the country’s efforts to catalyse the uptake of e-government services and digital transformation.
Throughout her years at Zain, she has also orchestrated numerous strategic alliances with international and regional operators, has led teams, and developed resources across technology, commercial, strategy, wholesale, and regulatory affairs. She is also a member of several international standards and regulatory affairs bodies such as the GSMA Arab World regional interest group.
NAME: Elda Choucair
DESIGNATION: CEO
COMPANY: Omnicom Media Group
INDUSTRY: Media
As one of the few women in a C-suite position in the regional advertising industry, Choucair has steered multiple projects to accelerate the Group’s transformation, including technological developments in automation, predictive modelling, and e-commerce. A 16-year veteran at the Group, she has held senior account positions at OMD and led PHD for over a decade during which under her leadership, grew sevenfold and became a key player in the region.
In 2016, she was named CEO of PHD MENA, followed by her role as COO of the Holding Group, and in 2021, was appointed as the CEO. An active industry figure across multiple groups, Choucair is the vice-chair of the Advertising Business Group (ABG), board member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) GCC and the International Advertising Association (IAA) UAE Chapter, and a founding board member of the Unstereotype Alliance, and the D&I Middle East Council powered by PWC.
In her role, Choucair is tasked with retooling and reconfiguring the services and talent of the agency and has championed multiple projects to accelerate the group’s transformation, including technological developments in automation, predictive modelling, and e-commerce, and has engineered the training and upskilling curricula required for its agencies and people to thrive. Always ahead of the industry, Choucair shuffles traditions and approaches strategies innovatively. Spearheading some of the group’s key highlights including expansion into new Middle Eastern markets.
NAME: Erika Doyle
DESIGNATION: Founder and CEO
COMPANY: Drink Dry
INDUSTRY: Retail
After Doyle arrived in Dubai in 2019, as a teetotaller, she was initially disappointed at the lack of sophisticated non-grape beverages in the market, promoting her to launch her brand Drink Dry, the UAE’s first and only non-grape drinks marketplace. Doyle initially forayed her brand into the market as an e-store in 2021, and today, the brand is now well-recognised in the retail and hospitality sector with their products showcased in many venues across Dubai, as well as in KSA and Kuwait.
Firmly anchored in a new category, Doyle has been steering one of the fastest growing startups in the UAE by introducing new ways of drinking to consumers by presenting an expansive range of non-grape quality products. These product offerings include non-grape beers, wines, spirits, and mixers to appeal to all tastes and preferences. They entered the retail space by working with Choithrams in March 2021 and by June 2021, over 60 hospitality venues were being supplied by Drink Dry. Subsequently, in August, they had their first export order to Kuwait and then in December 2021, forayed into the ‘quick commerce’ business with Talabat.
By collaborating with both small, niche brands as well as bigger, global non-grape drinks brands, Drink Dry are providing their customers with high-quality as well as innovative tastes from the newer brands. Drink Dry’s customer return rate is 72 percent, and as of January 2022, their workforce has doubled, and they have shifted premises into a larger office space.
NAME: Ghada Al Rumayan
DESIGNATION: Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
COMPANY: ROSHN
INDUSTRY: Real Estate
With over a decade of experience in the communications arena, Alrumayan is an expert at building enduring relationships within the public and private sectors and enhancing the impact and reputation of organisations. She occupies her role at a time when the company is implementing one of the largest residential real estate projects in KSA.
Alrumayan joined ROSHN from Riyad Bank, where she was senior vice president of Public Relations, Communications and Events. Between 2012 and 2013, she held the role of the corporate communications manager at Saudi Hollandi Bank, where she was responsible for internal corporate social responsibility. At ROSHN, she has deployed a media strategy that reflects a multi-faceted approach that builds on traditional and alternative media channels to promote and increase interest in ROSHN’s new communities.
As part of her comprehensive strategy, she has successfully utilised ROSHN’s landmark sponsorship activity to build brand recognition and reinforce company messaging, including KSA’s first and second Formula 1 events in Jeddah, Riyadh Season, and the Saudi Pro League.
A national real estate developer powered by the Public Investment Fund (PIF); ROSHN is committed to providing high quality communities to the citizens of KSA. Aligned with the Vision 2030 goal of 70 percent home ownership in KSA through an agenda of localisation and job creation, ROSHN aims to contribute to the development of KSA’s real estate sector.
NAME: Farah Zafar
DESIGNATION: CEO
COMPANY: Lyvely
INDUSTRY: Law/Technology
Transitioning from rockstar lawyer to tech entrepreneur, Zafar is leading the region’s soon-to-be hottest startup, Lyvely, the first fully integrated content and communication platform, purpose-built, for creators, the gig economy, businesses and anyone in the world who wants to generate revenue online. Zafar came from humble beginnings and worked her way up the corporate career trajectory to become one of the most recognisable lawyers in the Middle East.
After bearing the brunt of exhaustion in the corporate world alongside backed by a zeal to reinvent herself, Zafar knew two things: how to build billion-dollar entities and secondly, that the future is tech. She soon realised that big tech was a biased and broken system, current social media platforms only make big tech richer, and she wanted to revolutionise this space. This was the birth of Lyvely.
Through Lyvely, Zafar is on a mission to elevate humanity and help create a world where more people follow their passion and get paid for doing what they love. With a variety of monetisation features, HD video calling, live streaming and a native cryptocurrency, Lyvely has set its sights on becoming the Bridge to Web3 for hundreds of millions of people who are yet to monetise effectively online or adopt blockchain technology.
As a highly acclaimed and award winning chief legal officer with over 20 years’ experience in the Middle East where she has grown and listed billion-dollar entities, Zafar has worked for the regions’ most prominent rulers, including the Ruler of Dubai and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, and believes her experience has laid the foundation for her current position with Lyvely.
She is fiercely passionate about female empowerment and the ever-expanding role of women in tech and wants to inspire women across the world to succeed in this new digital economy and Web3 era. She strongly believes and supports the UAE’s vision to be the global leader in the startup ecosystem, Web3, crypto and blockchain, and is excited to contribute to this space.
NAME: Hana Al Rostamani
DESIGNATION: Group CEO
COMPANY: First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)
INDUSTRY: Banking
With over 20 years of experience in banking and financial services, Al Rostamani took over her current role in January 2021 and is the only female group CEO of a major UAE-headquartered bank and publicly listed corporation within the UAE. Her leadership has steered FAB towards expansion internationally throughout the Middle East with the acquisition of the Egyptian division of Bank Audi, a Lebanese bank.
She chairs FAB Private Bank Suisse, is a member of the IMD Foundation Board, the MasterCard Advisory Board, and sits on her family business AW Rostamani Group’s board of directors. She also served as an independent director at Emirates Integrated Telecommunication Co. (Du) and was the vice chairperson of Emirates Institute for Banking & Financial Services.
A graduate of George Washington University in the US, Al Rostamani is currently Chair of the Global Council on the Sustainable Development Goals, with a key interest in development goal 7, Affordable and Clean Energy.
Commissioned by FAB to support corporate leaders in understanding sustainability towards supporting the UAE 2050 net-zero ambition, the new Frontiers in Sustainability initiative is a unique executive education programme that will provide a holistic understanding of the sustainability agenda to help gain traction for change aimed specifically to C-suite executives at major UAE private and governmental entities. The programme’s launch coincides with the UAE announcing 2023 as the Year of Sustainability.
NAME: Hanaa Al Hinai
DESIGNATION: CEO
COMPANY: Al Ahlia Insurance
INDUSTRY: Finance
In a career spanning over two decades, Al Hinai inculcates robust domestic and international experience as a banking professional. In her current role at Al Ahlia Insurance, one of Oman’s leading insurance players with experience across marketing, retail, and private banking, her range of experience includes sales and product management, digital banking transformation, strategy implementation, product innovation, and more.
Established in 1985, Al Ahlia is one of the longest serving non-life insurance companies in Oman which offers a wide range of products and services in the retail sector and a variety of commercial insurance products including motor, construction, marine, casualty, property, SME solutions, and specialty lines.
A fervent believer in educating individuals on the importance of savings for one’s future, Al Hinai’s has assisted over 1000 clients with the nuances related to insurance planning, retirement planning, savings plans, and tax planning through her international experience as a financial planner for several years in Westpac Banking, one of Australia’s leading banks.
Also, a graduate of Oman’s National CEO programme delivered by IMD & Diwan of Royal Court, Al Hinai has a master’s degree in Finance, is a certified product and marketing manager, a certified Islamic Banker by CIBAFI, as well is a graduate of multiple leadership executive programmes managed by IMD and the London Business School. She also has years of coaching experience on wealth management and financial planning.
NAME: Heather McGregor
DESIGNATION: Provost and Vice Principal
COMPANY: Heriot-Watt University Dubai
INDUSTRY: Education
Prior to her current position, McGregor held the role of the executive dean of the Edinburgh Business School since 2016. Before her career shift into higher education, she was in investment banking, and has spent 17 years as an entrepreneur leading her own executive search firm.
With a PhD from the University of Hong Kong in Structured Finance and an MBA from the London Business School, McGregor is a qualified chartered management accountant (CGMA) and a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. An experienced writer and broadcaster, including writing a column for the Financial Times for 17 years, she is also a visiting professor at the University of Sunderland with an Honorary degree from the University of East London.
Passionate about diversity in the workplace, McGregor is a founding member of the steering committee of the 30% Club, which works to raise the representation of women at senior levels within publicly listed companies and has also founded the Taylor Bennett Foundation which ambitions to promote diversity in the communications industry.
One of the first two people at Heriot-Watt University to be named a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2021, she was also awarded a CBE in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours List in UK and in the 2023 New Year’s Honours List, she was among the first to be recognised with the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) by King Charles III.
NAME: Hind Seddiqi
DESIGNATION: Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
COMPANY: Seddiqi Holding
INDUSTRY: Retail
The granddaughter of the founder of Ahmed Seddiqi and Sons, the largest watch retailer in the UAE, with 51 locations and growing, the company represents more than 60 luxury timepieces and jewellery brands. Since 1950, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons has been pivotal in transforming the UAE into a regional hub for horology and attracting globally renowned watchmaking marques to the region.
In her current role within the group, she is responsible for developing integrated marketing strategies for each business unit in addition to their internal and external executive communication plans and strategies. She also heads the Customer Experience (CX) communications for all business units, including Seddiqi Properties and Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons. She not only re-structured the company’s marketing department but is also actively involved in the conceptualisation and implementation of corporate and communications strategies across their business portfolio.
In her role as the director general of Dubai Watch Week, Seddiqi played a pivotal role in its launch which has succeeded in drawing the leading talents of watchmaking to converge in the Middle East for the unique non-commercially driven networking event which was launched only in 2015. Her idea for Dubai Watch Week came about after positive feedback from clients who had the opportunity to visit watch factories in Switzerland. The platform has now become one of the watchmaking world’s most anticipated events.
NAME: Sheikha Intisar
DESIGNATION: Founder and Chairwoman
COMPANY: Intisar Foundation
INDUSTRY: Philanthropy
Envisioning peace in the Arab world is a life vision of Sheikha Intisar Al Sabah and which steers her work as an author, film producer, columnist, an entrepreneur, and a philanthropist as well as underpins her mission to empower children, young people, and women. Backing social enterprises that include the charitable Intisar Foundation, Prismologie, Intisars, Ebbarra, and non-profits Alnowair and Bareec, she is also a frequent visitor to refugee camps across the region, offering support to women suffering from war.
Empowering Arab Women
Trauma triggered by the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was part of the impetus towards her personal effort to self-empower Arab women. Her tribute to this is the ‘One Million Arab Women’ initiative, the Intisar Foundation’s plan to mitigate trauma in one million Arab women affected by war brutalities using drama therapy by 2050. Her lifelong commitment to philanthropy reflects in her involvement with humanitarian organisations that aspire to provide equal opportunities, education, and reassurance for those who require it.
An active member of the Human Rights Watch Kuwait chapter, she has been involved in raising funds for UNHCR for the victims of the Syrian War. And along with International Committee of Red Cross, she has spearheaded several initiatives including a discussion to create awareness of the dilemma of Arab women in war. Highly influential in Kuwaiti society, Sheikha Al Sabah is also the founder and editorial director of Lulua Publishing, and the founder of non-profit initiative Alnowair.
NAME: Isabel Neiva
DESIGNATION: Partner Middle East and Africa Lead, Transactions and Transformations
COMPANY: Kearney Middle East
INDUSTRY: Consulting
Prior to her officially becoming a consultant, Neiva had a robust introduction to management consulting diversity and a fast-paced environment. She joined a boutique private equity firm in her native Portugal after completing her studies which taught her how to influence change. Driven by an interest in supporting businesses, in 2005, Neiva moved into consulting initially working to support telecommunications operators with their key challenges.
After attaining her MBA at INSEAD in Singapore in 2007, she opted to move to the Middle East region. In her current role, she works with clients to understand their challenges and find solutions, steered by a focus on transformations and transactions, including assessing potential targets, their M&A strategies, and developing value post-acquisitions. Specialised in organisational strategy and talent development, Neiva enables clients to help plan and implement the changes as they ambition toward large-scale transformation.
With a core interest in the advancement of women in the workforce, she is actively involved in activities that highlight the spectrum of possibilities for younger female consultants and leads the Kearney Women’s Consulting Network in the MEA region, a diversity network committed to recruiting, advancing, and supporting women at the organisation. She also defined new ways of working as she helped transform a major governmental entity by co-creating a new operating model in the context of a ministry-wide transformation in the GCC.
NAME: Jamie Phares
DESIGNATION: Managing Director
COMPANY: Janssen GCC
INDUSTRY: Healthcare
After graduating from business school at Wharton in the US, Phares arrived in Dubai where she joined Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in the Medical Devices sector, and prior to shifting into pharmaceuticals, held the role of the vice president of Ethicon Wound Closure for EMEA. She handled over 15 countries in the Middle East, having worked in marketing for their Ethicon Endo-Surgery business.
She held several leadership roles over time across different countries, including the EMEA region and in the emerging markets. Due to her vastly diverse experience in the company, Phares has been well-acquainted with the broad range of schools of thought and perspectives across the company. Driven by Janssen GCC’s credo, she inculcates the same diverse and inclusive ethos in her current role and beyond.
In her current role, her directive is to align the organisation with the healthcare transformation demands and ensure patient access to their innovative medicines, all part of their objective to create a disease-free future. Part of Janssen Global and one of the world’s top 10 pharmaceutical companies, Janssen GCC is active in over 150 countries throughout the world with offices in over 30 countries.
To support the UAE’s healthcare sector, in June 2022, Emirates Health Services (EHS) signed an MoU with Johnson & Johnson Middle East to bolster collaboration towards innovative solutions to boost its regional and international competitiveness in addition to helping support hospitals and healthcare professionals, and reduce the cost of care.
NAME: Sheikha Jawaher
DESIGNATION: Founder and Chairperson
COMPANY: Green Aventurine Holding
INDUSTRY: Diversified
An empowering and young royalty figure of Bahrain who resides in Dubai, Sheikha Jawaher Al Khalifa is an entrepreneur known for her philanthropy and investing skills across her multiple projects. In her current role at Green Aventurine Holding, she ambitions toward unifying multiple startups across the world as she builds a conglomerate of nine different sectors.
Creating opportunities for all strata of men and women, Green Aventurine is a holding company spanning across e-commerce, oil and gas, footwear, trade, product distribution, real estate, and more. Steered by her visionary leadership, the holding company is underpinned by five core values, which include impact, inclusivity, sustainability, growth, and innovation.
Initially embarking upon her career within the family office and estate management, Sheikha Al Khalifa rapidly established herself as a key figure in public relations and marketing through her diverse experience across various sectors. With a goal to create a shared space of inclusivity for sustainable asset management and business growth for young generations and backed by a vision to be the one-stop-solution for businesses that want to set up shop in the UAE, Green Aventurine’s individual companies span across multiple sectors and industries which align with the overall vision of the UAE’s growth.
Also as the chairperson for the Sheikha Jawaher Al Khalifa Foundation for Youth Empowerment, she had established this institution to help empower young innovators and inventors.
NAME: Jyoti Bhatia
DESIGNATION: Director
COMPANY: Conares
INDUSTRY: Industry
In addition to her senior leadership role at Conares, the second-largest steel manufacturer in the Middle East, Bhatia is also a well-established entrepreneur in the UAE’s thriving culinary space in her role as the founder and managing director at Jackberrys LLC, UAE’s leading chain of restaurants which she launched with her husband Bharat Bhatia in 2004.
With casual-dine restaurants, cafes, quick service outlets, office pantries and catering services for corporate and social do’s, their area of expertise extends to Tex-Mex, Indian, Asian, continental, and fusion cuisines. With brands that include Desi Bistro, Cultures, Barry’s Bench, and Jackberrys, their outlets are mostly located in malls of Dubai and business locations of Jafza and Dafza while their Asian and central kitchen is based in Jebel Ali.
Conares was founded by Bhatia’s husband, Bharat Bhatia in 1988 as a steel production and trading business, from the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA). Initially focused on steel trading, he later set up manufacturing facilities in the UAE, and today, has set new benchmarks in the steel industry as a leading producer of steel pipes and tubes, rebars, and flat steel colour-coated lines. Exporting products to 26 countries across six continents, in December 2022, Conares opened its colour-coated steel plant in Dubai.
The facility, developed at an investment of $40.8m within the Conares premises in JAFZA South, has the capacity to produce 100,000 metric tonnes of colour-coated galvanised steel coils, strips and sheets per annum.
NAME: Kate Midttun
DESIGNATION: Founder and CEO
COMPANY: Acorn Strategy Abu Dhabi
INDUSTRY: Media and Marketing
Launched in 2010 by Midttun, Acorn Strategy is a strategy-led integrated marketing, public relations, and digital communications agency based in Abu Dhabi. As a marketing and communications professional, Middtun arrived in Abu Dhabi over a decade ago and spent a few years working for hotels on Yas Island in the role of a marketing director.
Driven by the need for a new challenge, she began developing marketing strategies on a freelance basis which would ultimately grow into her own venture in Abu Dhabi. And now with nearly two decades of experience acquired across the globe, she leads a team of diversified and well-experienced experts who boast over 200 cumulative years of experience.
Backed by Midttun’s visionary expertise, the agency helps businesses develop a competitive advantage by inculcating marketing approaches that are specifically tailored for them. With offices based in the UAE, UK, and Australia, its services in the UAE are across the education, real estate, leisure, healthcare, and infrastructure sectors. In March 2018, Acorn Strategy forayed into Australia with its office in Melbourne.
Bolstering its regional presence, more recently in April 2022, Acorn Strategy expanded into Dubai, making that its fifth global office. With robust strategies that follow a proven six-step methodology across all marketing communication touchpoints, including frame, discover, analyse, strategise, focus, and plan, Acorn Strategy specialises in marketing and communications strategy development, market research, and more.
Midttun also serves as the Chairperson for MEPRA and Non-Executive Board Member of The Marketing Society.
NAME: Princess Lamia
DESIGNATION: Secretary General and Member of the Board of Trustees
COMPANY: Alwaleed Philanthropies
INDUSTRY: Philanthropy
One of the most highly regarded trailblazers of the region, Princess Al Saud ceaselessly strives towards the empowerment of women and aspires to globally change the perceptions of Arab women. Appointed to her current position in Alwaleed Philanthropies in April 2016, Princess Al Saud previously held the role of executive manager of Media & Communication at the Foundation.
After observing a gender disparity revealed by a study about female participation in KSA in 2019, she collaborated with Careem to secure one hundred Careem women captains to provide more women employment opportunities. In 2001, she received a bachelor’s degree from Misr International University, Cairo and then went on to launch her own publishing company, Sada Al Arab in 2003, which published three magazines from Dubai, Cairo, and Beirut.
Subsequently, she also went on to publish Children & Blood, her first novel in 2010 which highlighted the brutal subject of honour killings. She also holds several key positions across global organisations including as a member of the Generation Unlimited Champion Committee with UNICEF and Global Champion for gender equality with the UN Women.
Through her work with Alwaleed Philanthropies, she has juggled multiple projects which are testament to her unwavering dedication.
Founded in the eighties, Alwaleed Philanthropies include a volunteering programme that is the first in KSA to build structured women and youth scout groups in Saudi universities.
NAME: Linda Fitz-Alan
DESIGNATION: Registrar and CEO
COMPANY: Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts
INDUSTRY: Law
Pioneering game-changing technology in dispute resolution, Fitz-Alan assumed her role in October 2015. Leading ADGM’s extensive dispute resolution services, her role also includes managing the progressive ADGM Arbitration Centre. She also spearheads the administration and operations of ADGM Courts, including both the delivery of the Court’s comprehensive digital services and a unique eCourts Platform as well as the management of cases.
In 2018, ADGM Court’s unique ADGM eCourts Platform was designed by Fitz-Alan to provide access and connection to the Court by abolishing any time or geographical boundary which enabled hearings to be held from anywhere in the world. She also developed the world’s first completely digital ADGM Courtroom, which enables all parties real-time access to remote witness evidence and the same documents.
Prior to her role, Fitz-Alan was the CEO and principal registrar of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia, where she was responsible for the development of the court’s human resources and training and the advancement of its electronic filing and case management capability, including the court’s civil and criminal registries design and consolidation.
A CEDR-accredited mediator, she has also held a senior legal position with a large insurer in New York, and has been a partner of two Australian law firms. A strong proponent of gender equality, Fitz-Alan has spearheaded ADGM’s Gender Equality Initiative.
NAME: Lucy Chow
DESIGNATION: Director
COMPANY: World Business Angels Investment Forum (WAIN)
INDUSTRY: Entrepreneurship
An entrepreneur and a director of the Women’s Angel Investor Network (WAIN) in the UAE, Chow, investor in the World Business Angels Investment Forum was born in Canada and initiated her expatriate career in China prior to her role as a senior vice president for HSBC in Hong Kong in 1997.
Dividing her time in Hong Kong, she also lived In New York where she held the global responsibility for brand development at Debt Traders and managed all aspects of learning and human resources for both the broker and the dealer in corporate finance businesses. In 2007, she moved to Dubai with her husband, and steers multiple business ventures, including as the founder of the Elements Group, which boasts clients from a diverse range of industries across luxury brands, web portals, non-profits, and finance.
Chow is the chairperson of the steering committee with The Capital Club, a DIFC-based club, and launched the Dubai Chapter of Room to Read, and previously, was on the UAE committee for Acumen, was a co-Chapter chair for Techfugees (UAE) and Ellevate.
Also, a founding member of the Women’s Angel Investing Network (WAIN) the first women’s angel investor group in the Middle East to invest in women-led start-ups, Chow is also a senator to UAE for WBAIF, an affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), committed to empower global economic development by fostering innovative financial instruments for start-ups, innovators, entrepreneurs, and more.
NAME: Mae Al Mozaini
DESIGNATION: Founder and CEO
COMPANY: The Arab Institute for Women’s Empowerment (Nusf)
INDUSTRY: Leadership
Al Mozaini is the brainchild behind the Arab Institute for Women’s Empowerment (Nusf), working to empower future female Saudi leaders. Backed by robust experience working as gender lead at the 2020 G20 Summit, as well as having worked as a former Aramco executive, she was fully cognisant of working as a female without the benefits of mentorship.
It was Vision 2030 that inspired her to offer mentorship programmes to women through Nusf, the Arabic word for ‘half’ as in half of society. Women made up 17 percent of KSA’s economic activities but after Nusf was founded, Q2 of 2022 witnessed as many women as men with employment as this statistic jump to 35.6 percent. Nusf provides women with leadership skills while the institute is working toward cultivating sustainable economic development, hence helping Saudi Arabia realise its Vision 2030 goals. This is in addition to providing research, and hosting discussions in which people in leadership positions can share their experiences and best practices for women across sectors.
Al Mozaini outlined three main pillars for nusf, the first of which is the equip programme which trains women in corporate soft skills such as negotiation and leadership. The second is the research component highlighting obstacles women face from being active participants in their own economy. The third is connect which has several initiatives, including a podcast, to highlight the social barriers and pathways to resolving them.
NAME: Maria Medvedeva
DESIGNATION: Country Business Manager
COMPANY: Mastercard Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
INDUSTRY: Technology
With a wealth of experience across over two decades in key regional and global roles, prior to her current role, Medvedeva was appointed the vice president, Solution Sales, Market Development for Mastercard’s expanded MENA region. Here she steered security and digital solutions which included cross border services, processing and cybersecurity, payments, and e-commerce gateways. She embarked on her career originally as an IT analyst at Computer Associates in the US, followed by an upgrade to the role of regional director of IT in its Dubai, UAE HQ for EEMEA.
Also, as a Member of GCC Board Directors Institute and Young President Organisation, Medvedeva has helped steer country business strategy as she strives to deliver innovative payment experiences for the consumers with financial institutions, fintechs and merchants through data insights, payment strategy consultancy and M&A. Also working closely with the regulators and ministries across KSA and Bahrain, she cooperates with the US – Saudi Chamber of Commerce sharing best practices and data insights and advises on globally competitive payments practices.
Medvedeva’s leadership brand is building communities that empower financial inclusion to give under-privileged access to financial services. Aligned with the Saudi Vision 2030 of empowering the future generation and advancing the Saudi economy, Mastercard’s approach is aligned with the empowerment of women in the workplace as a key element of the strategy.
NAME: Marie-Louise EK
DESIGNATION: Vice President of HR for the Middle East, Africa and Turkey
COMPANY: Hilton
INDUSTRY: Hospitality
A seasoned, global HR leader who has lived and worked in Europe, Asia, and Middle East, Ek boasts a wealth of HR experience across commercial, transformative, digital, coaching, and more, and throughout her career span, has developed high performing teams across the multiple companies she has worked with.
Appointed to her current role in January 2023 in the capacity to helm Hilton’s human resources, she will steer the company’s award-winning people and culture strategy across the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey across its 181 hotels in the region and over 30,000 team members. Having worked with multiple Fortune 500s across industries, spanning all continents, Ek boasts over two decades of people-centric experience.
With a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources Management from Lund University, Sweden, upon graduation in 2000, Ek worked with Sandvik, a Swedish technology group who are the early pioneers of HR transformation, and a role that provided a large scope of accountabilities. She has spent over 15 years working in the Middle East and Africa where she has helmed human resources for global logistics giant Maersk, overseen cultural transformation at Bridgestone, and led workforce optimisation for emerging markets at Coty Professional Beauty, now the Wella Company.
She was also the senior director HR Africa, Middle East, South Asia at PepsiCo for two years, where her responsibilities included transformation, mentoring and coaching, capability building and talent development.
NAME: Muna Easa Al Gurg
DESIGNATION: Vice Chairperson, Director of Retail
COMPANY: Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group
INDUSTRY: Diversified
Helming the retail segment of her family business launched in 1960 in Dubai by her late father, Easa Saleh Al Gurg. The Group includes over 27 companies under its umbrella. Muna is also on the board of directors of several companies including HSBC Bank Middle East Limited.
Muna oversees strategy and operational development for the Group’s retail and lifestyle sector which includes companies such as Al Gurg Living, Chattels & More and Interiors. She embarked on her career with Saatchi & Saatchi in Dubai, and in 2001, joined the family business. With a keen interest in helping the youth of the UAE, she is also the chairwoman of Young Arab Leaders UAE, promoting education, entrepreneurship, and youth development. Moreover, she is also on the board of directors of Emirates Foundation, an independent philanthropic organisation chaired by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which helps improve UAE’s youth.
An advocate for a greater role for women in business, she launched the Muna Al Gurg Scholarship in 2015 at London Business School to support female students in the school’s MBA and Executive MBA programme. Within the Group, she launched the Al Gurg Women’s Empowerment Forum, where she actively promotes and conducts open floor sessions for women employees to voice their opinions.
She also supports female entrepreneurs as an investor in Mindshift Capital, a global venture firm which invests in women-led companies. Muna is a member of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Sustainability Board, mandated to provide innovative and sustainable solutions to refugees in the MENA region.
At the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Charity Foundation, she is responsible for strategy and initiatives both in the UAE and internationally.
NAME: Dr Nadia Bastaki
DESIGNATION: Chief HR, Organisational Development and Asset Management Officer
COMPANY: Etihad Aviation Group
INDUSTRY: Aviation
After having previously served as vice president of Medical Services since 2014, in November 2021, Dr Bastaki assumed her current role and is the first-ever female chief executive at the Etihad Aviation Group and the first female UAE national to specialise in aviation medicine.
A global leader in aviation medicine, in her current role, she is responsible for the Asset Management department as well as leads Etihad’s people and wellbeing strategy. This is inclusive of employee experience, engagement, and diversity and inclusion, in addition to all core HR functions, including manpower and talent management as well as reward and performance and development.
Since she joined Etihad Airways in 2007, Dr Bastaki has played a pivotal role in positioning the airline as a global leader in the field of aviation medicine, while also focusing on clinical care at the Etihad Airways Medical Centre in Abu Dhabi. The first UAE national female to be registered as an Aviation Medical Specialist with the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD), she also serves as one of HAAD’s Scientific Reviewers, responsible for accrediting publications on Aviation and Occupational Medicine.
She has been recognised by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for her achievements. With over a decade of medical practitioner experience, Dr Bastaki holds several postgraduate qualifications, including a master’s degree in Occupational Medicine from Manchester University and a diploma in Aviation Medicine from King’s College in London.
NAME: Najwa Attiga
DESIGNATION: General Counsel and Head of Compliance
COMPANY: Emirates Investment Authority
INDUSTRY: Law
A seasoned senior US-qualified attorney based in Abu Dhabi with over 25 years of experience, Attiga is an international corporate attorney whose principal areas of practice are corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, investment funds, private equity, and dispute resolution. She is also the founder of the Arab Women Lawyers Group Middle East, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting women in the legal profession in the Middle East.
With a wealth of multinational and multifaceted academic and business experience, Attiga personally founded and managed multiple legal departments and teams over the past 20 years in the USA, MENA and GCC regions. As a member of the New York State Bar Association, she also holds a master’s degree in international law from the University of Jordan in Amman, and her master of law degree in Corporate Law from Columbia University in New York.
She also supports women forming networking groups to boost their career prospects, whether that be to start their own business or to climb the corporate ladder into senior management roles. She believes that networking events, especially those aimed at women, help women meet contacts, gain access to resources and ideas as well as raising awareness on gender issues and boosting confidence through access to mentorship and live examples of success stories. She is a trusted advisor to investment teams and the C-suite for startups and established corporations in the public and private sectors.
NAME: Nikita Sachdev
DESIGNATION: Founder
COMPANY: Luna PR
INDUSTRY: Media and Marketing
An investor and serial entrepreneur, in 2015, Sachdev co-launched Luna Management, a talent management agency and production house. But after working with crypto giant Huobi, her interest in the crypto and blockchain space piqued. This led to her working as an advisor with key companies in the fintech space as well as actively investing in crypto. She eventually exited from Luna Management and went on to launch Luna PR, her own fintech-focused public relations and marketing agency.
Steered by a passion for the blockchain industry, Sachdev ambitions its widespread adoption through social media, the press, and various educational outlets, underpinned by a goal to be a one stop shop for Web2 projects looking to enter the Web3 space, or for Web3 projects aiming to shift to the mass market. To further educate people on blockchain potential, she also speaks at universities and conferences on the subject, including at Oxford University, UK and the University of Miami, USA.
With a team of over 100 employees and over 600 projects with big names like eToro and Binance spread across offices in three continents, Luna PR is backed by core expertise in web3 since 2017 and specialise in brand building aligned with impactful campaigns. Steered by Sachdev’s vision, the team has helped brands launch, expand, and re-image supported by services that include public relations, global and regional media pitching, partnerships and co-branding opportunities, C-suite and executive brand building, crisis and reputation management.
NAME: Nicole Rodrigues
DESIGNATION: Founder and CEO
COMPANY: Diva Group of Companies
INDUSTRY: Diversified
Inculcating the key values of entrepreneurship throughout her career trajectory, Rodrigues is continuously pushing the boundaries beyond what is commonplace. Her brand, Diva Group of Companies, is a dynamic enterprise encompassing a vast array of businesses, including her Diva Modelling & Events, which has gone on to create 12,000 jobs.
Furthermore, her passion for creating luxury villas in Palm Jumeirah and her notable purchase of 150 properties has leveraged her reputation as the Palm Queen in Dubai.
One notable pillar of Diva Holdings is the ultra-high-end luxury real estate marketplace located in Palm Jumeirah.
Specialising in crafting unique waterfront residences for ultra-wealthy and discerning clients who demand nothing but the highest quality and design sophistication. The launch of their $140m villa on 15 December 2020 highlighted the importance of delivering spectacular results that feel like home while embracing a connection to nature. Redefining the notion of luxury, Diva Group of Companies focuses on even the most minute details, including solar and wind directional aspects to their choice in sculptures, art pieces, interior design, and more, ultimately ensuring a superlative standard to align with every client’s vision.
Her commitment toward helping others has driven Rodrigues to continually strive for improved service levels alongside the incorporation of AI technologies in their operations. Moreover, for two decades, she has dedicated herself to mentoring and developing media professionals in the area, which led to several awards being bestowed upon her.
Moreover, Diva Development focuses on sustainable smart cities with global technologies including but not limited to, water and waste management solutions. She is looking into introducing more eco-friendly approaches and plans on venturing into Africa, focusing on creating sustainable housing methods. She intends to establish a varied portfolio of businesses that will have a lasting impact on the organisation’s prosperity.
Backed by today’s social encouragement and technological breakthroughs, Rodrigues believes that women can now step up into positions of authority and start their own enterprises while contributing positively to society.
NAME: Nisreen Shocair
DESIGNATION: CEO
COMPANY: Beyond ONE MEA
INDUSTRY: Telecoms
A subsidiary of private global investment company Priora Management Holding Dubai, Beyond ONE acquired Virgin Mobile Middle East and Africa (VMMEA), a pioneer mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the MEA region, which was followed by the appointment of Shocair to her current role for the MEA region. VMMEA was launched in 2006 and in the GCC region, serves over 3 million users and operates a robust digital communication platform for both its Friendi Mobile operations and Virgin Mobile.
Responsible for driving and developing the next phase of the organisation, she will be managing both Virgin Mobile and Friendi Mobile brands in the UAE, Kuwait, KSA, and Oman. With Shocair at the helm, Beyond ONE ambition to foster a more conducive environment for entrepreneurs and talent, particularly women, both internationally and regionally.
Backed by a career underpinned by retail, entertainment, technology, and fashion across the US, UK, Middle East and Germany, Shocair was previously the CEO of YOOX NET-A-PORTER Group in the Middle East. Prior to that, she helmed the MBC launch of a live streaming shopping network, and in her role as the president of Virgin Megastore for MENA, she steered the company’s transformation in nine markets.
Her wealth of experience across the digital, publishing, retail, and licensing within the music industry propelled the influence of Virgin Megastores in the Middle East. She has held other noteworthy leadership positions at Hearst, Viacom and Sony Music.
NAME: Noor Sweid
DESIGNATION: General Partner
COMPANY: Global Ventures
INDUSTRY: Finance
With a zeal for enabling disruptive technology companies and their emerging market founders to solve real problems, Sweid is considered a key venture capitalist in the MENA region. Sweid started her career in the US as a biotechnology and pharmaceutical strategy consultant. She boasts several firsts, including being the first Arab woman to scale, IPO and operate a public company in the MENA region.
In April 2008, she listed Depa, an interior contracting company, on the NASDAQ Dubai and the London Stock Exchange for $1.1bn. Her previous roles include CIO at The Dubai Future Foundation, and founder of ZenYoga studio chain, the largest chain of yoga and Pilates studios in the Middle East which she sold in 2014 to Cedarbridge. In conjunction to her roles on the board of Global Ventures’ portfolio companies, she is also the director for MIT Sloan and TechWadi, the chairperson of the Middle East Venture Capital Association, and the independent chairperson of the board for Clue Health.
An international venture capital (VC) firm that is headquartered in Dubai, Global Ventures invests in founders and ideas across emerging markets. They support global-minded entrepreneurs who are using technology to transform emerging markets and are leading growth-stage companies. A collaborative diverse team which now has a presence in North America, Europe, KSA, and Egypt, the Global Ventures team have a combined years of experience in building and scaling companies.
NAME: Ola Doudin
DESIGNATION: CEO and Co-founder
COMPANY: BitOasis
INDUSTRY: Finance
A pioneer in the region’s cryptocurrency ecosystem, Doudin launched the first cryptocurrency platform in the Middle East in 2015. One of the most trusted cryptocurrency platforms in the MENA region, BitOasis is the region’s largest digital asset trading exchange and platform headquartered in the UAE.
It currently aims its services at individuals, traders, and investors across the region and internationally. With an engineering background, Doudin began her career in IT Risk Advisory at Ernst & Young in London, while engaged in mentoring and investing in tech startups, in addition to working with Aramex founder Fadi Ghandour.
The start for BitOasis was sparked when Doudin purchased her first-ever Bitcoin in 2013 and was compelled by its potential. One year later, she launched the Dubai-based start-up BitOasis, an online wallet and exchange that is available across the MENA region and Asia and was actually the first to use multi-signature technology to protect digital assets.
The growth in the regional market is reflected in the robust upward trajectory of BitOasis and today, the platform is available to users in KSA, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, and Jordan. The venture has received a preliminary license to operate in the UAE from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority at the Abu Dhabi Global Market. As a region with one of the fastest-growing cryptocurrency markets in the world, BitOasis has secured two rounds of funding from international and regional venture capital funds.
NAME: Raja Al Mazrouei
DESIGNATION: Managing Director and Acting CEO
COMPANY: Etihad Credit Insurance
INDUSTRY: Finance
A digital transformation leader, Al Mazrouei became a board member at ECI in January 2022 followed by her appointment as the acting CEO in January 2023. Currently, in a transitional phase to support the UAE’s national economic diversification goals, ECI is the UAE’s federal export credit company.
Previously, Al Mazrouei has juggled multiple roles as a senior executive across several organisations, including her most recent role as the former executive vice president at DIFC FinTech Hive. She played a key role in establishing awareness, accelerating outreach, and fostering partnerships in emerging FinTech markets, including the US, Europe, Africa, India, Asia, and the UK, with the aim of aligning DIFC as the region’s leading innovation destination for fintech. Backed by Al Mazrouei’s financial acumen, fintech became a leading contributor to the UAE digital economy steered by the formation of over 500 fintech startups that launched.
Previously, she was senior vice president of Marketing and Corporate Communication at DIFC, where she managed digital marketing functions, branding, and the public relations for the Centre on a global and regional scale. in addition to key roles as head of Operations and head of Information Technology at DIFC Authority, Al Mazrouei also held the position of Commissioner of Data Protection at DIFC.
In the nascent part of her career, she served as director of IT Relationship Management at Dubai Holding, and head of Information Technology at National Bonds Corporation.
NAME: Renuka Jagtiani
DESIGNATION: Chairwoman and CEO
COMPANY: Landmark Group
INDUSTRY: Retail
Landmark Group has transformed the retail sector in Dubai, growing from a single store in Bahrain in 1973 founded by her husband Micky Jagtiani, to now over 2,200 retail outlets, Jagtiani has been pivotal in guiding corporate strategy for over two decades. As a cornerstone of the company’s journey, she has been instrumental in creating fashion brand Splash in 1993.
Under her leadership, the group forayed into e-commerce and invested in the MENA region’s largest privately-owned logistics and distribution hub, with a vision to reach its customers, irrespective of where they shop. Landmark Group has been a champion for over 14 years in their endeavour to support early diabetes detection, raise awareness about diabetes in the region, and improve care within UAE’s communities.
The Beat Diabetes initiative was launched in 2009 to help spread awareness about diabetes management and prevention across the GCC and India. Covering around 20 million people each year and having reached over 100 million people to date, the initiative conducts media campaigns and community events to help manage and prevent diabetes.
The group, alongside the Jagtiani Foundation and The LIFE Foundation, have also worked with a network of reputed local non-profit organisations across India, such as Apnalaya, Jan Sahas, Oscar Foundation, SAVE, a reputed organisation with its roots in the Tiruppur area in Tamil Nadu, that has been one of the pioneers in highlighting the issues of textile and garment workers and eradicating child labour.
NAME: Dr Saeeda Jaffar
DESIGNATION: Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager, GCC
COMPANY: Visa
INDUSTRY: Technology
As part of the CEMEA Leadership Team, Dr Jaffar was appointed to her current role in June 2021 for its operations across the GCC region where she manages the global digital payments leader to oversee its presence in six countries. Based in Dubai, she has a wealth of robust experience in financial services and payments expertise as prior to her role at Visa, she had served as managing director for the Middle East at Alvarez & Marsal.
Previously, she held key leadership positions in the Middle East for both McKinsey & Company and Bain & Company, working with clients in the private and public sectors. With a firm foothold in financial services and payments and with digitisation high on the regional government agenda, she is helping establish Visa as a partner of choice, while unlocking growth opportunities with the GCC region for new and existing clients as well as partners.
In addition to her consulting experience with public and private sector clients, Dr Jaffer focuses on restructuring, PMI and operational programs, strategy, and transformation. She is specialised in financial services, including government institutions, private equity firms, private banks, universal banks, and sovereign wealth funds.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University (USA) as well as a Master of Science degree and a Doctorate in Chemical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which she gained through the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum EDAAD Scholarship.
NAME: Renée McGowan
DESIGNATION: CEO India, Middle East and Africa
COMPANY: Marsh McLennan
INDUSTRY: Consulting
In her current role at Marsh McLennan, McGowan is driven by a passion for making organisations more successful and societies more resilient by advising clients on their most pressing concerns across people, risk, and strategy. The work Marsh McLennan does through its market-leading brands namely, Marsh; Guy Carpenter; Mercer; and Oliver Wyman makes a difference in the lives of millions of organisations, employees, their families and, ultimately, their communities.
Today, she shapes the business community in the Middle East by contributing actively to forums such as the MEA Business Group, the Dubai Business Women Council and Boardroom by EMIR. As an accomplished global business leader, she boasts a longstanding successful career at Marsh McLennan where she helmed businesses across several cities including Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, New York, Singapore, and Sydney.
In her most recent role as Mercer’s President for Asia, Middle East, and Africa, McGowan championed innovation and a growth mindset across over 15 diverse markets as well as steered the firm to exponential growth. A keen advocate for financial inclusion and security, McGowan led Mercer’s partnership with the World Economic Forum on the Retirement and Investment Systems Reform Project between 2017 and 2018. In 2018, she was named one of Employee Benefit Adviser’s Top Women in Benefit Advising.
Her previous roles include spearheading the growth and strategy of Mercer’s retirement business as the Global Leader for individual wealth and driving the retail pension business as the Chief Customer & Marketing Officer for the Pacific region. Her passion for uplifting and empowering other women also led her to become a mentor for entrepreneurs in developing nations as part of the Cherie Blaire Foundation’s Mentoring Women in Business Program. She is also a mentor with StreetWise, a non-profit that empowers unemployed individuals with skills and resources.
For her service in Aceh following the Boxing Day Tsunami, McGowan was awarded a Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal by the Australian government.
NAME: Rola Abu Manneh
DESIGNATION: CEO
COMPANY: Standard Chartered Bank, UAE
INDUSTRY: Banking
As the CEO of Standard Chartered Bank UAE, Abu Manneh is the first Emirati woman to lead a bank in the UAE and has been responsible for transforming the UAE business into one of the biggest five markets for the Standard Chartered Group. She is also a member of the board of directors of the Dubai International Chamber, whose mission is to represent, support, and protect the interests of the business community in Dubai. Additionally, in January 2023, Abu Manneh added a new role to her career trajectory as the director on the board of Standard Chartered Bank (Pakistan).
Prior to her role at Standard Chartered Bank, Abu Manneh was the head of Corporate & Investment Banking for Abu Dhabi at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). In this role, her responsibility was to maintain relationships between FAB and its client base, including government, government-related entities, elite customer groups, family corporations, local corporations, multinational corporations, and commercial banking services. She also served as the general manager of FAB’s Wholesale Banking Group, which comprised of Project Finance Syndications, Financial Institutions Group and Global Transaction Banking.
Over the years, she has championed the cause of women empowerment and female entrepreneurship through different initiatives and is committed to supporting the wider community by providing university students with mentorship programmes, in collaboration with leading partners, which aim to prepare participants with the necessary skills to succeed in their chosen professions. Abu Manneh is a member of the Global Council for Sustainable Development Goal 5, Gender Equality (‘SDG5’) and the NYUAD Vice Chancellor’s Leadership Council.
As a testament to her efforts, in 2022 Abu Manneh was recognised as one of the most powerful and influential figures in the Women Business Leaders Middle East List by Arabian Business magazine. In 2021, she was awarded Banking Leader of the Year at the Gulf Business Awards and Financial News has listed her as one of the most influential female leaders.
NAME: Salama Al Ameemi
DESIGNATION: Director General
COMPANY: Ma’an Authority for Social Contribution
INDUSTRY: Government
In her current role at Ma’An since March 2019, Al Ameemi is an organisational transformation professional boasting approximately 14 years of experience across multiple sectors, including finance, strategic business planning, human resources management, procurement, and performance management. With four years of projects with the Central Government of Abu Dhabi across organisational transformation, Al Ameemi has helped steer the setting up and managing of organisational and governance frameworks leading to strategic changes across diverse functions both within and outside the General Secretariat of the Executive Council.
Established by the Department of Community Development in February 2019, the Authority of Social Contribution, Ma’an has been bringing the government, private sector, and civil society together to help drive social innovation and build a culture of social contribution while aiming to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as one of the best global destinations to work and live in.
Driven by creating social impact and making a positive difference in the everyday lives of Abu Dhabi residents and citizens, Ma’an aims to support and accelerate the growth of the third sector, creating opportunities to contribute to the development of strong communities. In delivering solutions for social challenges, Ma’an itself has four main pillars of work: a social investment fund; a social incubator program; a social volunteering programme; and a social impact bonds initiative.
NAME: Dr Saliha Afridi
DESIGNATION: Clinical Psychologist, Founder and Managing Director
COMPANY: The LightHouse Arabia
INDUSTRY: Healthcare
Raised and educated in the US, Dr Afridi arrived in Dubai in 2008 where she worked at a private practice for several years. She co-founded The LightHouse Arabia in 2011 with the objective of fostering a positive impact on the mental health of families and individuals in the region.
Observing the gap within mental health literacy, she brought the internationally acclaimed Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) to the UAE in 2017. This made The LightHouse Arabia the only licensed provider for the evidence-based course which trains teens and adults to become accredited mental health first aiders.
The LightHouse Arabia provide outpatient services to children, adults, couples, and families. With an international team of more than 30 coaches, psychologists, psychiatrists, and occupational and speech & language therapists, integrated care for clients is evidence-based and results-oriented. Working across a wide range of mental health and wellbeing challenges, just some of these include conflict at work and marriage difficulties to personal issues such as addictions, chronic stress, and anxiety.
The Raymee Grief Centre at The LightHouse Arabia provides free one-on-one grief consultations and grief support groups for individuals and families who are affected by grief. Moreover, they work with schools all year around and along with their team of specialists, provide free consultations to school counsellors and Special Educational Need (SEN) coordinators on reports made by other psychologists.
NAME: Sarah Omolewu
DESIGNATION: Managing Partner
COMPANY: Maven Marketing and Events
INDUSTRY: Marketing and Events
As an American who has lived in the Gulf for over a decade, Omolewu has established herself as a facilitator for US brands seeking to expand into the region. She co-founded a boutique marketing and PR agency in Atlanta, Georgia specialising in fundraising and partnerships for celebrity non-profit foundations prior to moving to Dubai in 2009. Fresh out of university, her first break in the entertainment industry came while working at the top radio station in Atlanta, Georgia in sales at V-103FM.
It was here that Omolewu learned how Fortune 500 brands leverage the power of celebrity to market their brands. Identifying the untapped entertainment market potential in Dubai, in September 2012, Omolewu launched her agency and in less than one year, created the Kobe Bryant Health and Wellness Weekend, a Dubai version of the NBA All-Star Weekend.
Maven Marketing and Events is the region’s first full-service entertainment marketing and public relations consultancy that works with Hollywood talent and international celebrities from media, sports, film, and music realms. She is also a founding member and advisory board member of Access Abu Dhabi, aimed particularly at women and minority owned entities and is designed to engage, enable, and empower companies to attain their global reach.
Powered by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, the programme works as a channel for companies entering Abu Dhabi’s business ecosystem, and fellow advisory board members include entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary.
NAME: Selma Turki
DESIGNATION: Partner, Digital and Emerging Technology
COMPANY: EY MENA
INDUSTRY: Consulting
With over two decades of multi-industry tech experience backed by EMEIA market insight and a robust business and technical reputation, Turki has worked with C-suite level clients across RPA, Cloud, AI/Machine Learning, conversational applications, IT Service Management, and more. In her current role and aligned with EY’s strategy to help accelerate innovation and digitalisation adoption at its global focus accounts, she is currently focused on AI-based emerging technologies, cognitive solutions, as well as cloud-based platforms.
She is also steered by a passion for diversity and inclusion and is actively involved in multiple programmes both in and outside of the EY organisation in this capacity. As a champion of cultural diversity for many years, she built and jointly led an award-winning ‘Women in Emerging Technology Programme’ with Henley Business school. Following its success, she led the same programme in the UAE with Microsoft and Hult University for the top female leaders within the MENA region from EY key accounts.
In her role as engagement partner at EY MENA, she has steered top EY global and regional accounts during their digital transformation journeys by leveraging AI and hyper automation-based solutions while delivering solid business foundations. Across all business lines and functions, this was achieved through automation, design thinking, and the implementation of shared service centres, centre of excellence and digital factories.
NAME: Shenin Hamid
DESIGNATION: Founder and CEO
COMPANY: Inspire Events and Activation
INDUSTRY: Marketing and Events
In her current role at Inspire, a Dubai-based events and experience agency, Hamid used passion and talent to build her business from scratch at just age 19, making her one of the few successful youngest entrepreneurs in the UAE.
Under her leadership, Inspire has grown from an idea in her living room into a regional success, executing over 200 events and experiential campaigns a year across KSA, Dubai, Qatar and Kuwait. Under her leadership, Inspire has grown significantly through the years by offering tailor-made technology driven event and activation experiences to clients across the globe.
Driven by ambition and empathy, Hamid actively supports young entrepreneurs at various start-up hubs based in Dubai and Silicon Valley and is a mentor to many young aspiring women-led businesses around the world. She has become an outspoken advocate for women to be more aggressive in seeking success in the business world and gender equality in the workplace. She continues to support women by developing policies around equal pay, extended paid maternity and paternity leave, in addition to mental health in the workplace.
Specialised in servicing medium to large-scale events, both nationally and internationally, Inspire Events & Activation create bespoke events and campaigns through state of the art scenic, production and AV and technology services. Inspire strive to add value for its clients and their team has collaborated with several mega brands including Pepsi, Emirates, Apple and J&J.
NAME: Shihana Alazzaz
DESIGNATION: Secretary General and General Counsel of the PIF Board of Directors
COMPANY: Public Investment Fund
INDUSTRY: Law
One of the first female lawyers in KSA, after graduating from Durham University in the UK, Alazzaz went on to practise at Baker McKenzie as an associate then as a senior associate, followed by counsel at Vinson & Elkins. In 2017, she joined Saudi PIF, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world, as the Legal Division’s head of transactions.
Enabling high-quality career opportunities for the next generation of Saudis, her appointment steered PIF’s strategy to attract top-calibre local and international candidates.
She is also active across several executive committees including the management committee for the PIF and heads several board committees for PIF portfolio firms and participates on many others. On the PIF Board of Directors, she has held the positions of general counsel and secretary general since 2018. In 2022, she was appointed as the deputy secretary-general of the Council of Ministers after a royal decree and is the first Saudi woman to hold the position.
A female pioneer in Saudi law who has obtained her license to practice law by the Supreme Court of New York in the US and by the Ministry of Justice, Alazzaz has participated in a variety of seminars and conferences, including the yearly foreign affairs conference held at the American University of Colorado. She has delivered the keynote speech at the first German-Middle Eastern conference for young professionals in Berlin, and is also a lecturer at several American universities, including Harvard University in Boston, USA.
NAME: Taghrid Alsaeed
DESIGNATION: Executive Director – Group Communications and Destination Marketing
COMPANY: Miral
INDUSTRY: Media and Marketing
Working initially in graphic design, digital media and web programming, Alsaeed embarked upon her career in the US in the year 2000 across several multinational companies including TriVision and Microsoft’s partner Nortec Communications.
She arrived in the UAE in 2005 where she helped steer Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank’s first Islamic online banking platform in Abu Dhabi for the ADIB Real Estate subsidiary. This was followed by her leadership journey at Aldar Properties and then a role as the head of digital communications & infrastructure in 2011 at Mubadala Development Company Abu Dhabi.
In 2018, she worked as the director of media and marketing at the Abu Dhabi Special Olympics World Games and was onboarded as a seconded resource to help steer the Abu Dhabi Media Government Office setup. She In 2020, she returned to Mubadala to head the media intelligence & innovation department.
A mentor, entrepreneur, and digital business transformation expert, in her current role, Alsaeed is pivotal in bolstering Miral’s overall integrated marketing communications framework encompassing destination awareness, strategic direction, and hospitality business partnerships.
Since her appointment at Miral in early 2022, she has steered the achievements of their marketing department, including building a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau (ADCEB) to bolster the emirate as a destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE). She is also the founding partner of Eight Creative Technology, a creative hub for digital innovations offering consultancy and training programmes, as well as digital marketing and communications solutions.
In a comment piece for Arabian Business, Alsaeed said: “I have been fortunate to work in the UAE in various sectors including banking, real estate, investment, government and in each sector, there were women in leadership positions. I have proudly seen how the UAE is constantly evolving and pioneering new laws to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion. If we simply review the demographics of the UAE’s population, we have people from over 200 nations living in one country.”
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