4 Saudi women on Forbes list of most influential businesswomen in MENA region

4 Saudi women on Forbes list of most influential businesswomen in MENA region

By Hanouf Aldouqi JEDDAH — Four Saudi women are among MENA region’s most influential and successful businesswomen listed by Forbes this year. The list featured representatives of 19 different nationalities and 17 sectors. Saudi women on the list are: Sarah Al-Suhaimi, Hutham Olayan, Lubna Olayan and Basma Al-Maiman. Ranked 4th on the list is Sarah Al-Suhaimi who is the first Saudi woman to chair the Saudi Arabian Stock Exchange (Tadawul), which is the largest stock market in the Middle East. In April 2021, the Saudi Stock Exchange was transformed into a holding company with four subsidiaries, including the stock exchange. The Saudi Tadawul Group was listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange in December 2021. Al-Suhaimi is also a board member of the Saudi Telecom Company, the Saudi Arabian Airlines Public Agency, and the Cultural Development Fund. She is a trustee of the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation. Ranked in the 6th place is Hutham Olayan, chairwoman of the Olayan Group. Founded by Suleiman Olayan 75 years ago as a contracting and trading company in Saudi Arabia, the group today has a diversified commercial, industrial and investment portfolio. The family owns 4.9% of Credit Suisse, which amounted to $1.3 billion as