Women are making strides throughout the Middle East, which is clear after examining Arabian Business Magazine's 2015 list of the 100 Most Powerful Arab Women. Hailing from all sectors of society including government, construction, military, business, entertainment and more, these women are making an impact and influencing issues both locally and internationally.
Women from United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Jordan, Yemen, Palestine, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and Syria made it to the list. The UAE dominated the list, with 31 women included in the ranking, as well as taking the top spot.
Coming in at No. 1 for the fifth straight year is Sheikha Lubna Al Qassim, who currently serves as the UAE's minister of international cooperation and development. Prior to taking on that role in 2013, Qassim served as the minister of foreign trade for five years. Following Al Qassim in second place is the world's favorite Arab celebrity, Amal Clooney, who recently married American actor George Clooney. However, her professional accomplishments as a prominent international human rights lawyer are what got her the prominent spot, not her celebrity boo. Or so they say.
Several Saudi women are featured on the list, with the most prominent being Loujain Al Hathloul at No. 4. An activist for women's rights in Saudi Arabia, Hathloul was arrested last December when she attempted to drive from the UAE to Saudi Arabia, in protest of the nation's ban on women driving. Her case became international news as she was held in jail for more than two months and her case was referred to a court dealing with terrorism. In the end, she was released and tweeted, "Peace be upon you, good people.”
Another notable Saudi women to make the list is Bayan Mahmoud Al Zahran, who became Saudi Arabia's first-ever practicing female lawyer in 2013. She went on to open the country's first all-female law practice last year. Ranked at No. 15, Zahran has championed women's rights and stands as example to many women within Saudi Arabia and the region.
Perhaps one of the women with the most unique positions to make the list is Major Mariam Al Mansouri from the UAE, coming in at No. 6. When the coalition airstrikes against ISIS began toward the end of last year, Mansouri, a UAE air force major and F-16 pilot, became a symbol of the nation's military, inspiring women throughout the region. As she led airstrikes in Syria, her story and pictures were circulated around the world.
From Morocco, Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch, the head of Akwa Group and the CEO of Aksal retail and luxury group, comes in at No. 9 as one of the richest female entrepreneurs in the North African nation.
Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid – dubbed the "Starchitect" and the "Lady Gaga of architecture" – ranks 21st followed by Palestinian Mariam Abultewi at No. 22. Considered one of the most prominent young business leaders in Palestine, Abultewi founded the startup Wasselni, a ride-sharing application. At No. 23, Tunisian entrepreneur Wafa Sayadi is noted for her waste-management company Proclean and her role as the director of CEED, a company which fosters entrepreneurship within Tunisia.
One of our personal favorites, Lebanese director and actress Nadine Labaki ranks 66th for her influential films and acting roles. Labaki is best known for her films "Caramel" and "Where Do We Go Now." Toward the bottom of the list at No. 94, but definitely no less significant, is Kuwaiti Sara Akbar, the CEO and co-founder of Kuwaiti Energy. Akbar is noted for playing a significant role in rebuilding oil-production following the 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, for which she received the Global 500 Award from the United Nations Environmental Program.
Giving only a sampling of the diversity of skills and countries represented by the ranking, we have highlighted only a handful of the powerful women recognized by Arabian Business. For a full review of all 100, check-out the complete ranking here .