Among the other notable public figures that made it on to the countdown was Princess Ameerah Al Taweel, wife of HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, who was the list’s highest ranking newcomer in fourth place.
Out of the top 100, 43 were from a culture and society background, with the likes of Emirati film maker Nayla Al Khaja, Lebanese singer Fairuz and Arab Business Women’s Council Sheikha Hessa Bint Saad Abdullah Salem Al Sabah also featuring.
1 Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi
For the second year running, the UAE’s first female minister tops our women’s power list. And it’s not just any ministerial position; Sheikha Lubna’s brief involves promoting greater trade ties with international partners, which is a vital part of the UAE’s diversification strategy.
2 Tawakkul Karman
Tawakkul Karman is undoubtedly the female face of the Arab Spring. The youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize – aged just 32 – Karman has found herself touring the world, bringing Yemen’s plight before diplomats and fighting for women’s rights.
3 Lubna Olayan
As the CEO of the Riyadh-based Olayan Financing Company, Lubna Olayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most prolific businesswomen.
4 Princess Ameerah Al Taweel
The wife of HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, Princess Ameerah is now one of the world’s most recognised philanthropists through her work at her husband’s foundation. She supports a wide range of humanitarian interests both in Saudi Arabia and across the world.
5 Raja Easa Al Gurg
Raja Easa Al Gurg wears many hats. Not only is she the managing director of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, the firm of which her father is chairman, but she is also president of the Dubai Business Women’s Council.
6 Dr. Amina Al Rustamani
Many in Dubai will be familiar with the name Dr Amina Al Rustamani, the CEO of TECOM Business Parks, the umbrella organisation for nine of Dubai’s free zones.
7 Sheikha Munira Qubeysi
Sheikha Munira Qubeysi is the founder of Qubeysiat, an Islamic group created for women, focusing on organising religious lessons for them.
8 Sheikha Al Bahar
Sheikha Al Bahar started at the National Bank of Kuwait, one of the region’s largest financial institutions, as a trainee.
9 Hayat Sindi
Hayat Sindi’s astonishing medical career started with a lie; worried that her family would not let her study abroad, she told her father that she had already been accepted into a prestigious university in the UK.
10 Kholoud Faqih
Kholoud Faqih made history in 2009 as one of the first women to be appointed as an Islamic judge in Palestine.
By Daniel Shane
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/revealed-100-most-powerful-arab-women-2012-448409.html
