Egyptians at the Top of Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women in the Middle East

Forbes Middle East has just unveiled the names of its Most Powerful Arab Women for 2015 at a dazzling awards ceremony held in Dubai. The list, which includes the 100 Arab women whose achievements reached the top of their fields, is dominated by Egyptian women, as the country hogged 18% of entries overall across all three rankings, and 20% of entries in the world’s top 10 list.

Among the most powerful Egyptian women, Naglaa El Ehwany, Minister of International Cooperation, and Ghada Waly, Minister of Social Solidarity, dominate the Top 5 women in government, while Nemat Shafik (Deputy Governor at the Bank of England) and Dalia Mogahed (Chairperson at Mogahed Consulting), lead the worldwide top 10. The list also includes Nashwa Al Ruwaini, CEO at Pyramedia, the media company she launched herself in 1998.

Among the most powerful businesswomen, Saudi Arabia’s Lubna Al Olayan, head of Olayan Financing company, and Raja Easa Al Gurg, Managing Director of Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group in the UAE. 60% of the most powerful business women hold executive management positions, with another 24% having worked their way up to the top of their family business. The world ranking also includes Human Rights lawyer Amal Clooney, CNN’s journalist Hala Gorani and France’s Minister of Labor and National Education, both of Moroccan origin, Myriam El Khomry and Najat Vallaud-Belkacem.