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Forbes Middle East Unveils 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen Of 2025

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

February 13, 2025

Forbes Middle East has unveiled its much-anticipated 2025 ranking of the region’s top businesswomen, spotlighting influential leaders reshaping industries and driving meaningful transformation. The list was based on business size, individual accomplishments, leadership impact, and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Top Spot For Hana Al Rostamani

For the third consecutive year, Hana Al Rostamani, Group CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank (UAE’s largest bank by assets), claims the top position. In addition to retaining her position in the Forbes Middle East ranking, she was also featured on Forbes’ 2024 list of the World’s Most Powerful Women, securing the 60th position globally. Under her leadership, the bank achieved an impressive $3.5 billion in net profits and $334.8 billion in assets in the first nine months of 2024.

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Rising Stars In The Top 10

Shaikha Khaled Al Bahar of NBK Group and Shaista Asif, cofounder and Group CEO of PureHealth Holding, take the second and third spots respectively, completing the top three.

The top 10 remains largely unchanged from last year, with Tayba Al Hashemi of ADNOC Offshore, Alisha Moopen of Aster DM Healthcare GCC, and Suzanne Al Anani of Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) making their debut in the top 10. In total, 27 new leaders have joined the list this year.

A Diverse And Powerful Group Of Women

This year’s list features 100 women from 32 sectors and 29 nationalities, underlining the diversity of talent driving the region’s progress. The banking and financial services sector leads with 25 entries, followed by healthcare and technology with nine each, and venture capital with five. Remarkably, 40% of the top 10 women are from the banking and financial services sector. Notably, Shaista Asif (PureHealth Holding) and Alisha Moopen (Aster DM Healthcare GCC) are the only non-Arab women in the top 10.

UAE Leads With 46 Leaders

The UAE continues to dominate, with 46 of the women on the list hailing from the country, solidifying its status as a global business hub. Egypt follows with 18 influential women, and Saudi Arabia claims nine entries. Egyptians lead in representation, followed by Emiratis and Lebanese women.

Empowering Women Through Initiatives

Several of the leaders have focused on upskilling and creating opportunities for women. Susana Rodriguez Puerta launched the ‘sAIdaty’ initiative in collaboration with the Dubai Business Women Council, aimed at providing 500 female council members in the UAE with AI skills. Similarly, Lamia Tazi of SOTHEMA collaborated with the Foundation for Research, Development, and Innovation in Science and Engineering to provide scholarships to PhD students from low-income backgrounds.

Click here for the full list.

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Robinhood Cuts Workforce Without Blaming AI

As the tech sector recalibrates its workforce strategies, the narrative that artificial intelligence justifies sweeping job cuts is rapidly losing credibility. Notably, Robinhood’s CEO, Vlad Tenev, made a deliberate choice to sidestep AI as a scapegoat in his recent announcement to reduce the company’s full-time headcount by 10%, or roughly 290 employees.

Lean Structures For Maximum Impact

Instead, Tenev described the move as part of a broader effort to simplify the company’s organizational structure and reduce layers of management. He said Robinhood is focused on building a smaller and more focused team, with employees expected to have greater responsibility and influence over the company’s direction.

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The approach reflects a broader trend among technology firms seeking to streamline operations and improve execution through flatter organizational structures.

Evolving Industry Narratives And Workforce Strategies

Several technology companies have pointed to artificial intelligence when explaining workforce reductions, often citing the need to offset rising investments in data centers and improve productivity. Against that backdrop, Robinhood’s decision not to explicitly attribute the layoffs to AI represents a different approach. At the same time, public sentiment toward artificial intelligence has become more cautious, even as companies continue to invest heavily in the technology.

Strong Financial Performance Amid Strategic Adjustments

Robinhood’s recalibration comes on the heels of impressive financial signals and robust market performance. While companies such as Amazon, Block, Coinbase, GitLab, and Intuit have communicated similar messages of tightening organizational structures, the industry at large is channeling record revenues, improved profit margins, and surging demand for cloud services into a future defined by strategic agility.

Setting A New Course For The Tech Industry

By deliberately avoiding the conventional AI cover story, Robinhood is not only redefining its own strategic direction but is also signaling a shift in the tech industry toward operational excellence and fiscal efficiency. As companies continue to navigate the intersection of cutting-edge technology and traditional business imperatives, the emphasis on lean, empowered teams may well become the blueprint for achieving long-term growth and innovation.