Meet the most powerful business women in Oman

Dr Fatma Obaid Ali
Founder and CEO, Emirates Medical Centre
First among equals
Dr Fatma established Emirates Medical Center (EMC) – a modern and specialised Dermatology and Laser Centre in 2000. EMC was the first private medical centre to offer expert skin healthcare, anti-aging and rejuvenation as well as cosmetic remedies in Oman. EMC today has branches in Sohar, Salalah, Mawaleh and is opening shortly in Buraimi. Dr Fatma was the first physician to introduce laser technology for hair removal in Oman. That was in 1999 when she was working at Al Shatti Hospital as a skin specialist. She earned the distinction of having done more than 1,000 laser hair removal procedures during that time. Dr Fatma who obtained her MBBS in 1989 from the Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain also holds an MSc in Dermatology with distinction from the University of London. In addition, she did numerous cosmetic dermatology courses from US, UK and Singapore. Before moving to Oman in 1999, Dr Fatma worked as a specialist dermatologist at Rashid Hospital, Dubai from 1995. She is the recipient of Sheikh Rasheed Award for the best educational achievement in 1995.
Ghada Mohammed Al Yousef
Executive Manager Group Communication & Sustainability, Nama Group
Ace communicator
Ghada is leading the communication and sustainability efforts at the Nama Group (previously known as Electricity Holding Group). She received an international acclaim as one of the most powerful Arab women in 2014 by Forbes Magazine for her position of looking after 11 group companies in the electricity sector. As a role model for women in Oman, Ghada received the Al Mar’a ‘Woman of the Year’ award on the same year. Through her part time entrepreneurial work, Ghada is the managing director of Modern Hospitality Company which runs the first modern Omani restaurant, Ubhar, and catering facilities. She is also involved with the family business as a board member of Al Yousef Group, which is a diversified investment holding company with operations covering a broad spectrum of activities including financial services, oil and gas, real estate development, trading and services. Ghada is recognised for her work in supporting small and medium enterprise development in Oman and works very closely with budding entrepreneurs as a mentor in Riyada (Public Authority for SME Development).
Ghada is currently enrolled on the National CEO Programme supervised by the Institute of Capability Development at the Diwan of Royal Court.
Haifa Juma Al Khaifi
Finance Director, Petroleum Development Oman
Multi-disciplinary approach
Haifa started her career with PDO in 1995, following her graduation from Ball State University in US with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in marketing and a minor in interpersonal relationships from the department of counselling psychology. After holding several positions in PDO including that of contracts engineer (well services), Haifa moved to London to continue her studies, while working with Shell-Oil Products, on structural cost reduction. Haifa returned to PDO as the head of finance planning (capital projects) before being posted to Shell- Gas & Power, where she was the regional manager for planning and reporting, based in Dubai, looking after Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. She was later appointed in PDO as finance manager for EOR project, financial controller and finance manager. This was followed by a brief posting in Hague with Shell International Exploration and Production BV. She assumed her current role as finance director (CFO) and company secretary in July 2012.
Hind Bahwan
Director of Suhail Bahwan Group, Founder and Chairperson of Bahwan CyberTek Group
Achiever par excellence
Acomputer science graduate, an alumna of Harvard Business School and a Kellogg School of Management executive scholar in leadership and management, Hind has proved her mettle as an enterprising and dynamic businesswoman by founding the Bahwan CyberTek Group. The group is focused on IT, logistics and engineering projects. She is also a director of Suhail Bahwan Group. Hind is involved in and has served on the boards of a variety of public and private organisations. She is a member of the Middle Centre Advisory Board of the London School of Economics and a board member of the Family Business Network for GCC. She had served as a member on the Middle East Advisory Board of the Deutsche Bank and on the board of Oman’s Public Authority for Social Insurance. She is a recipient of many honours including Ernst & Young’s ‘Oman’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2000’, ‘e-Achiever of the Year’ award by Arabian Business, ‘IT Women of the Year 2002’ award by UNDP, ‘Global Leaders for Tomorrow’ award by the World Economic Forum, ‘Global Young Leader’ by the World Economic Forum and ‘Woman of Power Award’ by Asian Business Leadership Forum.
Ibtisam Al Riyami
People and Change Director, Petroleum Development Oman
Multifaceted talent
With a Bachelor of Science in computer science from the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, Ibtisam joined PDO in 1989 as a computer programmer. She obtained her MBA from Aberdeen University in Scotland, while on a cross posting assignment in Shell UK Exploration and Production. Ibtisam held a number of roles in PDO including head of subsurface application portfolio, SAP Mustaqbal, change and implementation manager, and manager of information management and technology. She was later appointed as director for corporate planning, responsible for the annual business planning process, change and lean deployment, new technology, corporate performance management, gas and water management. In this role she served as the custodian of the hydrocarbon accounting system and the technology support agreement.
Ilham bint Murtadha Al Hamaid
Assistant General Manager – SME Credit, Marketing & Regional Corporates, Bank Muscat
Promoting enterprise
A well-qualified banking professional with 15 years of successful experience, Ilham has been instrumental in initiating vital contributions to the SME sector in Oman. Ilham joined Bank Muscat in 2001 and moved up in quick succession to the present position as AGM – SME credit, marketing and regional corporates.
Ilham is a member of the Global Banking Alliance (GBA) for women’s market. Her international experience has contributed in introducing best practices in SME development to Omani women and the youth. Ilham is of the view that one’s true success leads to the success of others. Partnership is the key to spreading success as Ilham’s wealth of knowledge and experience in the development of SMEs is helping women to achieve their business dreams.
Ilham is a member of prominent committees serving the SME sector in Oman, including the SME Committee in Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OCCI) and the Mentorship Programme at the Public Authority of SME (Riyada). She has addressed prominent forums, including the Oman Economic Forum in 2012, and the SME symposium organised on the Royal directive at Seeh al Shamekhat in the wilayat of Bahla in 2013.

Intisaar Al Kindi
Exploration Director, Petroleum Development Oman
Leadership skills
As exploration director for PDO, Intisaar has been instrumental in leading and delivering an Outstanding HSSE track record with 10 years LTI free operations. The exploration team also continues to deliver impressive business results. Intisaar promotes a multi-disciplinary approach focused on value delivery through alignment, pragmatism, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement in key processes. Following a Master’s of Science in petroleum geology from the Imperial College, University of London, Intisaar joined PDO as a trainee in the exploration department where she spent six years learning the tools of the trade and developing her skills in three exploration evaluation teams. In 1997, she was cross-posted to Shell Expro in London, returning four years later to PDO for a brief stint as an exploration portfolio analyst. She was assigned to her first leadership role, heading what was then the exploration government gas team. She later took on the role of exploration manager of North Oman Oil Team before being cross-posted to Shell to manage the Jordan Oil Shell project. Intisaar was later appointed as general manager and country chair of Shell Jordan. On her return to PDO, she was appointed as the exploration director, a role in which she is accountable for all of PDO’s oil and gas exploration activities.
Jannat Moosa
Marketing Director, Bin Mirza International
Tapping potential
A marketer of masterful proportions, Jannat Moosa specialises in the introduction and cultivation of internationally celebrated F&B brands within the Omani market. As marketing director of Bin Mirza International (BMI), she has successfully utilised her marketing expertise in establishing Bin Mirza International as a respected brand in the Sultanate. Her key achievements to date include the launch and development of BreadTalk, a bustling Singaporean boutique bakery; Nando’s, a South African soirée of PERi PERi Chicken; Second Cup, a vibrant international coffee chain; Steak Escape Sandwich Grill, featuring Philadelphia’s finest fashionable foods, and most recently the introduction of Spun Candy of Covent Garden, the concept confectionists from UK.
Jannat has ensured that each and every brand under the BMI umbrella operates to international standards, delivering a memorable dining experience marked by distinction.
Lamia Al Ansi
Director of Procurement, Omran
Driving best practices
With a career spanning nearly 15 years across three continents, Lamia is applying her extensive experience to help the economic and social growth of Oman. As director of procurement for Omran, Lamia’s role includes tendering, contract negotiation and project budgeting. Her work aims to elevate the important role of procurement governance and processes, including developing new policies, procedures and systems, as well as generating an awareness of the importance of best-practice competencies for procurement across all developments. Lamia is passionate about community growth and SME development and hopes to continue helping shape this space in the years ahead. Highlighting the importance of SME growth across the Sultanate to help diversify the economy, Lamia believes corporate governance and tendering practices must be designed in a way that encourage SMEs and micro-businesses to participate and add value to the economic and social fabric of Oman. According to Lamia, women in Oman are firmly cementing their position in the workforce, and are pushing the glass ceiling across all sectors. “Omani women can be found in top and executive management positions in most organisations,” she adds, “The most accomplished and professional women I have met happen to be from our region, and some of the most exceptional among them are from Oman.”
Lujaina Mohsin Darwish
Chairperson of Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC
Breaking stereotypes
Lujaina works closely with the founder and group adviser of the group Mohsin Haider Darwish and the senior management team in providing strategic direction and vision to ensure the holistic expansion of the organisation. She broke gender stereotypes and acted as a shining beacon for Omani women when she became one of the first two women to be elected to the country’s consultative council, the Majlis A’Shura. Lujaina, who was previously been nominated as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2005, has been identified and ranked 13th amongst 50 most powerful businesswomen in the Arab World by Forbes Arabia in their first-ever listing published in its March 25, 2006 issue. She was ranked 21st amongst the 50 most powerful businesswomen in the Arab World as per the survey conducted by Forbes Arabia Magazine in its May 2008 issue. Further, she was ranked 18th as the Most Influential Arab Women from Government and Family Businesses in a list published by Forbes Middle East in the year 2013 and ranked 24th amongst 200 most Powerful Women in Family Business by Forbes Middle East in the year 2014.
Malak Ahmed Al Shaibani
Director General, National Business Centre under Public Establishment for Industrial Estates
Driving SMEs forward
Malak has been spearheading the SME development in Oman since 2007 as general manager of Sharakah, responsible for introducing new products and restructuring and rebranding the youth fund. She was a member of the executive committee of the high level SME symposium in Saih Al Shamikhat as well as the team leader of the entrepreneur open market and exhibition in 2013 and 2015. Currently, she is the director general of an exclusive national business centre to support the development and growth of small and medium enterprises. The National Business Centre in 2015 signed an agreement to manage the new Riyada incubator bringing the total office space to more than 43. Malak began her career at the Ministry of Commerce & Industry as a market researcher at the industrial development unit and moved on to become the DG of investment promotion of OCIPED. She moved to the private sector in 2005 and was part of the executive management committee of the $2.4 bn Sohar Aluminium smelter in both the project and operational phase. In early 2011, Malak started her own consultancy Creative Links with a specific focus on strategy development as well as human resources consultancy. In 2012, she partnered with Talent2, an international consultancy to introduce learning and development solutions into the Omani market. She holds BSC in business administration from Washington University, St Louis; MBA from Strathclyde University, Glasgow; and diploma in Islamic banking from the Institute of Islamic Banking, UK.

Maryam Al Zadjali
Chairperson, Dar Al Atta’a
Art of giving
Dar al Atta’a, which had a humble beginning in 2002, is now one of the largest charitable organisations in the region. The organisation which was conceived and developed by Maryam and her team members has today become a synonym for charity in Oman. It speaks volumes about her passion to work for the underprivileged sections of the society.
Maryam has been honoured at various forums: Gulf First Festival for social work 2008, Second Gulf Festival for volunteer work 2010 and His Majesty’s Prize for volunteer work 2011. In September, 2013, Maryam led a team from Dar al Atta’a to receive the Shaikh Issa bin Ali bin Khalifa al Khalifa voluntary work awards in Bahrain. The award was received by honorary chairperson Hussain Jawad. The award was instituted to honour prominent figures in volunteering work representing 17 Arab countries and the United Nations Volunteer Programme. She shares the credit with her colleagues stating that each board member has a specific responsibility and they work hard to fulfil their duties. Dar al Atta’a is striving its best to be the link between the giver and the recipient.
Munira Abdulnabi Macki
General Manager – Human Resources and Corporate Support Division, Bank Sohar
Community developer
She is the driving force behind various philanthropic and community engagement programmes of Bank Sohar, one of the fastest growing banks in Oman. Over the years, Bank Sohar has garnered a solid reputation as having one of the most active corporate responsibility programmes amongst financial institutions in the Sultanate. Under her astute management, the HR department has managed to achieve an exceptional Omanisation rate of 90 per cent within the bank. Holder of a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy and psychology from Beirut Arab University, Lebanon, and a Master’s degree in education from Sheffield University, UK, Munira Macki began her career as a teacher and moved up to be the headmistress of a secondary school under the Ministry of Education. She held the position of the deputy director of educational activities, Ministry of Education from 1991 to 1996. She moved on to the banking industry and within a short span of time took over as the head of corporate affairs (HR, admin, CMA and compliance) at Alliance Housing Bank (Ahli Bank), prior to joining Bank Sohar.
Nada Maqbool Sulaiman
Director, Salman Corporation
Unleashing innovation
Nada opted for a massive career change when she moved from the banking sector to her family-owned business. After completing her Master’s in financial services from Glasgow, UK, she came back to Oman and joined the National Bank of Oman (NBO) where she worked as a financial analyst before she decided to make the ‘big’ move. Since Nada joined Salmanstores as a director, she has attempted to bring in several innovations such as Salmanstores Advantage Card and new advertisement concepts. The shift to a marketing position in her family business has changed both life and career dimensions for Nada.
Honourable Eng. Naashiah Al Kharusi
State Council Member
Versatile player
Naashiah Al Kharusi is a national icon in the government and telecom sector with almost 40 years of experience. She played a key role in the development of telecommunication services in the country since early 70s in establishing the first national telecommunication infrastructure. She also set up the ministerial department for telecommunication and served as a board member of GTO and Omantel. She represented Oman in the radio frequency coordination committee for the gulf countries which was set up in Bahrain which is today known as the Technical Secretariat of GCC. In ITU, she was chairing Oman from 1973 in many regional and international conferences and meetings. In the 1990s, she was elected to represent the GCC countries as a governor in Intelsat during the period of restructuring and privatisation. She also held leadership positions to restructure the telecom sector and prepare Omantel for privatisation. She was then deputed to establish TRA. During that period, she was also a board member at ITA until she retired. In 2011, she was appointed as a member of the State Council. She actively participated in several committees concerning social, economic and legal committees. In 2013, she also got appointed as a member of the Consultative Commission of the GCC Supreme Council. She is an entrepreneur since 1981 in the women’s fashion industry.
Najla Zuhair Al-Jamali
Director – Planning, Oman Oil Company
Strategic planner
She has worked in various onshore and offshore operational roles as well as managerial and consultancy positions in Africa, Europe and the Middle East at reputable companies including Vale, Schlumberger Business Consulting, IHS Energy, Shell and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). As director of planning at Oman Oil Company, Najla contributes her extensive experience in helping shape the company’s strategic direction and plans to fulfill the company’s objectives.
Najla holds a Bachelor of Science degree with honours in mathematics with applied mathematics/mathematical physics from Imperial College, London. She also attained a Master of Science degree in financial management from the University of London, and participated in a leadership programme at INSEAD, in France.
Nasima Yahya Al Balushi
Director General of Export Development, Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Export Development (Ithraa)
Building capabilities
Nasima is an active member of a number of reputable committees including the coordination committee for OPEX and the industry and SME committees at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Nasima has more than 11 years of experience in financial and administrative affairs. She has been focusing on the development of Oman’s export potential by enhancing interaction between government entities and Omani exporters as well as fostering the capabilities of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as part of an overarching strategy that aims to identify high-potential export markets and respective target industries.
A graduate of the Sultan Qaboos University with a Bachelor of Science degree, Nasima has furthered her professional development and cultivated her business acumen through various training programmes in strategy development and leadership, to name but a few.
Natasha Yahya Mohammed Nasib
Director and Chief Operating Officer, Yahya Group Holding LLC
Steering growth
A graduate of The Sultan’s School in Oman, Natasha pursued her education in Switzerland at Franklin University and earned a Bachelor’s in business management with a minor in French. After graduation, she worked as an intern with Costain in England. Working in Europe was quite a boost and also a pleasant surprise. She later realised that working and learning with an established European firm helped her form more of a world view. On her return to Oman, Natasha held various positions in different divisions of her father’s company, Yahya Enterprises (now Yahya Group Holding). She worked initially in Snowhite Laundry helping to steer its expansion and rapid development. As a director and COO, she is involved in all aspects of the company, from strategic planning to daily management. In 2007, Natasha was nominated by a Royal Decree to be a board member for the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This experience gave her a better understanding of the government sector and how it interacts with the private sector. In the same year, she was appointed as the head of the businesswoman forum. Natasha is currently devoting her full attention to Yahya Group Holding and its future expansion.
Neelima Vyas
Director, International Port and Free Zone Sohar
Breaking barriers
Her association with Sohar Port and Free Zone has been from almost the concept phase in various senior functions i.e. head finance and strategy, deputy chief operating officer and chief operating officer. Having worked in the infrastructure sector such as ports, shipyard and economic zones has been an interesting and enriching experience. A professional education in transport and logistics in The Netherlands and a Master’s degree from the apex centre of IMO, United Nations, provided a robust foundation to deliver with perseverance and determination. Raised in a loving family of daughters, her mission is to contribute and inspire every girl child to dare dream and achieve their dreams to greater heights. Her work and journey is a tribute to the dream of a girl child and women to rise above borders and collectively make a difference.

Sahar Askalan
Managing Proprietor, SAlegal
Inspiring women
Sahar is a UK-qualified Solicitor-Advocate who was trained and advocated in courts and before arbitration tribunals in the UK. Sahar is qualified to practice before the courts in the Sultanate and the UK. She has been running her law firm for the past seven years, being the first Omani woman to open her own legal practice in the Sultanate.
Sahar’s goal is for an Omani law firm to reach out and become international. She also envisages to develop and upgrade the standard of the local arbitration and legal services. Sahar hopes to inspire all girls and women not to shy away from fulfilling their dreams and overcoming all obstacles.
Sayyidah Rawan Ahmed Al Said
Managing Director and CEO, Takaful Oman SOAG
Ushering in a paradigm shift
Prior to joining Takaful Oman, she was the managing director and CEO of ONIC Holding Corporation. During her tenure in ONIC, she restructured the company to become a multi-million profit company after suffering huge losses in the previous period. She was instrumental in merging the company with one of the large investment companies to become the largest holding company in Oman. Before moving to the private sector, Al Sayyidah Rawan was the deputy CEO-investment for the State General Reserve Fund of Oman, leading the execution of many mega investments internationally. She has over 27 years of experience in financial industry including 20 years in the public sector. She is on the board of a number of reputed companies and financial institutions in Oman and in the region. She has been recently appointed as a board member of Oman Oil Company and its audit committee. She is also a board member of the Public Authority for the SME Development (Riyada), board member of Oman National Investments Development Company ONIDCO and chairperson of its equity and GCC funds, the chairperson of Oman Investment Corporation, deputy chairperson in Takaful Oman, and a board member and audit committee chairperson in National Bank of Oman, board member in Oman Oil Marketing, board member in International General Insurance Jordan, and National Finance House, Bahrain.
Seeniya Biju
Chief Operating Officer & Country Head – Aster Oman
Dynamic leader
One of Oman’s leading healthcare centres- Aster AlRaffah Hospitals and Clinics is headed by a dynamic and compassionate leader, Seeniya Biju. After joining the organisation in 2009, she played a pivotal role in developing and implementing a strategic direction and vision for starting further units in Oman. Seeniya and her team live their avowed motto of offering personalised and preventive health care for all, and her leadership and passion to excel has added many accolades to the history of Aster, Oman. Under her leadership, Aster Al Raffah Hospital, Sohar has now joined an elite group of healthcare organisations in the world. This 60-bedded, multi-specialty hospital has recently achieved the much sought-after Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation and earned the coveted gold seal of approval in quality and patient safety. Seeniya strongly believes that giving back to the society has always been the ethos of team Aster. She has set new benchmarks in taking initiative and providing community service and has been the driving force for embarking various social events and activities.
Shadya Al Ismailiya
Founder & Designer, Deema Oman
Ambassador of innovation
Shadya’s passion for arts and design goes back to her school days. Despite her 22-year long career in finance at the Ministry of Finance and Petroleum Development Oman, she intermittently continued to follow her passion through painting, home designing, jewellery designing etc. Eventually, when she set up Oman’s first indigenous fine jewellery, Deema Oman in 2008, Shadya was reinventing her passion for design. She strengthened her aptitude with formal professional jewellery designing course from Birmingham School of Jewellery. She carved a niche for herself by making traditional Omani jewelleries reincarnate as modern fine jewelleries and branding them as high-end products in global markets. Deema Oman was selected to represent Middle East designers at the 150th birthday celebration of Sir Henry Royce, the legendary founder of the renowned English car manufacturer; and in 2013, Deema was shortlisted among 10 designers worldwide to attend the 110th anniversary of the car. Deema Oman was invited by two Hollywood stars to set up a show for Hollywood stars in 2015. Shadya was chosen as the ‘ambassador of innovation’ by the Research Council, to travel across the Sultanate for promoting entrepreneurship.
Sharifa Albarami
Executive Partner and Co-owner, AlJazeera Global Services & Investments (AGSI)
Entrepreneurial zest
An entrepreneurship development consultant, mentor and businesswoman, Sharifa Albarami is one of the 30 Omani professionals qualified at the National CEO programme. She is also the founder of BizHub Entrepreneurship Centre
(www.bizhub-me.com) and is the primary consultant in the design, execution and management of Oman’s first start-up accelerator and seed fund initiative, the “CELL”, a CSR initiative for OMIFCO, an Oman Oil Company Subsidiary.
She is a certified entrepreneurship programmes manager and facilitator from the Cisco Entrepreneurs Institute. In addition, she is in Entrepreneurship 101 from MIT, US and an affiliate member of the European Trade Association for Business Angels, Seed Funds and Early Stage Market Players (EBAN). Sharifa is a member of the International Network of Small and Medium Enterprises (INSME) and a member of the Education Council, Oman
Sharifa Al Harthy
Vice Chairperson, MB Holding Company
Leading from the front
Sharifa has played a pivotal role in setting up the MB Group of Companies since its inception in 1982. Ever since, she has been instrumental in advising the group companies on human resources policy and development. She is currently the vice chairperson of MB Holding Company and plays an active role in nurturing and developing government and community relations. In addition to her role as vice chairperson, Sharifa heads the Mohammed Al Barwani Charity Foundation. The foundation aims to provide scholarships to students who are covered by the social welfare scheme, support patients who require medical treatment locally or abroad (covered by the social welfare scheme), support families under the social care (insurance) scheme, offer humanitarian aid in cases of emergency and disasters and support Omani Women Associations. She has a BA in business administration from Jordan University (Amman, Jordan), and also holds a Master’s degree in business administration from Texas Southern University.
Shatha Al Maskiry
Country Managing Partner, Protiviti Oman
With a Midas touch
Shatha Al Maskiry is the country managing partner of Protiviti Oman, and plays a regional role leading innovative initiatives for the firm in the Middle East. Her experience spans across global organisations such as Arthur Andersen, Shell and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Prior to joining Protiviti, she was in the US with PwC as part of business advisory. She managed fortune 500 clients and was the leader for private companies. She then returned home and joined Protiviti to lead and develop the firm in Oman in business risk and IT consulting, organisational development and capacity building. Shatha developed new service lines for protiviti; communication and change management, SME advisory services and launched “iSucceed”, an online leadership development tool. Shatha also writes business articles for leading newspapers and business magazines in Oman. In 2015, she was featured as an active thought leader in SME Advisor Middle East (English) and SME Arabia Advisor (Arabic). Shatha has a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the American University, Washington D.C., an MBA from the University of Surrey, UK. She is also a certified coach.

Sheila Jamal
CEO, Al Madina Development & Supply
Foraying into new horizons
At the helm of a 30-year old security information technology company in Oman, Sheila is currently focused on promoting her business outside Oman. With this purpose in mind, she has visited 31 countries as of today and has been globally recognised in the field of documents security. For Sheila, the key to success in business is focusing on customers’ needs, developing the talents of staff and ensuring integrity and responsibility in actions. In addition, she is mentoring young ladies who start their education/career by sharing them her knowledge and experiences from different countries, cultures and business environments. In addition to offering traditional services such as electronic passport solutions, barcodes solutions, key management solutions and applications developments, Al Madina Development & Supply is working with the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs to develop a web-based application to register the pilgrims from all over the Sultanate, besides printing their encoded smart identification cards which contain state-of-the-art security features. Sheila’s advice to young women is to think out of the box which will allow them to embrace different possibilities, opportunities, views, suggestions and interests which will result in a richer experience and success.
HH Sayyida Tania bint Shabib Al Said
President, Environment Society of Oman
Thinking green
Heading one of the most active civil society organisations and the only NGO for the environment in Oman, HH Sayyida Tania bint Shabib Al Said has made outstanding contribution to the field of environmental conservation and protection in the Sultanate. She is a founding member of Environment Society of Oman (ESO) and continues to serve as the president of its board of directors since its establishment. Sayyida Tania initiated the Say No to Plastic Bags campaign, organises the annual fundraising ball of ESO, and regularly appears in the media representing ESO. She holds a BS degree in marine and freshwater biology and a diploma in early childhood education. Sayyida Tania won the GCC Award for the best environmental personality in the Arabian Gulf Region in 2009 and was honoured at the Sheikh Issa bin Ali al Khalifa Awards for Voluntary Work as one of the leading volunteers in the Arab world, in October, 2012.
HH Sayyida Wisam Al Said
Senior Manager – Corporate Communications, Bank Nizwa
In the vanguard
Wisam heads the corporate communication of Oman’s first Islamic bank, Bank Nizwa. Having joined the bank in 2012 during its pre-launch period, she played an active role in helping the bank to establish itself as the pioneer of Islamic finance in the Sultanate, and after the launch in spreading awareness about its various Sharia-compliant products and services in the market. Before moving to Bank Nizwa, Wisam was heading the corporate affairs department at Oman Oil Marketing Company.
As a seasoned communications professional with rich experience through a full spectrum of disciplines, she firmly believes only through hard work, proving oneself and setting achievable goals that one can get where one wants to reach. She completed her high school diploma at an international school in Paris and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in international corporate communications from the American University of Paris and a Master’s degree in strategic marketing from Cardiff University in the UK. After her Bachelor’s, Wisam had worked briefly with UNESCO and International Chamber of Commerce in Paris.
Honourable Yuthar Al Rawahy
Member of State Council; Founder & President of Oman Cancer Association
On a mission
A four-time cancer survivor, Yuthar established Oman Cancer Association (formerly known as the National Association for Cancer Awareness) in 2002 to raise awareness in Oman about cancer in all its forms. Formally registered with the Ministry of Social Development in 2004, OCA is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation supported by the donations of private individuals, corporate sponsors and a band of dedicated volunteers. OCA’s most notable initiatives are the annual national walkathon; the mobile mammography unit (2009); Dar Al Hanan – a home away from home for children with cancer (2011); palliative care and other oncology conferences (2011); and more recently free ultrasound services at its headquarters. Yuthar was appointed to the State Council in June, 2010 and is currently a member of the social committee of the council. She graduated from the American University of Cairo and worked at the College of Medicine in Sultan Qaboos University in the Dean’s Office as medical education officer from 1991 to 2000.
Zuwaina BINT Sultan Al rashdi
CEO, Dar al Herfya (World of Handicrafts)
Promoting crafts
As the founder and CEO of Dar al Herfya (World of Handicrafts), Zuwaina Al Rashdi is involved in marketing, packaging and producing Omani handicrafts and cooperate gifts. Established in 2012, Dar al Herfya aims to provide a platform for products made by people staying in the remote areas of Oman. Handicraft items by 355 families from different villages in Oman are available at the Dar al Herfya outlet in Madinat as Sultan Qaboos (MQ). Prior to setting up Dar al Herfya, Zuwaina had an excellent track record as an experienced branding and marketing communication professional with Oman’s leading corporates such as Oman Mobile, Omantel and Omran. She worked as branding and market communication manager at Omran and as senior manager – branding and advertisement for Omantel. She had also worked for Oman Post and Oman TV. Zuwaina holds a Bachelor’s Degree (BSc) in journalism and information from Sultan Qaboos University and High National Diploma in development journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi.
Methodology
OER’s listing of the Most Powerful Women in Business and the government involved various stages of research. The UMS editorial team reached out to various industry leaders asking them to suggest names of the most powerful women.
A comprehensive list was drawn up based on these suggestions. This list was deliberated upon by a team of senior editors from UMS and a final listing was arrived upon after consensus by the editorial team.
The following parameters were used for the process:

• The position occupied
• Length of experience
• Contribution to the organisation and society at large
• Visibility
• Ability to influence others
• Respect amongst peer group
• Leadership
• Courage to take decisions
• Integrity
• Ability to drive change
• Motivating and encouraging others
• Empowering others
• Humility
• Innovation and generating new ideas.
• The survey is a listing and not a ranking. The effort has been made to place the personalities in an alphabetical order.

Areej Mohsin Darwish
Deputy Chairperson, Mohsin Haider Darwish
Catalyst of change
As the deputy chairperson in MHD, Areej has brought about operational and financial improvements at the MHD Group. She has spearheaded a series of innovations in the company’s operating model which have helped in driving top line revenue growth and bottom-line profits. In the luxury car segment of the automotive division, Areej implemented a customer-centric operating model and brand reinforcement strategies to sustain the division’s competitive edge. The restructured automotive operations have improved efficiency and customer satisfaction. Before entering the family business, Areej, a graduate form Sultan Qaboos University, started her career with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) as an analyst programmer. During her tenure with PDO, she gained valuable exposure to various systems and processes. She served as the vice chairman, Areej Vegetable Oils & Derivatives during the year 2000-2001, was on the board of directors of Armour Insurance from 2005-2008, a member of the board of Capital Market Authority (CMA) from 2008. She is the recipient of a number of awards such as the winner of Forbes Most Influential Arab Women in 2013; winner of Forbes 200 Most Powerful Women in 2014 and winner of Al Mara Excellence Awards in 2014 under the category – entrepreneurship and innovation.”
Assilah Zaher Al Harthy
Founder and CEO, Group 6
Pioneering effort
Assilah Zaher Al Harthy is the founder and CEO of Group 6, the first private equity firm in Oman. Assilah who has over 20 years of experience at the senior corporate executive level is currently working hard to grow the company into a leading brand in the country. She was previously head of corporate affairs at Oman Oil Company; and as a board representative of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, she played a key role in the five-year planning process for the Omani government from 2001 to 2005. Assilah has received numerous accolades. She was the recipient of the Young Global Leaders award in 2005 at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In October 1999, Assilah was appointed as a member of the Kennedy School’s Dean Council and ambassador for the school’s outreach efforts in Oman. She is a graduate of the Sultan Qaboos University and of the Owner/President Management (OPM) programme at Harvard Business School.
Badriya Al Siyabi
Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Omran
Touching lives
An engineer with 13 years of experience in the banking sector, Badriya Al Siyabi now devotes her full-time attention to her passion –supporting people. Badriya had always wished for a job that would allow her to give back to the community and improve the welfare of others. Now, as the CSR manager for Oman Tourism Development Company – (Omran), Badriya spends each day ensuring that Omran’s work developing tourism infrastructure also positively touches the lives of local communities. For Badriya, the company’s guiding principles compliment her own personal ethos. Local development and community welfare are pillars of Omran’s operations and according to Badriya, “Omran’s work is so important because it generates many opportunities for Omanis, both in terms of employment and community development.” As part of her role, she travels across the country, establishing and supervising projects designed to build entrepreneurial and profitable skills of local community members. Prior to joining Omran, she established Nisa Sidab (Ladies of Sidab), an NGO based in the Wilayat of Muscat that aims to enable women to reach financial independence by equipping them with the necessary skills to find employment or run a viable micro-business. For Badriya, the founding of Nisa Sidab is one of her proudest achievements and inspired a number of CSR projects later established at Omran.
Barka Shahbal al Bakry
Life Honorary Member, Al Noor Association for the Blind
Philanthropist at heart
The list of civil societies that Barka is associated with reads like a directory. She has been involved with Omani Women Association; Association for the Welfare of Handicapped Children; Early Intervention Centre for Children with disabilities; Oman Food Bank and Al Noor Association for the Blind of which she is a founding member. Al Noor Association for the Blind is a dynamic philanthropic organisation actively involved in improving the lives of visually impaired Omanis. Says Barka, “As per the 2010 census, this country has 17,000 blind. Initially the blind were sent to schools in other neighbouring countries. In 2002 the first blind school was open in Oman. Al Noor developed and encouraged the education and placement of the blind in jobs. The development of IT and specifically of programmes for the blind, has opened new opportunities for the blind around the world. It is now possible for them to work in call centre, ticketing, data entry, teaching and many other areas. She is also the Oman representative of the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE).