Two women leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have been listed on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business in 2025, in what is a “landmark” for women leadership and empowerment in the region. First Abu Dhabi Bank’s Group CEO Hana Al Rostamani is the highest-placed GCC-born businesswomen, followed by National Bank of Kuwait’s Deputy Group CEO, Shaikha Al-Bahar.
This award represents the increasing role women leaders in finance have on driving innovation, resilience and inclusivity in the business world.
Hana Al Rostamani: Taking First Abu Dhabi Bank to New Heights Internationally 
The global list has put Hana Al Rostamani in the 76 position as the most powerful woman in business from the GCC in 2025. She heads First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the largest lender in the UAE with over $330 billion in assets. She is on the boards of prestigious organizations such as the Institute of International Finance, the US-UAE Business Council, and Buna—the Arab Monetary Fund’s cross-border payment system.
As the region’s only female CEO of a US$-billion firm, Al Rostamani signifies not just a business leader, but a sign of progress in terms of gender equality in the region.
Shaikha Al-Bahar: Empowering at NBKsss
Shaikha Al-Bahar, 92 to earn spot on world’s 100 most powerful women list Shaikha was made the Deputy Group CEO in 2014, when she became the highest-ranking woman who is also Kuwaiti to take on the post anywhere in the region. She also sits on the Board of NBK-France, NBK-Egypt and is a board member of NBK-International, London. Her signature initiative NBK RISE is focused on elevating and leadership coaching of fellow women leaders in and outside the organization.
NBK, which has more than $135 billion in assets as at the end of March 2025 is one of the Key regional banks under its leadership.
GCC Women Leaders on the Global Stage
Now in its 28th year, the 2025 iteration of Fortune’s list comprises 100 women (52 in the U.S., 48 from elsewhere in the world). They are chosen based on their leadership impact, company size, financial performance, innovation, and commitment to positive change.
Alyson Shontell, the editor-in-chief of Fortune, said in a statement: “This year we see nearly half the list being made up of women from outside of the U.S., a reminder that the impact of these women is felt on a global scale.”
Hana Al Rostamani and Shaikha Al-Bahar have set an example of how women in the GCC are transforming the global landscape of finance and business.
