Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi has retained her top spot in a ranking of the 100 most powerful Arab women.
It is the fifth year in a row that Sheikha Lubna, Minister of International Cooperation and Development, has ranked first.
Sheikha Lubna was the first woman to assume a UAE Cabinet position. Half of the top 10 women on Arabian Business’s list were from the UAE.
Also included were Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State, and Mariam Al Mansouri, fighter pilot.
Having served for more than 10 years in the UAE Federal Government, Sheikha Lubna … has not only been an icon for women in the region, and a trailblazer for women’s rights, but also a vital part of the UAE’s evolution and growth in global prominence,” the magazine said.
Also from the UAE in the top 10 were Amina Al Rustamani, chief executive of TECOM Investments, and Zainab Mohammed, chief executive of property management and marketing for wasl, a property developer.
Amal Clooney, a Lebanese-British human rights lawyer, ranked second on the list.
Sheikha Lubna, 57, joined the Government in 2004 as Minister of Economy and was later appointed Minister of Foreign Trade before assuming her current role.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science from California State University of Chico in 1981 and an executive master’s in business administration from the American University of Sharjah in 2002.
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