Forbes featured eleven Egyptian women in its “Middle East’s 100 Power Businesswomen 2020 which highlights women in the MENA who have shattered the glass ceiling to thrive in their respective careers, despite obstacles that continue to keep women out of the labor market in the region.
Featuring women from 23 different countries in the region, the list’s top 10 rankings were dominated by Saudi women. They were followed by eleven Egyptian women, eight Lebanese women, and another eight women from Oman.
The majority of those featured on the top 100 list are self-made businesswomen, all of whom work in a variety of sectors, including finance and banking. Sixteen women on the list founded their own companies.
The eleven Egyptian women introduced in Forbes’ 2020 list are:
#24 Mona Zulficar, Founder and Chairman of the Executive Committee, Zulfiqar & Partners Office, has played a vital role in drafting crucial economic legislation as an advisor to different governmental agencies.
#31 Pakinam Kafafi, CEO of Egyptian energy company TAQA Arabia, oversaw efforts to boost revenues at the oil and gas company, which generated $370 million in 2018.
#33 Elham Mahfouz, CEO of the Commercial Bank of Kuwait, has achieved a net profit of $210 million in 2018, according to Forbes.
#40 Yasmine & Farida Farid Khamis, executive board members of Oriental Weavers Carpets Co.
#53 Hend El Sherbini, heads Integrated Diagnostics Holding, a healthcare company that has branched out in diverse countries across the world, including Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, and Nigeria.
#60 Mervat Zohdy El Sayed Soltan,is the chairperson of the Export Development Bank of Egypt. She oversaw the bank boost its possessions to over $3.2 billion. During the 2019 fiscal year, the bank made $138 million.
#69 Reem Asaad, is the CEO of The Raya Contact Center, a Business Process Outsourcing (
#75 Hoda Mansour, Managing Director of SAP Egypt. With Hoda as MD of the company, SAP has recorded its best performance since its establishment ten years ago, with the company expanding in its cloud business.
#81 Abir Leheta, heads the Egyptian Transport and Commercial Services Company (EGYTRANS), a leader in the logistics sector, where she directs 350 employees across eight branches located in main ports and airports.
#92 Noha El Ghazaly,Under the leadership of Ghazaly, Pharos Holding For Financial Investments raised revenues, creating a new pipeline that exceeds $1 billion in transaction value.
