Five Qatari Businesswomen Make Forbes Middle East’s Power List For 2025
Qatar's most influential businesswomen are making waves on the regional stage. Five Qatari leaders have been named in Forbes Middle East's 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2025, recognizing their achievements in finance, healthcare, technology, and education.
The annual list, featuring executives from 32 industries and 29 nationalities, spotlights women driving economic growth and corporate innovation. Banking and finance dominated the rankings, followed by healthcare and technology.
Here's a look at Qatar's top five business leaders making an impact:
Mira Al Attiyah (#32) – CEO, QNB Capital
Mira Al Attiyah climbed from #68 last year to #32, leading QNB Capital, the investment banking arm of QNB Group, to new heights. Since taking charge in 2014, she has overseen sovereign and corporate bond issuances worth over $50 billion, cementing the firm's presence in global markets.
Before QNB Capital, Al Attiyah served as Assistant Undersecretary for Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and held senior roles at ictQATAR, Qatar's digital innovation authority.
Iyabo Tinubu-Karch (#59) – CEO, Sidra Medicine
A force in Qatar's healthcare sector, Tinubu-Karch has driven major medical breakthroughs since taking the helm at Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, in 2022.
Her leadership saw the completion of Qatar's first clinical trial on congenital hyperinsulinism, the launch of the country's first cord blood bank, and a global award for pediatric cancer imaging research (BRIO-8).
She also runs 6M Geriatrics and Hospital Medicine in the U.S., making her a transatlantic leader in healthcare.
Lana Khalaf (#66) – General Manager, Microsoft Qatar
Tech veteran Lana Khalaf has been at Microsoft since 2006, and under her leadership, Microsoft Qatar has become a hub for AI-driven transformation.
Her team has helped over 90 major Qatari organizations—including Qatar Airways, QatarEnergy, Vodafone, and Ooredoo—integrate artificial intelligence into their operations.
A board member of the U.S.-Qatar Business Council, Khalaf is a key figure in shaping Qatar's digital and AI future.
Leonie Ruth Lethbridge (#74) – COO & Executive General Manager, Commercial Bank
With a net profit of $643.2 million in 2024, Leonie Ruth Lethbridge has steered Commercial Bank toward record-breaking growth.
She led the bank's first-ever Green Bond issuance ($266.8 million), a step toward sustainable finance, and launched the DHL4SMEs initiative, providing resources to small businesses in Qatar.
Before joining Commercial Bank in 2017, Lethbridge spent 15 years at ANZ, including as CEO of ANZ Royal Bank.
Sheikha Anwar bint Nawaf Al Thani (#77) – CEO, Al Faleh Educational Holding
Sheikha Anwar made history by leading Al Faleh Educational Holding to its main market listing on the Qatar Stock Exchange in 2024, following its initial Venture Market listing in 2021.
With $30.9 million in revenue and $94.6 million in assets, the education giant is one of Qatar's fastest-growing academic institutions.
She previously served on the Qatar Supreme Education Council and the board of Reach Out to Asia, a non-profit focused on educational development.
This year's list features 27 new names, while the top seven rankings remain unchanged from 2024. The UAE leads with 46 entries, followed by Egypt (18) and Saudi Arabia (9).
Forbes excluded leaders from family-run businesses in this year's ranking, focusing instead on corporate executives shaping industries through strategic leadership, financial impact, and market influence.
As Qatar continues its economic diversification, these five business leaders are proof that the country's influence in global finance, healthcare, and technology is only growing.
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