Bahrain made a notable presence at the Fortune Most Powerful Women International Summit, held recently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a high-level all-female delegation led by Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development and Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB).
The summit, themed “New Era for Business: Partnering for Global Prosperity”, marked Fortune’s first international edition in the Middle East. Over the course of two days, the event brought together prominent women leaders from across the globe to explore current trends in the business world and to examine how collaboration between the public and private sectors can accelerate global innovation and prosperity.
Bahrain’s delegation included several prominent leaders from the Kingdom’s economic and financial leadership: Rana Ebrahim Faqihi, CEO of the National Bureau of Revenue; Sara Ahmed Buhejji, CEO of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA); and Hala Ali Yateem, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB).
During the summit, Minister Alkhulaif took part in a fireside chat titled “MPW Spotlight: Bahrain’s Path to Economic Transformation”. In the session, she outlined Bahrain’s ongoing progress in economic diversification, with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and the drive to attract investments. She also discussed the Kingdom’s efforts in creating a business-friendly environment and building a workforce equipped to meet future economic needs.
Hala Ali Yateem joined a panel discussion on “Driving Growth and Innovation in a Changing World”, where she shared insights into the evolving landscape of financial services and spoke on the need for adaptability in an increasingly dynamic global economy.
The presence of this distinguished Bahraini delegation at the invitation-only summit underlines the Kingdom’s active role in promoting gender inclusion at leadership levels. Bahrain continues to gain global recognition for its efforts in narrowing the gender skills gap, ranking among the top five countries worldwide where girls outperform boys in learning outcomes, as reported by the World Economic Forum and the World Bank.
