ArabianBusiness Women of Influence in the Middle East list for 2021

Nashwa Al Ruwaini, the leading media personality and entrepreneur was listed amongst the most influential fifty-nine women in the Middle East who have made the ArabianBusiness list for 2021, which was released this week.
Along with Ruwaini, ArabianBusiness paid tribute to the women in business, government and society who are shaping the Middle East thanks to their vision and leadership. Hailing from countries around the gulf and Middle East the list included HE Shama Al Mazrui, HE Lamia Bint Majid Al Saud, HH Shaikha Intisar Al Sabah, Lubna Olayan and Amna Al Owais.
Jola Chudy, from CEO Middle East celebrates these women by saying “They stand for gender parity, for equality in the workplace and in society – they are ambassadors and campaigners even before they sit down to do their high-powered, demanding ‘day job’. I’m in awe of their achievements, their humility and the qualities that they bring to the table. They lead with vision and they lead by example, and through their collective achievements they continue to forge a path for the women who will follow in their footsteps.”
Nashwa’s star shone bright when she first appeared to her audiences on MBC’s morning show ‘Good Morning Arabs’ in 1995 and then launched her namesake show “Nashwa” on Dubai TV in 2003. Since then, she has pushed the boundaries and had unprecedented achievements in the media industry in the gulf and Middle East. Beforehand, she had established Pyramedia in 1998 which is the looked upon as the largest media productions company in the region. She has also worked as a Producer of several shows for decades of which several of them are still being aired today. With her leadership her company also was the brain child behind the launch of the Middle East Film Festival that later transformed into the globally-recognised Abu Dhabi Film Festival that featured celebrities from all across the globe
Nashwa is not only an icon in television and media, she chairs several companies in advertising, investments and healthcare.
On making the list, Nashwa Al Ruwaini who is CEO and Board Member of Pyramedia Group said, “Men have always been at the top of the food chain when it comes to running successful businesses or Fortune 500 companies, and it wasn’t until recently that we started hearing about women on the board of directors of some of the world’s biggest companies. More and more women are raising the bar higher than ever before. Today, women are establishing their businesses as household names in a variety of industries, including publishing, technology, fashion, broadcasting, beauty, and more.”
She also added that she believes that women have come such a long way and are able to achieve so much in the modern age but that everyone should still be fighting harder for women’s rights and gender equality all around the world so that the young future generations have a network that will allow them to reach even further than their predecessors.
This is not the first time that Al Ruwaini has been recognized by ArabianBusiness, in 2019 she was titled the Business Woman of The Year in KSA, chosen amongst Most Powerful Arabs in 2019 as well as 100 Smartest People in the UAE 2018, and Woman Icon of The Year for 2017 and named by CEO Middle East Magazine Female CEO for the years 2016 and 2020, Most Influential women in the Arab World 2019, Awarded for the Most Important 100 CEO in the Middle East, by CEO International Magazine 2016 and 2015, and amongst the 100 most powerful Arab women .