Sheikha Hanadi Nasser Bin Khaled Al Thani, chairperson and founder of Amwal, received the “Businesswoman of the Year” honor at the CEO Middle East Awards ceremony held in Dubai, recently. She joins the league of visionary entrepreneurs in the Middle East, noted for their sterling contribution to successful business management and execution of global best practices. In addition to her leading role as the Founder & Chairperson of Amwal, Qatar's leading investment banking and asset management firm, Sheikha Hanadi is the CEO of Al Wa'ab City, one of Qatar's largest privately held real estate projects, the country's leading business conglomerate. Sheikha Hanadi was recently voted by the Financial Times, among the top 20 global banking and finance women role models. In 2007, she was named the Economic Personality of the Year 2007 by Qatar Chamber of Commerce and the Business Council. In 2006, she was named Woman CEO of the Year by the CEO Middle East Awards. Sheikha Hanadi received the honor from Waleed Akkawi, CEO of ITP Group, at the gala dinner held at the Raffles Hotel in Dubai. The CEO Middle East Awards are instituted by ITP Group, one of the leading publishing houses in the region. Sheikha Hanadi said: “Women in the Middle East are increasingly playing pivotal roles in leading businesses and proving their abilities. This honor is my tribute to the entrepreneurial spirit of women, who balance their responsibilities at home and work and are bringing about a dramatic transformation in the business sector.” She added: “From my experience as an educationalist and currently as a business person, I am confident that women will continue to play a prominent role in shaping the entrepreneurial dynamics of the Gulf region. I urge women in the region to identify their abilities and contribute to nation building as active partners.” Sheikha Hanadi started her career as lecturing assistant at the Economics Department of Qatar University. She founded the Qatar Ladies Investment Company, now re-branded AmwalAmwalLoading..., in 1998. Amwal is the first investment company to receive a license from the Qatar Central Bank to conduct Investment Banking, Asset Management and Wealth Management in Qatar.
