Sarah Al-Suhaimi, born November 1979, is the first female appointed to the Saudia airline board as a private sector representative. The Kingdom’s Council has approved her appointment of Ministers.
The Saudi minister of transport, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, congratulated Ms. Al-Suhaimi on becoming the first woman to hold this position in the company’s 75-year history.
“I wish her success and for our company’s continued progress and prosperity,” Al-Jasser tweeted.
Chairperson Stock Exchange
Sarah Al-Suhaimi was also the first woman to chair Tadawul, the Saudi stock exchange, the largest and most successful in the Middle East. She is currently the CEO and a board director of NCB Capital, a subsidiary of National Commercial Bank.
Career Path
Al-Suhaimi’s first four years at NCB Capital speak volumes about her financial insight and understanding of the market. During this period, NCB Capital’s assets under her management increased by more than 100 percent, and her market share in brokerage and corporate finance grew by leaps.
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Moreover, she is the daughter of Jammaz Al-Suhaimi, a former president (2004 -2006) of the Capital Markets Authority of Saudi Arabia and former president of the Gulf Bank. Ms.Sarah Al-Suhaimi graduated from her accounting program at King Saud University with the highest honors. She also completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2015.
Before her association with National Commercial Bank, Ms. Al-Suhaimi was the Chief Investment Officer at Jadwa Investment, an independent asset management boutique and a leading player in Saudi Arabia’s capital market. She joined Jadwa Investment in 2007 as the head of portfolio management.
Furthermore, she started her career in asset management at Samba’s investment division, where she progressed to the position of Senior Portfolio Manager, co-managing USD 12 billion in local equities.
Ms. Sarah has led her company’s asset and wealth management business and served on the management committee. The Saudi government fully supports her.
Also, working under the framework of Vision 2030, Sarah has led comprehensive efforts to integrate the Saudi capital markets into the global markets.
Role Model
Often cited as an example, in 2017, Ms. Al-Suhaimi was named one of “50 people to watch” by Bloomberg Businessweek. She has been the flag bearer for working women and is a glowing example of Saudi women’s rising importance and presence in the economy—a crucial part of Vision 2030.
She is also a trustee of the IFRS Foundation, the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation, and a We-Fi Leadership Champion.