A decade ago, creating a list of the 100 most powerful Arab women would have been a tedious undertaking. Not only has a lot changed in the past ten years, but the past year alone has proved the rapid pace at which Middle Eastern societies can tackle and topple longstanding societal taboos. Women proved vital during the Arab Spring, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkol Karman, whose leadership role in Yemen helped remove President Ali Abdullah Saleh from office.

The sheer presence of female politicians and business leaders on the list is a testament to the wholesale changes currently underway in the Middle East. Such corporate and political diversity would have been unimaginable in previous decades, so it speaks volumes to the increasing influence of such influential women on the region’s long-term direction.

We point this out because Elder-Marini Group applauds these proud women and their continuing efforts to highlight the challenges and successes of Arab women both locally and globally. Women are shaping the region’s continued development not only as a much sought after consumer class, but also in the leadership roles that will have a lasting impact on the region’s continued influence on the global marketplace. We hope that more lists like these come out in the near future, but next time they should be hundreds of names long!