Sarah Al-Suhaimi has joined the banking and financial services industry, which was not used to attracting women. She was confident, not waiting for the industry to open its doors like other industries that started attracting women to excel in achievement and success.
Amidst dozens of seasoned businesspeople, she made a way for herself. Once she crossed, she was the inaugural female CEO of the Saudi Stock Exchange and the first female director of the Saudi Arabian Airlines General Corporation’s board of directors.
In the same pathway, Sarah chose to carry on her father’s legacy, Jammaz Al-Suhaimi. She became the first president of the Saudi Capital Market Authority (2004–2006). She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting with honours from King Saud University and then enrolled in Harvard University’s public administration programme in 2015.
Key Roles in Saudi Financial Institutions
Not only that, but she started gaining a lot of expertise in the finance and investment sector after graduating from college. Intending to utilise every professional opportunity available to her, she decided to progressively move up the ladder. Currently, she is a Senior Investment Portfolio Manager in the Asset Management department of Samba Financial Group.
Furthermore, she began working for Jadwa Investment Company in 2007 as a senior investment portfolio manager. She eventually rose to the position of CEO and oversaw the asset management division’s investments.
For two years, Sarah Al-Suhaimi served at the Tadawul, the Saudi Stock Exchange. Later on, she received an appointment as one of the 16 members of the Market Authority’s Advisory Committee.
In 2017, she became Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Tadawul Group, the parent company of the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul). Along with the Securities Depository Centre Company (Edaa), the Securities Clearing Centre (Muqassa), and the (Wamid) Company.
Al-Suhaimi, a prominent figure in the banking and financial services industry, has made it her mission to inspire other women to succeed and enter previously male-dominated fields, demonstrating her dedication to gender equality.
To put it simply, she says, “My role is to serve as both a model and an example. Young Saudi women should, in my opinion, concentrate on what they are doing and ignore any potential barriers, imagined or real.”
Likewise, Al-Suhaimi affirms Saudi Arabia’s commitment to creating a conducive work environment for women, aiming to cultivate female financial sector leaders to fulfil the goals of Vision 2030. She points out that Tadawul is the first Saudi company to sign the UN Women’s Empowerment Initiative, which aims to ensure women play a leading role in local markets and the securities listed therein.
Supporting Women’s Empowerment
Al-Suhaimi’s accomplishments fell short of her aspirations to succeed and accrue more experience. She took steps to learn more practical knowledge and held the CEO position at Al-Ahli Capital Company, the investment arm of the National Bank of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, she was appointed in 2022 to the position of Chairman of Lazard Financial Advisory’s Middle East and North Africa Board of Directors.
Since Saudi Arabian Airlines’ foundation 75 years ago, Sarah Al-Suhaimi has been the first female member of the board of directors of the General Corporation. In the Dubai International Financial Centre, or “DIFC,” she also serves as a director at NCB Capital and is a member of the boards of the Regional Voluntary Carbon Market, Authority, General Statistics, and the Cultural Development Fund.
Businessweek Bloomberg named Al-Suhaimi one of “50 People to Watch” in 2017, while Forbes Middle East magazine placed her fourth among the most powerful Arab women. 2018 saw her join the Young Global Leaders Community of the World Economic Forum. On the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation Board of Trustees, she was appointed.
As time goes on, it becomes increasingly evident what traits characterise the Saudi Arabian Renaissance in terms of providing women with new opportunities to improve society, fulfil their aspirations, and achieve greatness on a regional and global scale.
All that Sarah Al-Suhaimi represents is a new wave of female leaders who work to ensure that women have equal access to the workplace. Establishing the ideal environment for her to flourish, to create, and to collaborate with males in all spheres of life, including business and finance.
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