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UAE Markets Regulator Gets Female CEO as Al Suwaidi Takes Charge

UAE Markets Regulator Gets Female CEO as Al Suwaidi Takes Charge

The United Arab Emirates named Maryam Butti Al Suwaidi as chief executive of the nation’s markets regulator, in another senior appointment for a woman in the region.

The appointment to lead the Securities and Commodities Authority was made in a presidential decree on Sunday. Al Suwaidi was previously the regulator’s acting CEO.

The markets regulator announced earlier this year that the UAE, home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock markets, will require at least one female director on the boards of all listed companies, as firms in the region face pressure to boost gender diversity.

Companies are making progress, with First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, the UAE’s largest bank, naming Hana Al Rostamani as group chief executive officer this year.

In neighboring Saudi Arabia, Sarah Al-Suhaimi became the first woman to chair the Saudi Arabian stock exchange, known as Tadawul, in 2017. The kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund has also appointed Rania Nashar as head of compliance and governance, making her one of the most senior women at the kingdom’s $430 billion Public Investment Fund.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.