Manama: Lubna Sulaiman Olayan, listed as the 86th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes, is set to make history in Saudi Arabia by becoming the first Saudi woman to chair a bank in the kingdom.
Lubna, who has significantly contributed to shattering stereotypes of Saudi women, is the chief executive officer of the Olayan Financing Company (OFC), the holding entity for the Olayan Group’s operations in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East and sits on the board of the group founded in 1947 by her father.
OFC, one of the largest investors in the Saudi and regional stock markets, operates or actively participates in more than 40 companies, often in partnership with leading multinationals.
In December 2004, Lubna was elected to sit on the Board of the Saudi Hollandi Bank, a publicly listed company in Saudi Arabia. She later joined the International Advisory Boards of Rolls-Royce and Citigroup. Olayan also served on the Board of Chelsfield plc, the UK property developer, from 1996 to 2004.
