Forbes Ranks Three Moroccan Women Among Top 40 MENA Business Leaders

In the "100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2025" ranking for the MENA region, established by Forbes Middle East magazine, three Moroccan women are featured: Miriem Bensalah Chaqroun, Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch and Lamia Tazi. These business leaders from the kingdom are in the Top 40 of the prestigious ranking. Miriem Bensalah Chaqroun, vice-president of the Holmarcom group and CEO of Eaux minérales d’Oulmès, is in 21st place. "She achieved a turnover of $230 million in the first nine months of 2024," it is noted.

As for Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch, founder and CEO of Aksal Group, she occupies the 23rd position. "Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch founded AKSAL Holding in 2004, building on a history that began in 1994 with the launch of Espacia, a small distribution company. The group operates in retail, developments, shopping malls, digital, luxury and cosmetics," details the publication.

Lamia Tazi, CEO of the pharmaceutical group Sothema, is ranked 33rd. "In the first nine months of 2024, Sothema recorded a turnover of $203.7 million. In November 2024, the company opened a new $20 million storage center equipped with the latest technologies," the American magazine reports.

For the third consecutive year, Hana Al Rostamani, CEO of the First Abu Dhabi Bank group, the largest bank in the United Arab Emirates, dominates this ranking of the 100 most influential businesswomen in the MENA region. These women come from 29 nationalities and operate in 32 sectors, including finance, industry, and tech.