Sheikha Lubna al-Qassimi

A pioneering UAE business leader who transformed public and private sectors through innovative policies and gender equality advocacy

Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qassimi (born 1964) is a United Arab Emirates minister and businesswoman who became the first woman in the UAE to hold a cabinet position when she was appointed Minister of Economy in 2004. Her groundbreaking tenure included launching the first federal e-government portal and establishing the UAE's first free trade zones. As Minister of Economy from 2004-2009, she modernized the business environment by introducing the Commercial Companies Law and establishing Dubai Multi Commodities Centre. After government service, she became CEO of dubai.commerce, a digital commerce platform that helped 50,000 SMEs access global markets. She created the first Arabic language business curriculum for women and established the Lubna Al Qassimi Foundation to support female entrepreneurs. Her initiatives increased UAE's global competitiveness ranking from 27th to 12th in World Bank's Doing Business report. She pioneered the UAE's first women's business council and established the Arab Women Entrepreneurship Award. Her policies enabled 30% female participation in boardrooms, doubling the national average. She has authored Leading Change in a Rapidly Evolving World and delivered keynotes at Davos and World Economic Forum. In 2021, she launched the Global Women's Innovation Network connecting 50,000 innovators across 150 countries. Her work is profiled in Harvard Business Review case studies and she serves on the boards of Etisalat and Emirates Airlines. The World Economic Forum named her a Young Global Leader in 2005 and she received the UN's Women's Empowerment Principles Award in 2019. Her legacy includes creating the first national women's entrepreneurship program and establishing the UAE's first angel investment network for female founders.