Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, was recognised as the most powerful Arab woman and the 70th most powerful woman in the world by US-based Forbes Magazine in its 2010 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.

According to Forbes, Sheikha Lubna is "a regional power in her own right" and constantly works on improving the UAE’s global status and bolstering the federal government’s efforts to diversify the country’s economy and her persistent calls for a trade policy that is based on openness and competitiveness helped put the UAE on the road to economic recovery and development.

Sheikha Lubna is the first woman to hold a cabinet position in the United Arab Emirates: former Minister of Economy and current Minister of Trade, having already run a successful online auction company and working as a manager for the agency charged with automating the UAE’s federal government, Forbes explained.

Choosing Sheikha Lubna in the 70th place on the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women was also in recognition for her fight to improve the rights of women in the region and humanitarian efforts for sustainable development and issues of children and the youth in other Arab and Muslim countries.

Sheikha Lubna expressed gladness at being recognised by Forbes as the Arab most powerful women and the among the world’s 100 most powerful woman.

"This UAE global achievement would not have been possible without the ongoing support extended by the prudent leadership of the UAE to women, an established tradition started by the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan and continued by the current leadership to bolster the role of UAE women in sustainable development as well as their international and regional status to become an example to follow," she commented.

Sheikha Lubna added : "This achievement demonstrates the support being given to UAE women by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai as well as their keen interest in advancing women’s role in social and economic development. This was regarded as a culmination of the efforts of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women Union, to empower UAE women and develop their abilities to make many achievements in education, development and governmental work." She said : " I dedicate this great UAE achievement to the wise leadership of the UAE and to Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, who sets an example to follow, not only for UAE women, but also for all women in other Arab and Muslim countries." Sheikha Lubna urged UAE women for more diligence and creativity in order to realize the aspirations of the wise leadership of the UAE for further social and economic development.

Forbes magazine said it chose the top women from four groups: politics, business, media and lifestyle and then ranked the women in each group against other groups, "Not easy, but that’s today’s reality: an unpredictable, diverse mash-up of hard power (currencies and constitutions) and dynamic power (audience and audacity)." In its article, Forbes said its "assessment is based less on traditional titles and roles and more on creative influence and entrepreneurship. These power women have built distinctive companies and brands and championed weighty causes, sometimes through unconventional means; in other cases they have broken through gender barriers." United States First lady Michelle Obama ranked Number 1 on Forbes magazine’s 100 most powerful women in the world followed by Kraft CEO Irene Rosenfeld and talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel (No. 4). Lady Gaga broke into the top 10 at Number 7 while Beyonce Knowels took Number 9 and Ellen DeGeneres Number 10.

Sheikha Lubna came ahead of the other three Arab women who took to Forbes list of the world’s most influential women. These are Qatar’s first lady Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned who ranked (No. 74), Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Monarch of Jordan (No. 76) and Kuwaiti businesswoman Maha Al-Ghunaim, the cofounder and chair of Kuwaiti bank Global Investment House ((No. 94).
 

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