#99 Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi
08.30.07
Minister of the economy - United Arab Emirates
© AP Photo/Gurinder Osan
Minister since 2004, Sheikha Lubna was thrust into the limelight last year when she found herself having to allay fears over Dubai Ports World's controversial attempt to manage major American ports. This past April Sheikha Lubna arrived on a special mission to the U.S. and met with 30 congressmen in four days "to put a face on the UAE," she says in a perfect American accent. At home, the Sheikha has cracked down on stock market shenanigans by introducing tougher rules, transparency and corporate governance. The 49-year-old princess travels to four different countries each month to promote trade relations. "We're building our brand name," she says. A techie with a degree in computer science from California State University, Sheikha Lubna was head of information technology at Dubai Ports Authority. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president of the United Arab Emirates, later put her in charge of an e-commerce startup, which she developed into the leading online business-to-business company in the Middle East. Qasimi launched an eponymous perfume this past June at Saks Fifth Avenue in Dubai, with 20% of the proceeds benefiting the UAE-based Friends of Cancer Patients, where she is a board member, with the rest going to the perfume's creator and Saks.—Zina Moukheiber
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