On Bahrain National Day, Bahraini Women Making a Difference

Dec 16, 2025

On the National Day of the Kingdom of Bahrain, we celebrate not only the land and its history, but also the women who have shaped the present and are helping to draw a brighter future. Bahraini women who carry ambition forward and stand at the forefront of diverse fields, from culture and the arts to economics, sports, and entrepreneurship, embodying the power of soft leadership and conscious influence.

Sara Buhiji

Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Board of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre.
Sara Buhiji represents a model of modern leadership, having successfully reshaped Bahrain's image as a global tourism and cultural destination. With strategic vision and an international presence, she has played a pivotal role in strengthening the Kingdom's position on the global tourism map.
Appointed to her current role in 2024, Bahrain's cruise season recorded a 15% growth between November 2024 and April 2025 compared to the same period the previous year, according to official authority data.
Buhiji also serves on the boards of Gulf Air, Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre, and the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports in Bahrain.

Sheikha Hessa bint Khaled Al Khalifa

Board Member of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, Chair of the Equal Opportunities and Gender Balance Committee in Sports, and Vice President of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees for women.
A leading sports figure who has dedicated her efforts to empowering women and promoting fairness and equality in the sporting sector, both locally and across the Arab world.

Sheikha Noor Rashid Al Khalifa & Sheikha Haya Mohammed Al Khalifa

Founders of the Bahraini fashion brand Noon By Noor.
Since 2013, they have worked together to elevate the Bahraini fashion identity locally and internationally, successfully bringing Bahraini creativity to global fashion platforms. With designs that reflect contemporary identity and refined femininity, the brand has become a confident and elegant ambassador for Bahrain on the world stage.

Sheikha Hala bint Mohammed Al Khalifa

Director General of Culture and Arts at the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities since 2015.
She is one of the most prominent figures to have reinforced culture as a core pillar of national development, reflecting a deep belief in the role of the arts in shaping awareness and identity.

Hala Yateem

Chairperson of the Board of the National Bank of Bahrain since March 28, 2024.
She is the first woman to assume this position since the bank's establishment in 1957. A board member since March 2018, she also chairs the Nomination, Remuneration, Governance and Sustainability Committee, as well as the Grants and Donations Committee.
Yateem is also Chairperson of Bahrain Green Energy Company, Vice Chair of Al Rahma Society for the Care of the Disabled, and a Board of Trustees member at the American University of Bahrain since August 2018.
She represents a powerful example of female leadership in the financial sector, where professional excellence meets responsible economic vision, reflecting the growing role of Bahraini women in decision making positions.

Roaya Saleh

Founder of the globally renowned Villa Mamas restaurant group.
A visionary Bahraini entrepreneur who transformed Bahraini cuisine into a global experience rooted in home, memory, and culture. With a focus on fresh, local ingredients and storytelling through dishes inspired by her childhood and travels, she redefined traditional cuisine through a contemporary lens without losing its essence.
Launched in Bahrain in 2012, Villa Mamas grew from a passion project, initially funded with home kitchen tools, into an international success with branches in London, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh. Roaya Saleh has since become a leading culinary entrepreneur, television personality, and hospitality consultant.

Najla Al Shirawi

Chief Executive Officer of SICO BSG since 2014.
One of the most prominent female leaders in investment and financial services, her expertise and vision have made her an influential name in a sector that demands precision, trust, and foresight.
SICO is a regional bank specializing in asset management, brokerage, and investment banking, operating across Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Al Shirawi also serves on the boards of Bahrain's Future Generations Reserve Fund, the Economic Development Board, and the Housing Bank.

Amina Al Abbasi

A Bahraini artist renowned for her contemporary cultural art installations.
Her work expresses a distinctive visual identity that merges human sensitivity with artistic depth, aiming to preserve cultural narratives while highlighting heritage beauty through a modern perspective. Her art is not merely visual, it is an open dialogue with memory, place, and self.
Beyond her artistic practice, Amina is a lifestyle designer specializing in home décor and fashion accessories. She founded Amina Gallery, which showcases her artwork and more than 100 unique product lines, with sales rapidly expanding to over eight countries.

Nayla bint Hamad Al Khalifa

Chairperson and Founder of Royal Life Saving Bahrain.
A sports and humanitarian figure dedicated to promoting water safety, rescue awareness, youth empowerment, and volunteerism, embodying leadership driven by responsibility and social impact.

On Bahrain National Day, these women represent more than individual achievements. They reflect a Bahrain that believes in its women and gives them the space to be true partners in shaping the future. Women who carry the flag forward, each in her own field, proving that when success is Bahraini, it is truly inspiring.

Bader Al-Kulaib

Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah

Dr. Noura Almashan

Dr. Munira Al-Arouj

Nour Abdul

Eisa Alhabib

Deema Al-Ghunaim

Lama AlOraiman

Alymamah Rashed

Nadia Bader Al-Hajji

Henadi Al-Saleh

Jafar Islah

Abdullah Ghazi Al-Mudhaf

Abeer Al Awadhi

Shahad Alsabeeh

Abdulrahman Bedah Al-Mutairi

Faisal Alagel

Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi

Shaikha Al Majed

Farah Almutawa

Donna Sultan

Dana Al-Mutawa and Sheikha Sharifa Al Sabah and Alzainah Albabtain

Laila Almutairi

Adel Alwasis

Hashim and Amna Naseeb

Dr. Abdullah Al Sumait

Shaikha Al-Hajeri

Shaima Hassan

Sheikha Bibi Al-Yousef Al-Sabah

Free Jabriya

Lulowa Al-Mulla

Salman Al-Kandari

Al-Jawhara-Al-Mahdi

Abdullatif Al Mishari

Hussain Bumejdad

Soaad Al-Faqaan

Maryam Alrefaei

Abdulmohsen AlMarzouq‏

Dr. Faisal Al-Roomi

Noor Al-Nafisi

Shaymaa Al-Terkait

Khalid Muthafar

Dalal AlHajeri

Yousef Alomran

Fahad Al Ghanim

Abdullah Behbehani

Sara Al-kattan

Dr. Manal Aldaihani

Ali Khajah

Raheel Al Roudhan

Bader Al-Kulaib

Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah

Dr. Noura Almashan

Dr. Munira Al-Arouj

Nour Abdul

Eisa Alhabib

Deema Al-Ghunaim

Lama AlOraiman

Alymamah Rashed

Nadia Bader Al-Hajji

Henadi Al-Saleh

Jafar Islah

Abdullah Ghazi Al-Mudhaf

Abeer Al Awadhi

Shahad Alsabeeh

Abdulrahman Bedah Al-Mutairi

Faisal Alagel

Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi

Shaikha Al Majed

Farah Almutawa

Donna Sultan

Dana Al-Mutawa and Sheikha Sharifa Al Sabah and Alzainah Albabtain

Laila Almutairi

Adel Alwasis

Hashim and Amna Naseeb

Dr. Abdullah Al Sumait

Shaikha Al-Hajeri

Shaima Hassan

Sheikha Bibi Al-Yousef Al-Sabah

Free Jabriya

Lulowa Al-Mulla

Salman Al-Kandari

Al-Jawhara-Al-Mahdi

Abdullatif Al Mishari

Hussain Bumejdad

Soaad Al-Faqaan

Maryam Alrefaei

Abdulmohsen AlMarzouq‏

Dr. Faisal Al-Roomi

Noor Al-Nafisi

Shaymaa Al-Terkait

Khalid Muthafar

Dalal AlHajeri

Yousef Alomran

Fahad Al Ghanim

Abdullah Behbehani

Sara Al-kattan

Dr. Manal Aldaihani

Ali Khajah

Raheel Al Roudhan