Top 100 Arabs 2025

77. Shaikha Khaled Al Baha

Deputy group chief executive officer, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK)

Origin: Kuwait

Residence: Kuwait

Sector: Finance

2024 Rank: 77

Al Baha previously led the NBK Group’s Kuwait operations as NBK-Kuwait CEO between 2010 and 2013, consistently contributing more than 70 per cent of its profits.

In addition to her role at the bank, Al Baha was also a member of Kuwait’s Supreme Council for Planning and Development from 2017 to 2021.

It is under her leadership that the bank provided KD25.04m in bank loans to SMEs in 2024, marking a growth of 23.5 per cent compared to 2023, and KD30.19m in community investments made by the bank in 2024, marking a growth of 9.1 per cent compared to 2023.

The bank also issued a $500m green bond, the first of its kind for a Kuwaiti financial institution.

She also received the ‘Distinguished Services to Arab Banking Award 2022’ from the Arab Bankers Association.

Fahad Bin Nafel

Mohammed Abu Ghazaleh