Eight Bahraini women have made history as they were named among Forbes' most powerful females in the Arab world.

The first-of-its-kind ranking of 100 Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen published by Forbes Middle East magazine focused on the role of Arab businesswomen in a wide range of public listed companies and sectors.

It includes BBK board member Elham Ebrahim Hasan, who topped the list of Bahraini women at 33, followed by ABC Bank board member Mona Al Dairy, who ranked 45, a report in the Gulf Daily News, our sister newspaper said.

The prestigious list also features Supreme Council for Women member and Al Salam Bank board chairwoman Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, who ranked 62.

It initially had a total of 219 women, who were shortlisted to 100, according to a statement issued by Forbes.

It lists 29 women from the banking sector, 18 from manufacturing, 16 in investment, 14 from services with the insurance sector having eight.

"Our list has not only helped identify the most powerful leading women in the region, but also helped us identify the sectors in which these women have enjoyed success," the May edition of the magazine stated.

Other Bahraini women included Takaful International Company board member Najwa Abdulrahim, ranked 66, followed by Hala Yateem and Dhabya Al Mannai, both board members of Bahrain Tourism Company, jointly placed at 75.

The seventh Bahraini featured was Al Khazna Insurance Company board member Shaikha Dheya bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa who ranked 77, while Jordan Trade Facilities board executive Dalal Hashem rounded off the list at 87.

Also featured on the list are 17 women from Kuwait, 13 from Jordan followed closely by the UAE, Oman and Palestine with eight women each.

There were seven Syrian women on the list, Saudi Arabia had five, and Qatar and Lebanon had three each.

The list was compiled through intensive research under strict criteria, including the annual financial performance of each company last year, shares held by individuals in the company and market value of the company as of last month.

Forbes also unveiled its Top 100 Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen in Listed Companies ranking.

Leading the list in the Top 50 Richest Arab Businesswomen in Listed Companies category was Shaikha Amna bint Mohammed Al Thani, a stakeholder in the Mannai Corporation (MCCS) with $86.9 million to her name.

Runner-up was Emirati Maryam Khalfan Al Naeemi, who owns a sizeable stake in Commercial Bank International with $69.1 million. Egyptian Laila Gomaa Gowaily, who is worth $34.6 million with a stake in the Maridive and Oil Services Company, was placed third. - TradeArabia News Service