Top 10 Women Heads of Legal from the Middle East - 2025

Women in the position of Heads of Legal in the Middle East are changing the landscape for corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and strategic decision-making. Their advancing position in senior leadership demonstrates the broader shift of professional legal culture away from barriers that were once either explicit or implicit, and toward professional and legal excellence, ethical judgment and business nous. They oversee multi-faceted and complex portfolios embracing, amongst other things, corporate law, commercial contracts, dispute resolution, investigations and regulatory engagement, all of which arise in association with multiple industry sectors, including, but not limited to, energy and infrastructure, technology, finance, retail and healthcare - each of which has a different and evolving set of legal challenges.

As leaders of legal departments, these women have essential roles in not only aligning their organizational mandates with stringent and evolving regional regulations but also ensuring compliance with horizontal international standards. Additionally, they often lead multicultural teams, help boards navigate legal risks, and provide ongoing advice on key strategic initiatives, including market entry, merger and acquisition activities, and digital transformation projects. Their leadership also provides coherence as organizations navigate new geopolitical realities, the evolving landscape of data privacy, increased scrutiny on privacy, and the growing expectations around environmental, social, and governance (ESG) responsibilities.

In their capacity as Heads of Legal, these women serve a valuable organizational function in combining organizational objectives with strict regional regulatory compliance, while ensuring compliance within international frameworks. They frequently manage multicultural teams, advise the board on legal risks, and provide strategic guidance on key organizational projects such as market entry, mergers and acquisitions, and digital transformation. Their leadership provides organizations with the capacity to successfully manage changing geopolitical conditions, newly created data privacy regulations, and increased expectations in relation to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) responsibilities.

In this issue, the Women Entrepreneurs Review magazine brings a list of ‘Top 10 Women Heads of Legal from the Middle East - 2025’, who are domineers of change in the corporate realm of the country. This list of ten leading and inspiring women is crafted by a team of CEOs, VCs, and the editorial board, delivering inspiring stories of their journey and the contributions & roles played by them in the creation and empowerment of an economically powerful nation.