Ooredoo Oman appoints its first female CEO

Ooredoo Oman appointed Noor Al Sulaiti as chief executive officer, a rare female appointment in the Gulf where every other listed telecom firm is led by men.

Al Sulaiti, who will replace Ian Dench, previously led Ooredoo unit Starlink and has been with the group since 2004. Ooredoo Oman is a unit of Qatar’s Ooredoo.

Of late, Gulf states have been pushing for gender diversity in top leadership positions and board rooms. Oman this year named women to the board of its stock exchange and to lead the company that controls the country’s biggest oil block.

Neighbouring United Arab Emirates now requires listed companies to have at least one woman on their boards. First Abu Dhabi Bank, the nation’s biggest lender, appointed a woman as its CEO in January.