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Rania Nashar Wins the Distinguished Arab Woman Award in Economics, Banking for Year 2020

Rania Nashar Wins the Distinguished Arab Woman Award in Economics, Banking for Year 2020
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Rania Nashar Wins the Distinguished Arab Woman Award in Economics, Banking for Year 2020

Rania Nashar Wins the Distinguished Arab Woman Award in Economics, Banking for Year 2020

The Arab Women Authority announced its choice of Ms. Rania Nashar for the Distinguished Arab Woman Award in the field of economics and banking for the year 2020, culminating her successful career and distinguished achievements in the Arab banking and economic activity, and in recognition of her solid willpower and ability to contribute to the development of the Saudi economy.

Ms. Rania Nashar, CEO of Samba Financial Group, expressed her pride in receiving the Distinguished Arab Woman Award in the field of economics and banking for the year 2020 from the Arab Women Authority, an Arab non-governmental organization concerned with empowering the role of Arab women in the development of Arab societies and enhancing their activity. Ms. Nashar becomes the first Arab woman to win this award in this field since its launch by the Arab League in 2004.

“This award adds a new responsibility and drives me to exert more efforts in representing Arab women in a manner that suits their capabilities and befits their stature,” Nashar was quoted as saying, expressing her thanks and appreciation to the award jury for this trust, which is a tribute to Arab women in general.

The Distinguished Arab Woman Award is the most important Arab award to honor Arab women who are distinguished in various fields of work and creation. The award aims to introduce the achievements of Arab women in various fields of work, and document their scientific and practical achievements to highlight the artistic, cultural, scientific and economic innovations of the Arab women and display a bright image of them in regional and international forums by presenting pioneering and creative models of Arab women who had firm imprints in various business sectors.

Dr. Russell Al-Nuaimi, the official spokeswoman of the Arab Women Authority, said: “Ms. Nashar’s winning of this award, which is the most important Arab award presented to distinguished Arab women, organized in cooperation with the League of Arab States, marks her as the first Arab woman to receive this award in the field of economics and banking”.

Dr. Russell indicated that this award culminates in the established track record of Ms. Nashar amidst many challenges.

“With her professionalism, determination, and dedication, she was able to surpass those challenges, recording a clear imprint and a prominent presence in the Saudi banking industry through her unrivaled success in the position of Samba Financial Group’s CEO, in addition to assuming many financial and banking positions armed with competence, scientific qualification, practical experience and determination to succeed and excel in this extremely difficult and complex field where fewer women have assumed leadership posts in it” Dr. Russell added.

“The Jury and the Board of Trustees expressed great commendation and appreciation for the journey of a self-made Arab woman armed with education, knowledge, and training in order to take over the management and leadership of a leading banking and financial institution in her country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with complete excellence and integrity, thus reflecting the success of Saudi women and their evolving role in contributing to the labor market and participation in nation-building, embodying the Vision 2030 of the Saudi Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which gave a strong impetus and a great motivation for underscoring the importance of Saudi women’s effective engagement and influence in various fields of work and production,” says Dr. Russell.

The official spokeswoman of the Arab Women Authority concluded her statement by greeting Ms. Rania Nashar on her bridging between leadership work and the corporate social responsibility in supporting community development initiatives and backing activities that elevate the image of women and improve their living conditions.

Ms. Rania Nashar is the first Saudi woman to hold the position of CEO of a Saudi bank, with more than 22 years of experience in banking. In addition to her position as CEO of Samba Financial Group, she holds the position of Deputy Chairman of Samba Capital, the investment arm of the group. In addition to membership in the boards of directors of Samba Bank Limited in Pakistan, Samba Global Markets Ltd., and the Institute of International Finance, and to being a member of the Advisory Committee of the Board of Directors of the Capital Market Authority, the National Center for Performance Measurement, the Saudi Stock Market Board “Tadawul”, the Saudi Space Authority, and the Saudi Polo Federation.

Ms. Nashar also chairs the Women’s Empowerment in Business Action Council, which is one of the main initiatives emanating from the G20 Business Group that Saudi Arabia is presiding over this year. Ms. Nashar is considered one of the most prominent females with presence and influence in the Arab business communities, as she maintained her position in 2019, for the second year in a row, on the list of “Top 100 Powerful Women in the World” according to the annual poll of the American "Forbes" magazine.

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Varieties

Heatwave Hits More Than One in Two People in France

A woman with a hand fan sunbathes in the Tuileries Garden as temperatures rise in Paris during a second heatwave affecting a large of France, June 19, 2026. (Reuters)
A woman with a hand fan sunbathes in the Tuileries Garden as temperatures rise in Paris during a second heatwave affecting a large of France, June 19, 2026. (Reuters)
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Heatwave Hits More Than One in Two People in France

A woman with a hand fan sunbathes in the Tuileries Garden as temperatures rise in Paris during a second heatwave affecting a large of France, June 19, 2026. (Reuters)
A woman with a hand fan sunbathes in the Tuileries Garden as temperatures rise in Paris during a second heatwave affecting a large of France, June 19, 2026. (Reuters)

More than half of France's population was dealing with scorching temperatures on Friday, according to AFP's calculations, with hundreds of schools adapting their timetables to keep students out of broiling classrooms.

Around 41 million people -- out of the country's some 69 million residents -- were affected by an orange heat alert issued by the weather office, the second-highest category, urging residents to be "very cautious", according to a calculation based on population figures from the national statistics agency.

The heatwave prompted 784 primary and secondary schools out of the country's 60,000 teaching establishments to adjust their hours, including 150 that closed completely, said Education Minister Edouard Geffray.

France's national weather agency has warned the heatwave would be "widespread, prolonged, and intense". Friday's heat warning covered the Paris region and much of the east and center of the country.

Temperatures were expected to peak at around 40C in some regions from Sunday onwards.

President Emmanuel Macron has called for "great vigilance" and for "taking care of the oldest, the most vulnerable".

Health Minister Stephanie Rist has urged youth to be "really careful with alcohol and physical activity" as the country gears up for its annual "La Fete de la Musique" on Sunday, a nationwide music festival when millions of people usually dance in the streets nationwide.

A 30-year-old man died on an athletics track outside Paris on Thursday.

This is already France's second heatwave this year, following an unusually hot spell in May that shattered records across half the country.

France experienced its hottest spring this year since records began in 1900, with the average nationwide temperature over March to May around 1.7 C above the norm.

Scientists warn that heatwaves in Europe are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change.

Varieties

What Full-time Working Moms and Dads Want, By the Numbers

A family prepares to fish along a jetty at sunrise in Port Aransas, Texas, on Aug. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
A family prepares to fish along a jetty at sunrise in Port Aransas, Texas, on Aug. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
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What Full-time Working Moms and Dads Want, By the Numbers

A family prepares to fish along a jetty at sunrise in Port Aransas, Texas, on Aug. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
A family prepares to fish along a jetty at sunrise in Port Aransas, Texas, on Aug. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Most mothers and fathers who work full-time say they sometimes parent while at work and vice versa. Most are upset to miss out on events with their kids, and many don’t have enough time to exercise. But moms and dads seem to have different perceptions on who does most of the chores, and mothers were more likely than fathers to say that having children made it harder to advance at work.

Those are some of the findings about full-time working parents from a newly released Pew Research Center study, which surveyed 2,242 working parents between March 2-15, The Associated Press said.

Here's a look what full-time working parents want, by the numbers:

Households where both the mother and father work full time: 52% That's according to a Pew Research Center analysis of US Census Bureau data looking at the work arrangements of mothers and fathers with children under 18 who are married or live together. A decade ago, 46% of such families had two full-time working parents. In 1975, it was just 31%.

The increase has been driven largely by mothers who have bachelor's or postgraduate degrees. It has occurred during a period when women have outpaced men in obtaining college educations.

In families where mothers and fathers live together, about 56% of moms with bachelor degrees and 69% of mothers with postgraduate degrees worked full time in 2025. That's an increase from 50% and 59% in 2000, respectively.

In contrast, the number of mothers without college degrees working full time stayed largely constant at 43%, compared to 46% in 2000.

Many parents are single, divorced or live with same-sex partners. In total, 89% of fathers and 59% of mothers with children under 18 work full time.

Parents who sometimes juggle work and child duties simultaneously: 70% In the new survey, moms were more likely to say they sometimes handle parenting tasks at work at least “sometimes,” at 81%. But a majority of dads — 62% — said they same. Most moms and dads — 63% and 57% respectively — say they sometimes take on work tasks while they are with their kids.

“One of the major findings we have from this study is just a large share of parents who experience these blurred boundaries between family and work. And we find that moms often carry more of the mental load that comes with trying to balance what their family needs with what their work demands," said Luona Lin, a Pew Research Center research associate who co-authored the study.

Parents who are upset by missing their children's activities because of work: 92% Full-time working moms and dads almost universally dislike missing out on a child's concert, sporting match or other activity thanks to their jobs. About 9 in 10 said they were “extremely,” “very,” or “somewhat” upset when this happened, including 55% who were “extremely” or “very” upset.

But the unhappiness is deeper among full-time working mothers: 65% said they were “extremely" or very" upset when they missed out, compared 45% of fathers who said the same. About 31% of mothers said they were “somewhat upset,” compared to 42% of dads who said the same.

“It’s not to say dads aren’t experiencing any of challenges in balancing work and family lives. It’s just that moms are experiencing more of it,” Lin said.

Parents who have a hard time finding time to exercise: 58% This was a bigger issue for moms than dads. While 65% of moms who work full time said they didn't have enough time to exercise, 52% of dads said the same. Full-time working moms were also more likely to say they had too little time for hobbies, friends, relaxing and spending time with their spouse or partner.

Parents who say moms do most of the chores: 52% But mothers and fathers seem to disagree here.

Among full-time working mothers, 63% say they do most of the chores. However, 50% of working fathers said chores were equally divided and only 25% said moms do most of it.

A similar dynamic plays out when it comes to parenting. About 63% of moms say they do most of the daily parenting tasks but only 41% of dads agreed. Instead, about 47% of dads say daily parenting tasks are split equally.

Parents who say having kids makes it harder to advance at work: 45% This was another area with a sharp gender divide. While about half, 52%, of full-time working mothers said being a parent made it “a lot” or “somewhat” more difficult to advance in their job or career, only 38% of fathers said the same. And while 61% of mothers said their job made it “a lot” or “somewhat” harder to be a good parent, 45% of fathers felt that way.

About 52% of full-time working mothers and 38% of fathers said they felt they couldn't give 100% at work mainly because of juggling work and family responsibilities. While 67% of mothers said they felt they couldn't give 100% at home, 50% of fathers said the same.

Despite their growing labor rate participation rate and college education levels, women are still far behind men when it comes to wages and career advancement. The so-called “motherhood penalty” has long been a major factor in the persistent wage gap between men and women.

Families with two full-time working parents who say the arrangement has financial benefits: 83% There were mixed feeling about the trade-offs of having both parents work full-time.

While about 83% of parents in that situation said it had a “somewhat” or “very” positive financial impact, about half, 49%, said it had a positive impact on their children's well being. Still, only about 22% said it had a “somewhat” or “very” negative impact on their children's well being, while about 29% said it had neither a negative or positive impact.

Varieties

Indonesia to Capture Last-known Wild Bornean Rhino for IVF

A rhinoceros walks in Bandia Conservation Park, in Mbour, Senegal June 14, 2026. REUTERS/Raghed Waked
A rhinoceros walks in Bandia Conservation Park, in Mbour, Senegal June 14, 2026. REUTERS/Raghed Waked
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Indonesia to Capture Last-known Wild Bornean Rhino for IVF

A rhinoceros walks in Bandia Conservation Park, in Mbour, Senegal June 14, 2026. REUTERS/Raghed Waked
A rhinoceros walks in Bandia Conservation Park, in Mbour, Senegal June 14, 2026. REUTERS/Raghed Waked

Indonesia's government is racing to capture the last-known Bornean rhino in the wild in a bid to preserve the species through in-vitro fertilization, a government official told AFP on Friday.

Just two Bornean rhinos are known to exist in the world, both female: Pahu in Indonesia's Kelian rhino sanctuary, and Pari, living wild in Kutai Kartanegara regency.

Bornean rhinos are a subspecies of Sumatran rhinos, and officials believe they are close enough to interbreed and preserve some genetic heritage from the Bornean line.

Conservationists previously tried to extract eggs from Pahu for the process.

But she is around 40 and has various health problems, so the process has been unsuccessful so far, explained Ari Wibawanto, head of the provincial conservation agency in East Kalimantan, where both Kelian and Kutai Kartanegara are located.

The last hope lies with Pari, who appears younger than Pahu in images captured by monitoring cameras.

Conservationists have spent months preparing the capture, installing pit traps and even carrying out test runs.

"We carried out several simulations using cattle that are roughly the same size as Pari," he told AFP.

Rhino translocations are a risky process and have ended in disaster in Indonesia in the past.

Last year, a Javan rhino died shortly after a world-first translocation for the species, apparently due to preexisting conditions.

And in 2016, a female Sumatran rhino died after relocation because of an injury previously sustained from a poaching trap.

Ari said a dedicated team had been working on making the capture and relocation as smooth as possible.

"We strengthened our procedures to make sure they don't cause technical problems, health issues, or behavioral issues, so the animal doesn't get stressed," he said.

Once secured, Pari will be airlifted to a facility for monitoring before egg extraction.

"Sumatran rhinos are larger than Bornean rhinos. So, if we try to mate them manually or through normal natural mating, it is likely that it will not work properly," Ari said.

"We take egg cells from the Bornean rhino. We collect them and then fertilize them with sperm from the Sumatran rhino outside the womb."

If the fertilization is successful, a surrogate would likely be used for a safer pregnancy, Ari said.

The conservation body is also considering a cloning program by collecting samples of skin and gums, he added.

Fewer than 50 individuals each from the Javan and Sumatran rhino species are believed to exist in the wild, all of them in Indonesia, according to the International Rhino Foundation.

In 2024, scientists in Germany successfully conducted IVF of a southern white rhino, sparking hope that a similar method could be applied to another species of rhinos.