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.

A Brazilian scientist who pushed back against chemical fertilizers and researched biologically based approaches to more robust food production has been honored with this year’s World Food Prize, the organization announced Tuesday.

Microbiologist Mariangela Hungria's research helped her country become an agricultural powerhouse, an accomplishment that has now won her $500,000 from the Iowa-based World Food Prize Foundation. Hungria has been researching biological seed and soil treatments for 40 years and has worked with Brazilian farmers to implement her findings.

"I still cannot believe it. Everybody said, my whole life, it's improbable, you are going the wrong way, just go to things like chemicals and so on. And then, I received the most important prize in the world of agriculture," Hungria said in an interview. "Sometimes I still think I'll wake up and see that it's not true."

Norman Borlaug, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work to dramatically increase crop yields and reduce the threat of starvation in many countries, founded the World Food Prize. Since the first prize was handed out in 1987, 55 people have been honored.

Hungria said she grew up wanting to alleviate hunger. Early in her career, she decided to focus on a process called biological nitrogen fixation, in which soil bacteria could be used to promote plant growth. At that time, farmers in Brazil and around the world were reluctant to reduce their use of nitrogen fertilizers, which dramatically increase crop production but lead to greenhouse gas emissions and pollutes waterways.

Hungria studied how bacteria can interact with plant roots to naturally produce nitrogen. She then demonstrated her work on test plots and began working directly with farmers to convince them that they wouldn't have to sacrifice high crop yields if they switched to a biological process.

The work is credited for increasing yields of several crops, including wheat, corn and beans, but it has been especially affective on soybeans. Brazil has since become the world's largest soybean producer, surpassing the United States and Argentina.

Although Hungria's research could be applied on farms in other countries, soybean production in the US is different than it is in Brazil; American farmers typically rotate crops on their land between growing corn and soybeans. Enough nitrate fertilizer applied to corn still remains in the soil when soybeans are planted that little or no fertilizer needs to be applied, Hungria said.

Brazilian agricultural companies have faced fierce criticism for clearing forested land to create farmland, largely to grow soybeans.

Much of that criticism is justified, Hungria said, but she added that her biological approach builds up the soil and makes further encroachment into forested areas less necessary.

"If you manage the crop well, the crop will enrich the soil with nitrogen. Soil health improves if you do the right things," she said.

Hungria will be awarded her prize at an annual October gathering in Des Moines, Iowa, of agricultural researchers and officials from around the world.

Gebisa Ejeta, chair of the World Food Prize Laureate Selection Committee, credited Hungria for her "extraordinary scientific achievements" that have transformed agriculture in South America.

"Her brilliant scientific work and her committed vision for advancing sustainable crop production to feed humanity with judicious use of chemical fertilizer inputs and biological amendments has gained her global recognition both at home and abroad," Ejeta said in a statement.

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