In a First, Bahraini Women Outnumber Men in CBB’s Top New Roles

• CBB appoints women to top roles

 • Key regulatory posts secured

• Gender shift at CBB top

You Know What:
In 2023, only 17.4% of department director positions in Bahrain’s financial institutions were held by women, making CBB’s latest appointments a significant step forward.

Mahir Haneef
TDT| Manama

As Bahrain’s financial regulator embarks on a new era of institutional reform, the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has promoted seven Bahraini women to executive roles - surpassing the number of men appointed in the same leadership reshuffle. The move reflects a notable gender shift in one of the Kingdom’s most traditionally male-dominated sectors.

The 13 executive promotions, effective from July 1st, follow the CBB’s adoption of a new organisational structure aimed at enhancing sector governance and operational clarity. In a region where female representation at the top of financial institutions remains limited, the CBB’s latest appointments mark a rare instance of women outnumbering men in a high-level leadership round.

Critical leadership roles

While men will still head the two most senior divisions - Capital Markets & Investment Supervision and Banking & Credit Institutions Supervision - women have secured several of the most strategically significant positions, with direct influence on Bahrain’s regulatory, monetary, and fiscal frameworks.

Afaf Khalifa Khalfan will oversee the Monetary Operations & Government Debt Management Directorate, a role vital to managing liquidity and sovereign credit. Fatema Hasan Akhtarzada is set to lead Licensing & Regulatory Policy, shaping market-entry norms and institutional compliance. Meanwhile, Sara Khaled Qaed will head the Anti-Financial Crime Directorate, a position at the frontline of Bahrain’s AML and global financial integrity efforts.

These three designations place women at the helm of functions that are not only revenue-impacting but also central to Bahrain’s financial credibility on the world stage.

Local talent spotlight

His Excellency Khalid Humaidan, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, said the appointments are part of a wider push to empower Bahraini talent and institutional capacity. “We at the CBB are committed to empowering qualified national talents shaping the future of the financial services sector,” he stated.

He added that the promotions support the CBB’s new structure and reinforce its goals to strengthen stability and develop strategic capabilities across key areas of the sector.

Mohamed A. Karim, Executive Director of Corporate Services at the CBB, noted the strong credentials of the promoted team. “Through our confidence in their capabilities, we look forward to commencing this next phase of development through their years of leadership and expertise,” he said.

Gender representation improves

Alongside the three women promoted into critical regulatory roles, four others will take up leadership of directorates such as Human Resources, Communications & International Relations, Capital Markets Inspections, and Retail Banking Supervision. These appointments round out a leadership cohort that reflects both growing inclusivity and strategic focus.

The remaining promoted officials include Mohamed Mahmood Shamsi (Consumer Protection), Mohamed Ahmed Al Sulaiti (Cyber-Security), and Nabeel Mohammed Juma (Supervision Technology), among others.

With the gender balance tilted for the first time in favour of women - especially in policy-shaping roles - the CBB’s move signals not just an internal reshuffle but a broader step towards more inclusive financial governance.

The new structure and appointments will take effect from the beginning of July.