Sheikha Lubna has been named among the world’s most powerful women

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She’s long been recognised as one of the region’s most iconic figures, and HE Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi is getting noticed on a global stage too.

The former State Minister of Tolerance has been named as one of the world’s most powerful women, thanks to her work in the fields of politics and philanthropy.

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Sheikha Lubna features in Forbes‘ list of the 100 most powerful women in the world in 2017, coming in at an impressive No 36.

As the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the UAE, Al Qasimi was praised for bolstering “a platform of acceptance and diversity” by the magazine.

Dubai-based businesswoman HE Dr Raja Easa Al Gurg, managing director of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, also made the list, coming in at No 90.

Al Qasimi also took out the No 1 spot in the magazine’s list of Top 10 Most Powerful Arab Women In Government earlier this year.

The royal, who is a member of Sharjah’s ruling family, joined the UAE Cabinet in 2004 as Minister of Economic and Planning, and also worked as Minister of State for International Cooperation.

She was appointed to the ground-breaking position of Minister of Tolerance in 2016, a position in which she served until October 2017 (HE Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan is now in the role).

Sheikha Lubna is also the first Emirati to receive the Clinton Global Citizen Award, and was behind the world’s first tolerance chapter last year.

The royal is also a passionate advocate for women’s rights, saying this February that she was focused on putting the country at the forefront in this area.

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“Providing equality in education opportunities is a key in achieving women’s economic empowerment,” she said, according to Gulf News. “Equality is an integral part of the national agenda.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel came top in the list of 2017’s most powerful women, with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed (No 30), Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra (No 97), and Saudi-based CEO Lubna S. Olayan also making the charts.