Arab National Bank: Strategic Partnership with the Creative Women ForumSaudi Arabia 2025

When a nation sets its sights on transformation, certain institutions emerge as

architects of progress. In Saudi Arabia, Arab National Bank (anb) has become one

such institution: a financial powerhouse whose influence extends far beyond balance

sheets into the very fabric of society.

This year, anb’s role as Strategic Partner of

the Creative Women Forum Saudi Arabia 2025, held under the distinguished

patronage of HRH Princess Noura Bint Saud Bin Nayef Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,

underscores the powerful convergence of finance, empowerment, and sustainability

in shaping the Kingdom’s future.

Finance as a Force for Empowerment

anb has long been recognised as one of the Kingdom’s most prestigious financial

institutions, serving millions of clients through an expansive network of 122

branches, regional offices, and an international base in London. Yet what

distinguishes anb is not scale alone, but ethos. With what may be described as a

fervent heart for community, the bank has woven empowerment into its institutional

DNA, recognising that prosperity must be inclusive if it is to endure.

This philosophy translates into action. anb has accelerated the advancement of

women—not only by increasing female representation within its own workforce but

also by creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs across the Kingdom.

Through targeted SME financing, bespoke business solutions, and advanced digital

platforms, the bank has opened pathways for women to thrive in commerce and

leadership. In doing so, anb contributes directly to the national imperative of Vision

2030, which places female empowerment at the very centre of Saudi Arabia’s

diversification agenda.

Sustainability Beyond Rhetoric

In an era when the language of sustainability risks dilution through overuse, anb

stands apart by embedding ESG strategy at the heart of its operations. Its

Sustainable Finance Framework, benchmarked against international standards,

channels investment into sectors that are not only profitable but transformative:

renewable energy, waste management, water, and green real estate.

Equally, anb’s social commitments resonate powerfully with the Forum’s theme of

Empower, Engage, Sustain. By supporting women-led households seeking financial

security, championing SMEs as engines of innovation, and ensuring that

empowerment translates into measurable social impact, anb demonstrates that

finance is not an end in itself but a tool for shaping equitable and resilient futures.

Innovation as Cultural Leadership

anb’s embrace of digital transformation positions it at the forefront of the Kingdom’s

modernising financial sector. From fully digital branches to a mobile app redefining

accessibility, and from its SME Funding Platform to fintech collaborations, anb is

dismantling barriers that once limited participation in finance.

For Saudi Arabia’s new generation—young, ambitious, and increasingly

female—innovation is not merely about efficiency. It is about inclusion. It ensures that

talent, creativity, and enterprise are enabled by systems designed for growth, rather

than restricted by legacy structures.

Leadership with Clarity of Vision

The bank’s trajectory is shaped by the vision of Chairman Salah Al Rashed and

Managing Director & CEO Obaid Al Rasheed, whose philosophy extends beyond

profitability to responsibility. Their stewardship embodies the principle that banking

must serve society as much as shareholders, enriching lives while advancing the

Kingdom’s global competitiveness.

This vision resonates with the Creative Women Forum, conceived to redefine

leadership as a force for cultural and economic renewal. Both institutions share the

conviction that legacies are built not through short-term gains, but through the

creation of systems and platforms that will outlast generations.

A Synergy of Purpose

The partnership between anb and the Creative Women Forum is not incidental but

emblematic. Founded by Olga Balakleets, CEO and Founder of the Creative

Women Platform, in 2016, and directed in Saudi Arabia by Rebeca Riofrio,

Chairwoman of the UK Parliamentary Society for Arts, Fashion and Sports, the

Forum has become a global stage for dialogue, collaboration, and empowerment.

Its inaugural Saudi edition in 2024 was hailed across more than 900 international

publications, featuring leaders such as HRH Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud,

HRH Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia, cousin of HM King Charles III, and a

distinguished assembly of ministers, CEOs, scientists, curators, and visionaries. It

was a testament to ambition and resonance.

In 2025, the Forum returns with even greater scope, once again welcoming royalty,

ministers, CEOs, and cultural leaders to Riyadh. Here, the synergy with anb is

unmistakable: the Forum provides the stage—where ideas are exchanged,

partnerships forged, and women’s leadership celebrated—while anb provides the

scaffolding: financial instruments, sustainable frameworks, and innovative platforms

that render those ambitions viable in the real economy. Together, they embody a

partnership of thought and action, vision and execution.

Towards a Shared Future

As Saudi Arabia advances towards its Vision 2030 goals, the demand for institutions

that unite economic strength with social responsibility has never been greater. The

strategic partnership between Arab National Bank and the Creative Women

Forum Saudi Arabia reflects precisely this synthesis.

It is finance as empowerment, leadership as engagement, and sustainability as

legacy. Above all, it is a partnership that demonstrates how Saudi Arabia is not

merely participating in the global dialogue on women’s leadership and sustainable

development — it is defining it.

For more about anb, please visit: www.anb.com.sa

For details about the Creative Women Forum Saudi Arabia 2025, please visit:

https://creativewomen.co/creative-women-forum-saudi-arabia-2025/