Saturday 23 / August / 2025
Muscat: Over 150 women leaders and professionals from Oman and abroad will gather in Muscat on Monday, August 25, for The Origin – Women Forum & Awards, to be held at the St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort.
Organised by the Gulf Leaders Circle and Muscat Media Group, the half-day event will focus on women’s achievements and their role in leadership, innovation and inclusion, in line with Oman Vision 2040. Participants will represent a wide range of sectors including banking, finance, oil & gas, technology, healthcare, law, logistics, education, sustainability, sports and research, etc. They come from various nationalities including Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Japan, India, the US, Canada, Brunei, the Philippines and the Netherlands, etc.
The programme includes keynote addresses, panel discussions and talks featuring prominent women achievers. The opening keynote session, titled “From Vision to Action – Women Shaping the Future”, will feature Her Highness Al Sayyida Basma Al Said, Founder of Whispers of Serenity Clinic and Head of the Not Alone Mental Health Awareness Campaign, who will also attend as Chief Guest. She will be joined by Her Excellency Lujaina Mohsin Haider Darwish, Chairperson of MHD ITICS & Honorary Consul for South Africa in Oman, and Shatha Salim Al Maskiry, Founder of Lahunna.
A panel discussion on “Women Leading Transformation and Innovation” will follow, with speakers including Her Highness Sayyida Wisam Al Said, Chief Marketing, Communication and Sustainability Officer of National Finance Company; Reema A. Aref, Partner & Law Leader, EY Saudi Arabia; Rebecca Olson, CEO of Oman American Business Council (OABC); Fatma Al Nabhani, noted Tennis and Padel Athlete; and Najya Hinai, Culture, Change & CI Manager (CFDH) of Petroleum Development Oman. The discussion will be moderated by Rumaitha Al Busaidi, Vice President of the Environment Society of Oman.
Another session, “Breaking the Glass Ceiling – Inspiring Journeys Creating Lasting Impact”, will feature Dr Suad al Mudhaffar, Founder of Azzan bin Qais International School and Life Coach & Business Consultant; Hajer Al Muzayni, Head of Women’s Football Committee in Oman Football Association and General Manager of Goal One Soccer Centers; and Sumaira Chowdhury, UNICEF Representative to Oman, sharing their personal journeys and experiences.
The event will conclude with the presentation of The Origin 2025 Awards to deserving 25 women achievers and organisations for their contributions to leadership, innovation and community impact.
The event is supported by Lincoln, Oman American Business Council, Al Madina Group, Europcar, Al Tasnim, Honor, Bake’in, Squad Up, Lahunna and Hun’na. The media partners include Times of Oman, Shabiba and Hounna. The event partner is Manzana.
