Fortune to unveil the 100 Most Powerful Women in Business list on May 20

The Most Powerful Women International Summit will convene the world's top women leaders to explore "A New Era for Business: Partnering for Global Prosperity"

NEW YORK, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fortune announced today that the Fortune Most Powerful Women International Summit will convene in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 20-21, 2025, marking the first international summit in the region for the female leadership franchise.

Fortune Most Powerful Women is an invitation-only community of top leaders from a wide range of industries and governments around the world. Known for its agenda-setting conversations, the Most Powerful Women International Summit's global program will examine key forces shaping the worldwide business landscape and, specifically, how the public and private sectors can partner to supercharge innovation and growth. Other topics will include assessing global leadership in crisis, navigating economic shifts and their business impacts, deploying emerging technologies at scale, and exploring new opportunities across investing and health care, as well as how the businesses of sports, entertainment, and design are evolving.

Fortune is convening the community in Saudi Arabia, where as part of Vision 2030, the country is investing in growth, innovation, and the progress of women in both business and society. As a result of that roadmap, the workforce participation rate for women is up to 36%, more than doubling from 17% in 2017. Saudi women now own 45% of the country's small and medium-sized businesses, contributing to the entrepreneurial development of the economy.

Fortune's Most Powerful Women in Riyadh will provide global leaders access to this burgeoning market, creating partnership opportunities and extending the global community.

"Fortune strives to be at the center of new frontiers of global business, and Saudi Arabia is one of those places," said Anastasia Nyrkovskaya, CEO of Fortune. "It's an opportune time to convene, in Riyadh, some of the world's most influential and innovative women to inspire, connect, and drive meaningful progress across global businesses and global governments. Fortune's Most Powerful Women events have done so for nearly three decades. Now it is time to tap into the dynamic Riyadh hub for our first women's summit in the Middle East."

Alyson Shontell, Editor in Chief of Fortune, writing in Fortune's MPW Daily newsletter recently, in a piece entitled "Why Fortune MPW is Going Global," points to Saudi Arabia's meaningful impact on the global economy, which led to Fortune's decision to hold important events there: "At Fortune, the purpose of our journalism is to make business better and to serve as a powerful, authoritative voice pressing for progress. Given Saudi Arabia's recent acceleration, particularly for women, we are excited to get closer to the action and document the progress there, too."

Additionally, on May 20, Fortune will unveil its iconic 100 Most Powerful Women in Business list. Now in its 28th year, the list recognizes global female trailblazers who drive innovation and shape the future across industries, including finance, technology, healthcare, telecom, retail, and energy. The 2024 edition featured leaders from 19 countries and territories across 14 sectors, with over half of the list serving as CEOs—primarily of Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies.

The Fortune Most Powerful Women International Summit will be presented in partnership with the Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA).

About Fortune:Fortune is a global multi-platform media company built on a legacy of trusted, award-winning reporting and information for those who want to make business better. Independently owned, Fortune tells the stories of the world's biggest companies and their leaders as well as a new generation of innovators who are moving business forward. Digitally and in print, Fortune measures corporate performance through rigorous benchmarks, and holds companies accountable, in regions around the world. Its iconic rankings include Fortune 500, Fortune Global 500, Most Powerful Women, and World's Most Admired Companies. Fortune builds world-class communities by convening industry thought leaders for exclusive summits and conferences, including the Fortune Global Forum, Brainstorm Tech, and Fortune Most Powerful Women. For more information, visit fortune.com.

Media Contacts: 

Patrick ReillyFortune  Patrick.Reilly@fortune.com

Chelsea HudsonFortune Chelsea.Hudson@fortune.com

Malek AbdelrahmanAPCO Saudi Arabiamabdelrahman@apcoworldwide.com