Rania Nashar

Rania Nashar is Chairperson of the Governance, Risk and Compliance Committee at Saudi Tadawul Group Holding Company. Born in the United States, she moved to Riyadh at an early age and brings over two decades of professional experience in the banking industry. She holds a Bachelor's degree with Honours in computer science and technology from King Saud University and studied at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Nashar is recognized as the first Saudi woman to hold an executive position in a banking group, becoming Chief Executive Officer of Samba Financial Group in 2017. During her tenure at Samba, she held multiple positions in governance, risk management, and compliance. She oversaw the development of Samba's digital services and the transition following Citibank's decision to withdraw its management agreement.

Nashar joined the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in 2020 as an advisor to the Governor and Head of Compliance and Governance for Public Investment. She was appointed as the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Regional Voluntary Carbon Market Company, a global leader in voluntary carbon markets owned by the PIF and the Saudi Tadawul Group. She is the first woman in the GCC financial sector to lead a compliance group and first Saudi woman to be named a certified anti-money laundering specialist by the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) in the USA.

During KSA G20 Presidency Rania chaired the B20 Women in Business Action Council and G20 EMPOWER Alliance. She is a member of the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul), Saudi Space Commission, Saudi CMA Advisory Committee and a board member of the Institute of International Finance in the USA. Forbes has recognized her among the Top 100 Powerful Women in the World in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Career History

• Head of Compliance and Governance, Public Investment Fund (2020–present)
• Chief Executive Officer, Samba Financial Group (2017–2020)
• Chief Audit Executive, Samba Financial Group (2014–2017)
• Head of Compliance, Samba Financial Group (2009–2014)
• Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer, Samba Financial Group (2006–2009)

What Rania Nashar could bring to her role as Chair, Governance, Risk and Compliance Committee at Saudi Tadawul Group: With her track record as the first female CEO of a major Saudi bank and extensive expertise in compliance, risk management, and governance across both the private sector and the region's largest sovereign wealth fund, Nashar brings institutional knowledge critical to strengthening governance frameworks at the region's most important exchange. Her experience navigating complex regulatory transformations, implementing anti-money laundering protocols, and advancing organizational modernization positions her uniquely to oversee governance and risk oversight during a period of market expansion and digital transformation at Tadawul.