One of the Arab Women’s Biggest Role Models: Read the Success Story of Reem Assad
Reem Asaad is a Saudi writer and lecturer who started her career at the beginning of the twenty-first century in Saudi local banks. The women of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia occupied a great place and importance in Reem Asaad’s professional life. She worked on their economic revitalization and permanent support to reach all their professional and personal hopes and dreams. She also ranked third in the list of the most powerful Arab personalities for the year 2012 according to Arabian Business. Who is Reem Asaad? And what are her greatest achievements? Let’s find out.
Who is Reem Assad?
Reem Asaad was born on December 7, 1970, in Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and completed her early educational stages there until she joined King Abdulaziz University to study chemistry and graduated in 1994. Her educational passion did not end there, as she moved after obtaining a bachelor's degree in Chemistry to the United States of America and settled in Massachusetts, specifically in Boston to join Northwestern University and obtain a master's degree in business administration in 2001.
Reem’s Greatest Achievements:
In 2001, she started her career through her work in the National Commercial Bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as an investment analyst, and shortly after, specifically in 2003, Al-Assad was promoted professionally to the position of “Production Manager” in this bank and maintained this position until 2007.
In 2006, in addition to her work at the National Commercial Bank, Reem Asaad held the position of Vice Chairman of the Securities Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and continued in this professional position until 2015.
In 2001, she started her career through her work in the National Commercial Bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as an investment analyst, and shortly after, specifically in 2003, Al-Assad was promoted professionally to the position of “Production Manager” in this bank and maintained this position until 2007.
In 2006, in addition to her work at the National Commercial Bank, Reem Asaad held the position of Vice Chairman of the Securities Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and continued in this professional position until 2015.
In 2008, she began her educational career, working as a lecturer in economics, finance, and banking affairs at Dar Al-Hekma College for Women. Between 2009 and 2010, Reem Asaad used her Facebook page and lectures to protest against men working in women's lingerie stores in a conservative country like Saudi Arabia. She called for women to work instead of men in this profession, specifically in the sales process. The response to this protest came in 2011 when the Ministry of Labor issued a law allowing women to work in the retail sector, and through this protest, Reem Asaad was able to secure many job opportunities for hundreds of women in Saudi Arabia.
In 2011, she began working as an investment advisor in “Saudi Fransi Capital” (SFC) to be chosen by Arabian Business magazine in the following year 2012 as the third most powerful Arab person in a list of about 500 names for that year. In 2013, Reem Asaad joined the Euro-Mediterranean Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development as an honorary member, and as a jury panel for the MIT Entrepreneurship Forum Saudi Arabia competition.
In 2014, people's perception of her improved due to her social media activity. She started providing economic investment advice through which she tried to help a large segment of followers by working to increase community awareness in terms of economic and financial terms, and she was giving her advice in a program broadcast on social networking sites and YouTube under the title “Reem’s Advice” (Nasi7atReem). . In 2015, and with the continuation of her economic and investment participation in practical professional fields in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Reem Asaad was one of the most important participants in the “National Transformation Program”, the program that embodies and expresses the five-year plan of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, organized by the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, and was also invited to participate in the Arab-German Business Forum as a representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia there.
In January 2021, Reem Asaad was appointed as an investment advisor at Ayan Holding, and in June of the same year, she became a member of the Board of Directors of Kingdom Holding Company. Reem Asaad also works in the economic newspaper as a writer of economic articles, and her articles were characterized by raising the morale of women in particular and supporting reducing their unemployment as much as possible, and raising the standard of living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in general, and with the continuation of her local lectures, Al-Assaad participated in many academic institutions and universities International, conferences, and seminars as an international economic speaker.
Reem’s Personal Life:
Reem Asaad married and had her first daughter in 2003, her second daughter in 2006, and her third daughter in 2011. Although she does not directly address the details of her family and personal life, in most of her interviews she is always keen to mention the support of her husband and her family and their essential role in her professional career.
Finally:
She climbed the ladder of success step by step until she achieved her goal with hard work and discipline. She did not forget the women of her country, so she did everything in her power to pave the way for them to succeed.