A University of the West of Scotland (UWS) graduate has received recognition as one of the top 100 women in finance and technology, by FinTech Magazine.

Dr Wajeeha H. Awadh, who graduated with an MSc in Project Management in 2015 from UWS, was ranked 1st in the Middle East & Africa (MEA) region and 51 overall in the magazine’s Top 100 Women in Fintech supplement, championing female leaders and pioneers driving innovation across the industry.

Wajeeha commented: “It’s incredibly humbling to be listed among such inspiring global women leaders from top banks and organizations in the industry.”

Specialising in project management, fintech, technology management, banking and PMO, Wajeeha is the Chief Digital Officer of Al Baraka Group. She joined the Al Bakara Group in 2015, following her time studying in Paisley, Scotland UK, working as part of the Digitalisation & FinTech Initiatives team, before being elevated to Head of Section for Digital Banking & Fintech in 2018 and appointed Chief Digital Officer in 2021.

An international student, Wajeeha remembers her time in Scotland fondly: “My time in UWS was truly enriching, and the learning journey was particularly transformative, especially as a student representative. In addition, as a project management student, collaborating with international peers on various hands-on projects provided invaluable perspectives that continue to benefit me in my current role.”

In 2019, Wajeeha was named among the Top 300 Most Influential Women in Islamic Business and Finance by Cambridge IFA, ranking 29th worldwide and the 1st in Bahrain. She is also considered the first Bahraini to have a PhD focuses on FinTech domain in Bahrain.

A member of the BAB Digitization Committee as part of the Bahrain Association of Banks, Wajeeha is also an External Advisory Board Member for the College of Business Finance at Ahlia University.