THE MIDDLE EAST’S

36. Saeeda Jaffar

Company: Visa Inc.
Title: Senior Vice President & Group Country Manager—GCC
Nationality: Emirati
Residence: U.A.E.
Sector: Banking & Financial Services

Jaffar oversees the adoption of digital payments, improving consumer education, and the development of the GCC’s financial ecosystem. In August 2024, Visa launched the third edition of its She’s Next initiative, in partnership with PublisHer, to support women-led small businesses. The company signed an agreement with Ajman’s Transportation Authority in July 2024 to enable contactless payments on public transport buses through Visa’s contactless cards. Jaffar is a board of trustees member at the American University of Kuwait, and she is a member of the board of advisors of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa).