Olayans among wealthiest women in Saudi

In her Saudi Arabia homeland, Lubna Olayan can't drive, show her hair in public or leave the country without her husband's permission. She can, however, run one of the nation's biggest conglomerates.

A former analyst at J.P. Morgan, Olayan oversees the Middle East operations of Olayan Group, a diversified company founded by her father in 1947. With 15,000 employees and 50 affiliated companies, the Athens-based business is active in almost every sector of the Saudi economy including oilfield services, steel and fast food.

She's one of a small number of women "in the elite gulf business scene that turns out to be the brightest and particularly suited, so chosen by their fathers to run the business", said David Butter, a Middle East business analyst and fellow at Chatham House in London.