Nationality Saudi Arabian | Occupation Business woman | |
Full Name Abeer Muhammad Salamah Parents Muhammad Ibrahim Salamah, Muhammad Salamah | ||
Abeer Salamah is a Saudi Arabian business woman known for her role in Saudi business class as well as for being from a notable family.
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Family history
Harbor piloting has notably been a family occupation for Abeer's and included her father's grandfather since 1919. According to a report, in four generations, only two Salamahs did not become harbor pilots; one was the grandfather Salamah's brother who served as the Mayor of Jidda from 1926-1949 until his death and another of his brothers who became a civil engineer.
Abeer's father, Muhammad Ibrahim Salamah was a harbor pilot who piloted a number of ships including USS ESSEX and other US vessels in Saudi waters to the harbor which were otherwise hardly maneuverable. He was also cited to be the person who navigated USS Tarawa into Jidda's outer anchorage in 1949.
Career
Abeer Salamah started completed her elementary and secondary school from Darul Hana, Jeddah and obtained a degree in business management from Cairo University.
Abeer started her career as a business woman by saving a part of her pocket money in 1976. However, as it was not enough for the project, she attempted to supplement it by applying for aid from the Saudi Industrial Development Fund to start a modern bakery in Jeddah. The application to the fund was rejected. She continued to reach out to related officials until her application was approved and she became the first woman to receive a loan from the fund. She started off with a contracting company to start her construction business which later in time went on to build cities. Her bakery was developed to a full-fledged bakery which produces 12,000 loaves a day and in 20 years her projects grew in size and diversity. She set up a maintenance company and a computer training center for men in July 1983 and another for women in April 1984 which employed 300 people.
Abeer Salamah is the president of the Nationwide Group of Saudi Arabia which she opened in 1982 as the Nationwide Institute of Management and Computer Technology and regularly organizes events for business women in the diaspora to help them grow their businesses.
In 2005, Abeer contested for the board of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry when the then minister allowed women to participate in such elections for the first time.
Abeer ranks #11 in Forbes top 50 business women.