Nashwa Al Ruwaini features as one of Arabian Woman magazine's 30 Awesome Women

Arabian Woman's 30 Awesome Women, in its March 2008 issue, highlighted Middle Eastern women who are shattering stereotypes and proving that women, when given the opportunity to reach their potential, can achieve great feats. Nashwa made the list under the category of 'power women' who have taken their success to new heights.

Joining her as 'power women' are Donna Shalala, an accomplished scholar, teacher and administrator and President Clinton's former US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Shireen El Khatib, CEO of Insignia, a fashion and jewelry company owned by the Al Tayer Group, and Laila Suhail, the first female CEO of the Dubai Shopping Festival.

With over 18 years of experience in the media, Nashwa is already a household name in the Middle East where she started her career in radio and TV in Qatar. She then moved on to work with the Middle East Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) for a number of years in London launching landmark television shows, many of which touch on controversial issues surrounding the Middle East. She later moved to Cairo to head up MBC's Cairo office and then finally established her own production company, Pyramedia Ltd., which has been fully functional since 1998 with offices now in London, Cairo, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and New York.

Pyramedia is now one of the largest and most successful production companies in the region producing some of the highest rated TV shows including the 'Million's Poet' and 'Prince of Poets' TV competitions on Abu Dhabi TV and her self titled 'Nashwa' talk show on Dubai TV. In addition to productions, Pyramedia are the casting agents of many stars in the Arab world and have cast Arab actors in international productions such as Ghassan Massoud in Ridley Scott's film 'The Kingdom of Heaven' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean III'.

Nashwa also plays a large role within the film industry as Director of the Middle East International Film Festival which had its inaugural festival in October 2007 hosted by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage. The Festival was a massive success attracting popular industry executives from the film industry to Abu Dhabi such as producer Harvey Weinstein and Screenwriter/Director Paul Haggis.

Aside from Nashwa's busy business life she still manages to find time to present her self-titled talk show on Dubai TV, 'Nashwa,' which she started in February 2005. On the show, she discusses various topics surrounding the Arab World such as women, religion and society. Related to her show is the Nashwa Foundation, a charity established by Nashwa to help disadvantaged women and children around the Arab world. Nashwa has also made a hit for herself internationally and has been recently nominated in the 'Best Entertainer category for 'Nashwa' at Switzerland's prestigious Rose d'Or Awards. Winners will be announced at an award ceremony in Lucerne, Switzerland, on May 6, 2008.

Emirates Woman Magazine has also recently nominated Nashwa for the award of Emirates Woman of the Year for Culture. Nashwa is one of four nominees in this category and is up against Nadine Kanso, the Lebanese-born jewelry designer, Sunny Rahbar, the Dubai-based curator and Maisa Al Qassimi, the UAE media artist and photographer. The winners will be given their awards based on reader votes which will remain open until the end of March.

Nashwa has been voted best female presenter for five consecutive years from 1998-2002 by various Arab newspapers and magazines, she was ranked the 20th most powerful business woman in the Middle East in 2005 by Forbes magazine, voted Best Female Presenter by Al Sada magazine in Ramadan 2006 and ranked one of the top 3 most influential media personalities in the Middle East 2006 by Masry Al Yawm daily newspaper.