Maryam Buti Al Suwaidi was named today (11 October) as the first female chief executive officer of the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) at the grade of Undersecretary.

The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, issued the Federal Decree announcing the news through the Emirates News Agency.

Al Suwaidi was previously the regulator's acting CEO.

The official statement said the appointment "comes as part of the efforts taken by the UAE government to develop the performance of government entities and achieve qualitative leaps in the flexibility of their structures and policies, update their strategies and enhance their preparations for the next fifty years".

Maryam Al Suwaidi is the first woman to occupy this position in the history of the Securities and Commodities Authority and she has rich experience in the field of capital markets during which she held a number of positions, the news agency report said.

It further said that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) accredited Maryam Al Suwaidi as the first Emirati female assessor expert in the field of combating money laundering and terrorism financing

Al Suwaidi has a doctorate in Law From the University of Leeds, UK, and a master's degree in commercial law from the University of Wales, UK.