HE SHEIKHA MAYASSA BINT AL THANI

CHAIRWOMAN, QATAR MUSEUMS AUTHORITY ORIGIN QATAR RESIDENCE QATAR SECTOR CULTURE AND SOCIETY 2016 RANK 47

Rumoured to have an annual purchasing budget of $1bn, Sheikha Mayassa bint Al Thani has been heralded as one of the most powerful women in the art world. The chairwoman of Qatar Museums has been at the forefront of Qatar and the Gulf ’s push to boost its art credentials, bringing some of the world’s leading artists to the region by way of exhibitions and artwork purchases. The Sheikha’s clout was highlighted in 2015 when she is believed to have bought Gauguin’s When Will You

Marry for a reported $300m, beating the 2012 acquisition of Cezanne’s The Card Players for a then record-setting $250m.