Omani entrepreneur named among the 100 FAO Women Heroes

STAFF REPORTER
MUSCAT, OCT 24
Amna al Murshidi is among FAO's 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development, recognising women from around the world whose work is making a difference across agrifood systems and rural communities.
Amna is an Omani entrepreneur and founder of the Sohar Dates project, a successful agrifood enterprise dedicated to the production and marketing of value-added date products that combine Oman’s rich cultural heritage with modern innovation. Recognised as the Best Home-Based Business in the Sultanate of Oman in 2017, she has transformed traditional date processing into a thriving business that promotes local products, supports the date value chain, and preserves the country’s longstanding connection to palm cultivation.
Through her entrepreneurship, she has demonstrated how women can successfully balance family responsibilities, business leadership, and community engagement while creating economic opportunities and showcasing Omani heritage to wider markets. Her work stands as an inspiring example of women’s contribution to sustainable agrifood systems, rural development, and cultural preservation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said.
The initiative was launched by FAO to mark the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026. The event also coincides with the International Day of Rural Women, celebrated annually on October 15, to recognise the critical role and contribution of rural women in agriculture and rural development, food security and the eradication of rural poverty.
Opening the presentation ceremony at FAO headquarters in Rome, Director-General Qu Dongyu paid tribute to the women being recognised and recalled the influence of his own grandmother, who raised him in a small village in China and taught him how to farm and cook, as well as the value of hard work, resilience and respect for the land.
Reflecting on the knowledge passed down through generations, Qu said:
“Everything I learned from her, she learned from the generations of women who came before her. And that is how knowledge changes the world.”
He then turned to the women honoured at the ceremony, highlighting their contributions as farmers, entrepreneurs, researchers, educators and community leaders working to protect biodiversity, create opportunities, advance innovation, share knowledge and strengthen resilience to hunger, poverty and climate change.
“Across villages and cities, mountains and coastlines, forests and fields, you are doing extraordinary things,” Qu said.
FAO received 609 nominations from 131 members following a call for submissions shared across the organisation’s membership. The number of nominations allowed from each country was determined according to population size.
Shortlisted candidates went through two further rounds of deliberations by senior leadership to assess the overall quality, balance and representativeness of the group. The final list of 100 women was then approved by FAO’s Senior Leadership Committee.
The women selected come from different regions, professions and backgrounds, reflecting the many roles women play throughout agrifood systems — from producing food and protecting natural resources to advancing science, running businesses, preserving knowledge and supporting rural communities.