Soraya Salti

Jordan’s business community has reacted with sadness and shock to news of the death of sisters Jumana and Soraya Salti over the weekend.

Soraya was a celebrated entrepreneur and the founder of INJAZ, a regional non-profit organization that aims to empower youth and provide them with skills to bridge the gap between academia and the work place. She then established 14 offices across the region under INJAZ al-Arab. Jumana, who was passionate about basketball, was a top level executive with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the UAE and had previously spent several years working at the Royal Court developing socio-economic strategies.

Aramex founder Fadi Ghandour described Soraya on Twitter as an “inspirational Arab leader.” On his Facebook page, former ICT Minister Marwan Juma said Soraya was “vibrant, inspiring, positive, energetic, and full of life,” while he called Jumana a “beautiful spirit.”

Rania Atalla, a former chief of staff for HM Queen Rania and close friend of the pair, told Venture how they felt uncomfortable with the attention their success had garnered. “Both sisters were understated. They didn’t want the limelight,” she said, adding that one way to capture their legacy was to pass on the giving. She hoped a scholarship would be set up in Soraya’s name that would reflect her passion for education and financial literacy.