GCC countries have strived to expand opportunities for women and encourage them to pursue careers in business and technology to contribute expertise and remarkable performance.
In this regard, the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa regions saw tremendous advances in the indicators of the World Bank’s report titled Women, Business, and the Law 2022, which was released in earlier this month.
Changes in five countries — most notably in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman — boosted the region’s performance.
In comparison, the UAE ranked first in the MENA regarding women-friendly policies and programs amid predictions that Arab Gulf governments will continue to invest in women’s empowerment in the upcoming years.
In honor of International Women’s Day, TRENDS highlights courageous women making a positive impact in the business world through their position and experience.
Ghadah Al Talal, Marketing Director at Tamimi Markets
Ghadah Al Talal, a pioneering Saudi woman in the marketing industry, sees marketing as a lifelong journey.
Coming from multinational FMCG sectors, she told TRENDS that joining a local Saudi company was not an easy option because men dominate the industry.
However, Tamimi Markets believed in her potential and backed her all the way to the top.
“The most valuable assistance I received from this company was its trust in my decision-making and problem-solving abilities. Such empowerment did assist me in boosting my business mind and inspire the next generation of marketers,” she remarked.
“One thing I’ve learned from previous experiences is that women in all fields have the potential to thrive if given the opportunity and support. In many companies, it’s no longer your gender that defines you; it’s the quality of work you produce that sets you apart. “
According to Al Talal, the Saudi mindset has shifted during the last 10 years.
For example, she notes that Saudi women in business are now acknowledged and respected for their abilities rather than being an additional number in the companies.
Saudi women receive a lot of respect from their male colleagues; they now have the ideal combination of culture, influence, and success, she said.
“However, we must not ignore the fact that the Saudi Crown Prince Mohamad Bin Salman has enormous support and influence, which has been a significant driver of women’s empowerment,” she continued.
Al-Talal observed that women are increasingly more confident in expressing their views and opinions, both loudly and carefully.
She believes that any woman can pursue her dreams and rise to the top of a company or corporation.
She also believes that women will continue to seek and discover ways to meet their needs to be active and influential members of society and, ideally, the world.
She concluded: “We should always respect our efforts and strengths, which will pave the way for the next generation of powerful, significant, and mindful professional women who can be mothers, singles, or anything else and still be viewed as an important part of society.”
Sara Al Madani, UAE-based serial entrepreneur, former government board member, and public speaker
As a serial business entrepreneur, Sara Al Madani has confronted many challenges because of her gender.
She told TRENDS it all depends on whether the woman sees her gender as a limitation.
However, she will never pay attention if she considers her femininity and being a woman as a source of power and strength every time she faces a gender issue.
Gender equality in the UAE has improved dramatically in recent years, according to Al Madani, and women are now an integral part of everything that is going on.
For example, several ministers in the UAE cabinet are women.
On the other hand, Al Madani believes the world is still working to achieve gender equality properly.
She also dislikes the term “women’s empowerment,” believing that women, already a part of so many industries, are already powerful and empowered.
“I wish that this phrase is phased out and we replace it with ‘women inspiring women,’ because the only reason women aren’t doing more is that they aren’t aware that they can,” she said.
“That is why it is critical for women who are successful in the business world to set an example for other women and demonstrate that any woman can do anything,” she added.
According to Al Madani, women should break free from the bonds that confine them.
“Every woman has the right to be independent and make her own decisions,” she said.
“Once you’ve set yourself free, go around the world, start a business, pursue your dreams, and make all the mistakes you want, but make sure you learn from them because you won’t fly high and achieve success in the business world while you still have those chains on.”
Madina Mohamed Osman, Cluster Director of Finance at Hilton Jumeirah — Hilton Dubai the Walk, and Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah
A woman working in hospitality is not a norm in the Sudanese culture, said Madina Osman, Cluster Director of Finance at Hilton Jumeirah MEA&T.
“Most people anticipate a man to work in the finance sector, and some of them address me as ‘Mr’ right away,” she told TRENDS.
Hilton’s management, on the other hand, is one of the few corporations that support their female employees.
Working with knowledgeable and highly experienced people has provided her with adequate training and exposure to grow herself, she said.
She has been assigned various projects that allowed her to widen her horizons.
“I’m honored to be a part of this dynamic, forward-thinking organization that promotes women’s equality,” she said, adding that she is pleased to see that men and women can work together in harmony and complement each other.
According to Osman, women should believe in the four Hs: humbleness, hard work, honesty, and helping others.
In addition, they must be patient and resilient to achieve their goals and pursue their aspirations.
She believes that women are not created to do everything a man can do. Instead, women are created to do everything a man can’t do.
Payyazhi Jayashree, Dean Faculty of Business, University of Wollongong in Dubai
Professor Payyazhi Jayashree simply explained that she has “always looked at every challenge as an opportunity.”
She added in an interview with TRENDS: “Balancing my career life with family responsibilities has been one of my biggest challenges; however, my family was supportive. I was very fortunate to be surrounded with the right people who helped me achieve my career goals along with the right opportunities to exercise my leadership”.
Regarding women’s involvement in the business education sector, Jayashree clarified: “Traditionally, women have always had a very significant role in the education sector, and we increasingly find more women in the recent years in decision-making roles.”
There are still fewer female professors and deans in higher education institutions than men, but “considering that institutionally there is a lot of emphasis on diversity and inclusion, we are beginning to dismantle those barriers for women to move into higher-level roles,” she clarified.
Jayashree also said the UAE was among the most improved countries in the Global Gender Index, which is a remarkable achievement for women living and working in the country.
This showed the government’s will to ensure the participation of women in leadership positions.
However, she also pointed out that when women were asked what the enabling factors for their career success was, most of the answers were as follows:
– Had strong support of their father in their early childhood.
– Had a family environment with no distinction between boys and girls.
– Attended schools that provided gender equality values.
Jayashree explained: “We owe it to ourselves to continuously challenge the static binary conceptualizations and the assumptions that limit us.”
She wrapped the interview by giving some advice: “Take the opportunities that help you grow and expand your skill sets. In addition, build relevant networks so your career capital development process can be impacted substantially.”
Roxanne Rowena A Castillo, Operations Manager at Hilton Doha
Roxanne admits that her chosen career path has been difficult.
“I had to conform to labels, and gender stereotyping was prevalent as women are still a minority in the culinary field. As a result, I had to work harder on all my projects to be considered at the same level,” she told TRENDS.
However, her dedication, resilience, and determination to achieve the objective she set for herself paved the road for her.
“I’m still determined,” she says, “which has served me well up to this point.”
On the other hand, Roxanne highlighted how corporations might serve as motivating mentors.
“Through training nominations available in our development portfolio, Hilton has provided me with wonderful, motivating mentors who have aided me in planning out my career journey.”
She added: “They always push self-improvement, and with that mindset, I’ve committed to giving my team members the same opportunity.
Dina AlNasser, Regional Sales Manager at Zoom
“A Saudi woman today can do anything she sets her mind to,” Regional Sales Manager at Zoom, Dina AlNasser, stated in an interview with TRENDS.
She added: “No job or role is out of reach, and women are prospering.”
Describing today’s gender equality in the GCC region, “Women have the ambition, determination, and resiliency to take part in building their future and their countries. In a world where women in Tech need to work harder than men to establish their value, it is inspiring to see Middle Eastern women breaking stereotypes and taking the initiative to succeed in the technology field”, according to AlNAsser.
Working at Zoom, AlNasser mentioned that the international firm strongly believes that diversity across the workforce — especially in leadership — fuels innovation. As a result, its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team and leaders play an active role in supporting Zoom’s commitment to inclusive hiring, pay equity, and diverse work culture.
As a woman in the technology sector, AlNasser sends a message to other women saying: “We are self-sufficient yet also surround ourselves and work in harmony with a supportive and collaborative team who stand together. A woman’s priority is for her team to grow from their mistakes rather than dwell on them. Therefore, her team’s success equates to her own”.
Dina AlNasser’s Motto: “Do more of what makes you happy!”.
Noor Shamma, Executive Director – Marketing & Communications at Technology Innovation Institute
Women in the GCC region have benefited considerably from the new engaging reforms emerging as a result of the national agendas and the pivot that became mandatory during the pandemic.
In the UAE mainly, women have great support to get leadership positions, and they are playing a significant role in the development of the business and technology sector. Executive Director – Marketing & Communications at Technology Innovation Institute, Noor Shamma, added in an interview with TRENDS: “It is so encouraging to see women transitioning from being merely present to becoming proactive contributors in every sector of national significance today.”
Shamma believes women in the UAE have enjoyed a head start thanks to the leadership’s excellent vision and commitment to empowering women as equal partners and contributors in shaping the nation’s progress. She also said: “In fact, this is a country where women’s empowerment was a watchword from the very early days of the federation. The UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, famously said: “Nothing makes me happier than to see Emirati women assume their rightful role in society and fulfill their potential. Nothing should stop the progress of women. Women have equal rights to men in assuming top positions which befit their abilities and qualifications.”
But personally, Shamma was passionate about merging technology and communications as a career choice, where she found incredible support to proceed in her career. She simply added: “Forget the sky; even space does not seem to be the limit anymore – truly, the only limitations could be the ones we place on ourselves.”
In the end, Shamma advised women “to take advantage of all the great opportunities that come their way and not regret a moment as they go on to build thriving careers – as researchers, innovators, soldiers, or astronauts! Those are the not-so-secret keys to success!”.
Dr Najwa Aaraj, Chief Researcher, Cryptography Research Center and Acting Chief Researcher, Autonomous Robotics Research Center at Technology Innovation Institute
As women in different sectors face different challenges, researchers focus on the continuous learning and awareness, they are fully absorbed by projects. However, Chief Researcher of the Cryptography Research Center and Acting Chief Researcher, Autonomous Robotics Research Center at Technology Innovation Institute, Dr, Najwa Aaraj considers “it great to see so many more women in the field today than even a decade ago and as awareness of the great potential and benefits of STEM learning in every sector becomes apparent, we are sure to have many more women entering the sector – which is so important”.
Dr. Najwa added in an interview with TRENDS: “Women account for 50 percent of the country’s population and their contribution to science and technology should be equal too”.
Despite the challenges of being a mother and a wife, Arab women are playing a vital role in the development of science research and innovation across the Middle East. The UAE government in particular announced plans to launch a Gender Balance Strategy soon, to reduce the gender gap across all government sectors. This will significantly boost the country’s competitiveness rankings and achieve gender balance in decision making roles.
Dr. Najwa talked in detail about women equality at the Cryptography Research Center, she said: “We have 12 women researchers and engineers, and the Autonomous Robotics Research Center team too has 18 enterprising young women on the team. The Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) leadership in line with the vision of the UAE government is keen to encourage women in STEM careers and our women work side by side their male colleagues in shaping the breakthrough solutions we are working on”.
As an advice for other women to continue their careers path successfully, Dr. Najwa told them: “Be a part of the solution, not the problem. And live up to the belief and investments that the country has made in uplifting its women and making them equal contributors to the nation’s economy”.