When it comes to empowering women on a professional level in the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. has been a bold game changer. And when it comes to education and joining the workforce, women continue to excel. However, one challenge that we face is not having an adequate number of women in the C-suite [a body of a corporation’s senior executives] and as members of the board.
It is 2017, and despite women rising through the ranks in the past four decades, I find that some male executives still tend to be nervous when it comes to recruiting or promoting a female employee or colleague. One cause of this could be her child-bearing cycle. As a result, some women, too, are reluctant to build a family, because they don’t know whether that would mean a demotion or prevent career growth. I once told a senior female English architect that she shouldn’t expect a senior manager to decide when she should have her first child – it is for each of us to take the lead.
I am alarmed because many ambitious women are still afraid of the consequences their personal decisions may have on their careers.
I’ve been in a male-dominated profession for the past 20 years. Throughout my career, I’ve been the only woman in many meetings and boardrooms. And I have been lucky to work with many motivating, “gender-blind” men. This is why I think that if a man lacks the ability to interact with or encourage a female executive, it is simply a matter of lack of experience and exposure. In all fairness, sometimes they’re not even conscious of their behaviour and the implications of their decisions. I also think that men who have had strong female role models – be it their mothers, wives or sisters – are more progressive in their interactions with women in the workplace.
Women, in turn, should realise that authentic leadership isn’t about imitating men. We used to see that a lot in the 1980s, with women appointed to senior positions who altered their mannerisms because it was all about fitting into the male club.
I strongly promote authentic leadership, because the charm lies in our differences. The world would be a boring place if we all sounded, dressed and looked the same. Inherently, men and women are different, and it should not be surprising if they arrive at decisions and solutions in their own ways. In fact, this adds value to the workplace ethic and environment.
I also encourage women to create their own networks within and outside their organisations. Reach out, make alliances and don’t shy away from speaking out; if you are waiting for someone to come along and gift you a promotion, you might be waiting forever. So take charge.
I have also heard from working mothers that they feel guilty about leaving their children alone. Often, they are at home feeling guilty because they are not spending enough hours in the office, and at work feeling guilty because they are not with their children. This is a personal issue. Nobody will understand or be able to resolve your problem for you, so be decisive and identify what you want in life and where you want to be.
My final message to men is that if you do promote or empower a woman, it does not take away from your masculinity. And my message to women is to take the lead on your career. Do not underestimate the influence you could have.
I could not have been in this position 50 years ago, but I have worked towards it, and I hope to see more women in the boardroom in the next 50 years.
* As told to Jessica Hill
Lubna Qassim is executive vice president, group general counsel and company secretary at Emirates NBD, and the mother of two children.
If you have a good story to tell or an interesting issue to debate, contact Amanda Tomlinson on atomlinson@thenational.ae.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2A)
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Quick%20facts
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Austrian Grand Prix race timings
Weekend schedule for Austrian Grand Prix - all timings UAE
Friday
Noon-1.30pm First practice
4-5.30pm Second practice
Saturday
1-2pm Final practice
4pm Qualifying
Sunday
4pm Austrian Grand Prix (71 laps)
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
The%20Kitchen
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
'Spies in Disguise'
Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane
Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars