They come from vastly different backgrounds, but Huda Al Matroushi, an Emirati and vice president of Gasco, and Nancy Pelosi, a former speaker of the United States House of Representatives, have at least a couple of things in common.
They are successful working mothers who stood for public office in their home countries.
Ms Al Matroushi was one of 25 women from the Middle East and North Africa, 19 of them from the UAE, to take part in a programme called Fostering the Next Generation of Women Leaders.
It offered the participants the chance to meet successful women in Washington - one of whom was Ms Pelosi.
"I compared my experience [with hers] because I went through the [Federal National Council] election last year," says Ms Al Matroushi. "I did not win. But I came to the conclusion that it was very early for me to go for the election. I needed to … go through intensive social responsibility programmes so that people would know about me."
Having worked for two decades, Ms Al Matroushi was not sure what she would gain by taking part in the leadership programme. But she is glad that she participated.
"Whatever I have learnt through my career was completely different," she says.
The programme included an examination of theories and models of leadership and communication styles. One of the most valuable aspects of the course was the chance to network.
"I have met with different people who I am sure I will keep in contact with. That was one of the weaknesses I used to have," adds Ms Al Matroushi.
The initiative was led by the Centre for Development and Population Activities (Cedpa) and sponsored by ExxonMobil.
Its aim was to empower the women. But most of those who took part had already accomplished a lot, says Carol Peasley, the president of Cedpa.
"They were very impressive. We joked at the reception that they got the nickname the Amazing 25," says Ms Peasley.
The participants' backgrounds surely prove that women have made great strides in their advancement, so are programmes such as Fostering the Next Generation of Women Leaders still necessary?
Women often do not have enough self-confidence, and such training programmes help to instil a sense of empowerment, says Ms Peasley.
"I think that was less the case for these women than it is for the normal group we work with. But it is a good reminder for all women, and I have felt the need during my lengthy career to have this kind of refresher work," she says.
ExxonMobil has sponsored the Global Women in Management programme for the past seven years. About 400 women have taken part so far, among them Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the UAE's Minister of Foreign Trade.
ExxonMobil sees supporting women as important because of the positive impact this can have on society.
"You may have heard that economists or social scientists talk about the multiplier effect," says Morten Mauritzen, the president of ExxonMobil in Abu Dhabi.
"When you invest in women, you are actually investing in her family and by doing so her community as well," he says. "We are a strong believer that by engaging the women in societies it also ultimately helps the business community because the whole community gets engaged."
gduncan@thenational.ae
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
MATCH INFO
England 2
Cahill (3'), Kane (39')
Nigeria 1
Iwobi (47')
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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
