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- Copyright © 2008 AMAANY Magazine, All Rights Reserved.
The trumpets blew, the red carpet rolled and the show began. We were only expecting bagels and coffee and perhaps, a few
inspirational people to give a talk. But we soon learned that when the United Arab Emirates does anything, it does it in a big way…
After several years of working at American universities and at nonprofit organizations that base their mission on education and
international understanding, I became intrigued with the growing globalization of world education systems. Little did I know at the
time that the industry would evolve in such a spectacular way in no less a place than in the Arab world. What further caught my
interest was how Arab women are playing a key role in conveying an international focus on the region and its education revival, a
circumstance that didn’t just happen, but one that was designed with women’s leadership in mind. While working on my graduate
thesis at New York University, I had the opportunity to travel to the United Arab Emirates [UAE] to see it all in real time.
Admittedly, I initially arrived with my own cultural stereotypes having been raised in a family of Gulf origin as to how such a
phenomenon could take place in a region the world believes to be extremely conservative and opposed to women’s leadership in
public affairs. Despite my education and professional experience and the fact that so many women in my own family are not only
mothers and wives, but also successful professionals throughout the world, I still could not escape the subliminal messages that
were instilled in me over the years about the supposed “limitedness” of ethnic women and the countries they belong to, even
though I knew better through my own personal history.
As I stood before the sands sustaining the tallest hotel in the world, the now illustrious Burj Al Arab, a glowing beacon of the region’
s transformation, I was stunned by the speed of development in Gulf societies, over and beyond what we learn about in the media.
Aside from the glitz, I was mostly delighted by the extent to which women are involved in the leadership of these countries. One of
the highlights of my journey was participating in the “Women as Global Leaders” conferences held in 2005 and 2006. These
conferences were attended by a large, local delegation of Gulf women along with hundreds of others from various Muslim
countries, as well as women from across the globe. Here, I learned about how Gulf governments are diligently working to transform
women’s educational opportunities into faster paths to leadership.
“Women as Global Leaders: Educating the Next Generation” in 2005 and “Women as Global Leaders: Communities in Transition”
in 2006, both set a new precedent in the Middle East. Raising the bar on such initiatives, the conferences were hosted by Zayed
University, a national women’s university with campuses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi along with a long line-up of corporate sponsors.
Women as Global Leaders showcased women’s leadership in the region and around the world while also examining how one goes
about achieving education and leadership in increasingly complex societies where communities are in transition. The conferences
brought together women leaders of international renown, students, faculty and practitioners - delegates came from over 40
countries and from 140 universities.
With undertakings such as this, it’s easy to see how the UAE has quickly become one of the more progressive and forward-
thinking countries in the world, a country that has created a real space for women to grow personally, academically and
professionally. Founded in 1998 and named in honor of the His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, Zayed University
offers an international style education to Emirati women. Its educational program has become a model for higher education in the
region aspiring to produce graduates who will go on to shape the future of the Middle East and its relationship to the rest of the
world.
Setting the standard of education and expanding opportunities for women in the Gulf would not be possible without Sheikh Zayed's
widowed wife, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, who received multiple standing ovations at the conferences at the
simple mention of her name. As they say, "behind every man is a good woman" and in this case, it couldn’t be more true. Sheikha
Fatima has become a shining example of women’s increasing leadership in the Arab and Muslim world. She tells all women that
“education…is the window through which a woman can behold the civilization of the world. It is our means of keeping up continuous
progress and development.” As Sheikh Zayed was commonly referred to as “Baba Zayed”, Sheikha Fatima is commonly referred to
as “Mother of the Nation” with good reason - she has clearly kept the flame of progress burning brightly.
The overwhelming success of the Women as Global Leaders conferences and the continued growth of higher education in the
UAE are also due to the progressive and insightful leadership of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak al Nahayan, who
happens to be both the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the president of Zayed University. He is
immensely popular in local media though at this venue I had the opportunity to see him in another light. There were many
wonderful aspects of the conferences which made them so memorable including a desert safari extravaganza set off by a laser
show and a round of fireworks that rivals even Macy’s best 4th of July show. It was here that I was completely awestruck by Sheikh
Nahayan’s humility and sense of compassion – I watched him get down on his knees in front of hundreds of people, to speak to a
handicapped, female delegate.
Unusual for a government official of his stature, he was also always present on each day of the conference. I frequently ran into
him on my way to different panels as he walked about casually. I even had a brief conversation with him as the Gulf “paparazzi”
snapped away during the gala. In speaking to him I felt like I was speaking to a family member. He immediately asked me where I
was from in typical Middle Eastern fashion, sensing that I was not originally American even though my name badge indicated that I
was from the U.S. His vision and perspectives on women and education were really inspiring. His opening remarks at the 2005
event were met with great applause as he talked about how women should take part in their nation’s development and that a
nation can be no good if women, who make up half of society, are held down. He also stated that the purpose of such an
international gathering is to build bridges and to connect the emerging generation of women leaders throughout the world. In
2006, Sheikh Nahayan continued his words of wisdom and received a standing ovation when he stated that globalization has
brought people closer and opened more doors for women to lead. He pointed out:
Never before in the history of the world has so much power been allocated to the individual. Never before have we understood the
power of alliance. Never before have we needed such strength from community, nor grappled with communities in transition. Now
our world driven by knowledge and technology provides you with the opportunity to take control of your education and be
proactive in the acquisition of knowledge. But, perhaps more importantly it has also opened up to you broad vistas of international
understanding and good will and provided ways to cultivate connections across cultural and geographic distances. This global
vision and global connection will enable you to share values and insights that bring us closer to world peace".
Dr. Hanif Al-Qassimi, Vice President of Zayed University and well known throughout the region, gave a warm “Ahlan wa Sahlan” to
the hundreds of women who attended the conference. Delegates were treated to a first class sandblast show and musical
symphony during a 5-star Gala style dinner where Dr. Hanif inspired each delegate to share her unique cultural and personal
perspective and engage in the many opportunities that the conference provided for unity, tolerance and understanding.
Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and former director of the World Health Organization gave a
compelling speech urging women to use their voices. The insight that I found most directly relating to women in the Arab world is
when she explained how she was able to achieve all that she did: She said, “We attain these qualities through the support of our
family and friends. I know that I am what I am because of my father. He was my leader. He believed in me and told me I can do it….
My husband was there for me as well; he believed in me and told me that he will take care of the family and that I can do what I
have to do…when you work together, you will learn from the people around you, which will make you better at what you are doing”.
She also said, “…get a good education and keep all your values”. In many other cultures, the family can play such a significant
part in facilitating women's successes by encouraging her education and supporting her endeavors.
Raja Saleh Al Gurg, a mother of five and president of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, heads 29 companies and is well known in
UAE business circles. She is a member of the Dubai Education Council and serves as an advisor to Zayed University and an
outstanding role model for female university students. As she stood before a standing room audience, she drew the most
applause when she said that her first role model was Khadija, the wife of Prophet Muhammad (saw) who was a leader in her family,
business and in her community. She emphasized that Arab women have always been leaders, especially when men left their
homelands for months and years at a time for trading and pearl diving. She asked, who do you think took care of the children?
Ran the schools? Managed the family business?
Weary of stereotypes, she pointed out that behind the abbaya is a woman with a personality and underneath the hijab is a woman
with intelligence. As a businesswoman, her advice was very practical: be fast, be efficient, appreciate the work of others, pay
attention to your time, don’t be ashamed of failure or of saying “I don’t know”, keep your religion and culture in mind all the time,
never forget your thank you’s and set high standards for yourself. Ms. Al Gurg also shared that throughout her leadership
experiences, had she believed for a second that she was sacrificing her family, she would have packed up and went home.
Nothing, she says is more important than one’s moral obligations and the people who are dearest to you.
Her Highness, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, one of the keynote speakers for the 2006 conference talked about "life stories"
and about juggling the various roles women have as mothers, daughters, wives, professionals...She said that she is often asked
about this and admits to experiencing nagging feelings of guilt when it comes to her children and the various obligations she must
fulfill. She tells the delegates that the key is to prioritize and be open to compromise, accepting that some days you won't know
whether to laugh or cry and to avoid trying to be everything to everyone and what every woman tries to do - strive for endless
perfection. She closed with inspiring words: The pages of your life belong to you. Write a story that makes you happy and proud.
And someday, somewhere, a wonderful little girl will read it and say "I want to be just like her".
Her Excellency, Sheikha Lubna Qassimi, the UAE's Minister of Economy and Planning, spoke about how women are agents of
social change not only by playing visible roles in the job market, but also through the invisible economy contributing to higher
standards of living in their respective countries such as those women who stay at home to raise children or do volunteer work. She
also pointed out the need to change misconceptions of Arab women as downtrodden not just through words but through exercising
freedoms and responsibilities to confirm that they do in fact exist. There were many more inspiring words and informative lectures
throughout the program; the speakers were outstanding and hailed from all walks of life and from several different countries.
Zayed University continues to sponsor Women as Global Leaders on a bi-annual basis and held their 2008 conference earlier this
year.
Going to the UAE for the first time was an exciting, challenging and personally fulfilling trip.I made many friends with women from
Ireland, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Kenya, Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Nigeria and Oman to name a few, other Americans and of course,
Emirati women who showered us with hospitality. Meeting friendly Zayed University students who were always interesting to speak
with is a testament to the rising quality of education that the country provides. I was also happy to run into fellow New Yorkers -
graduate students from Columbia University and the City University of New York though I was a little disappointed because even
though New York is commonly described as a college town, there weren’t many of us who attended; most of the American
delegates were by far from other states whose universities made it a point to sponsor and encourage their students to attend such
a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Speaking of once in a lifetime, during a group discussion I got pulled out of the room by one of the Deans who complimented me
on my outfit - she told me that it was a lovely shade of blue. She also asked me a few questions and then invited me to join a small
delegation who would have the wonderful privilege of attending a gathering at Sheikha Fatima's Palace. Upon hearing this, my first
thought was...maybe I should wear blue more often! As if we were royalty, we were soon shuffled to the palace by luxury buses
escorted by security vehicles whereby I met Her Highness and the ladies of the household who graciously stood and welcomed
every one of us individually.
After being served a variety of hot and cold drinks and a wonderful assortment of chocolates and dates, we were directed to the
dining rooms where there were rows of beautifully carved tables lined with the most unbelievable display of exotic flowers and
Middle Eastern and South Asian dishes that I have ever seen. Shortly after Sheikha Fatima and the rest of the palace women
joined us to commence the meal, a stunning Queen Rania entered and greeted us all. Not only was I deeply honored to be a part
of this enchanted evening, but I was also struck by how some of the Zayed University students became emotional while greeting
Sheikha Fatima in traditional fashion. Given the reality that thirty years ago the vast majority of UAE women could not even read or
write, it is no wonder that so many women today are in awe of her and extremely grateful for the opportunities she made possible.
Today, 75% of all university students in the UAE are women and Sheikha Fatima continues to serve as an example of how a
Muslim woman can receive the best of this world and still be true to her cultural heritage and religious values, a model that has
surely contributed to women's successful leadership in the region.
When there are at present so many negative things being perpetuated about Arab and Muslim people, seeing first hand the
development of women, education and society in the United Arab Emirates was truly uplifting. Even more remarkable is the vibrant
coexistence of the traditional and modern elements of Muslim society. Exploring this beautiful country with its modern
infrastructure, spotless streets, delectable food, lively souks and blue waters, I could not help feeling like I had been hit by a lovely
ray of sunshine. Realizing just how far women have come from all around the world just to be here as I did to learn from each other
made this an amazingly worthwhile adventure. I only wish that more of my American friends were able to share this moment with me.
From the terrace of my hotel, I enjoyed watching the seagulls fly about drifting away to the tune of their song at times returning to
the motor sounds of water taxis, calls to prayer from nearby mosques and the eclectic blend of mother tongues being spoken down
below. Indulging myself with just one more glance before making my way to the airport, I admired the beautiful diversity of people
living peacefully and productively in this warm and opportune land.
| Women as Global Leaders: The Gulf in Perspective |
| Photo Credits: Amal Hageb & Zayed University. No photo in this article may be used without permission. |
| This article is based on a forthcoming book entitled, From Untapped to Supercharged: Arab Women take the Lead in the 21st Century by Amal A. Hageb, due to be published in the Fall of 2008. |
| AMAL A. HAGEB |