20 August 2017


An Emirati female who has risen to a senior role within the United Arab Emirates’ public sector has said that improving access to the workplace for women could help to boost the region’s economy.

Ruqayya Alblooshi, a 35 year-old government official who is in charge of government identity and events at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, said that Arab rulers need to realise the importance of investing in female entrepreneurs and the potential benefit this can have on the economy.

“I believe they need first and foremost to understand that investing in women entrepreneurs will boost the economy for everyone. It is a win-win situation and this should be their mindset when tackling the issue of female entrepreneurs,” Alblooshi said in an email interview with Zawya.

“Women need access to education and internships and, most of all, mentors. People grow in business when given a chance to learn from leaders. Arab states could do a lot more in the area of mentorship and create opportunities for women to learn and grow,” she added.

According to a report published by the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa in May, the level of participation of women in the workforce in the region remains low, despite levels of higher education among women being high.

The report stated that more women than men enroll in tertiary education, and although the average gender gap between males and females in terms of university graduates is less than 10 percent across the Mena region, the gender gap in senior management roles is more than 70 percent.

It also said that the gap between male and female participation in the workforce remains high in the region, ranging from a gap of 80 percent (90 percent male, 10 percent female) in Algeria and Jordan to 40 percent in Kuwait and Qatar. 

Work and pay gaps

Alblooshi, who was a guest speaker at a women in businesses seminar organised in Dubai last week by property consultancy CBRE, believes that the challenges faced by Arab women are similar to those of women everywhere.

“Work and pay gaps, as well as female representation in leadership positions and access are some areas where women are still trying to make a difference,” Alblooshi said.

"I believe that women must connect and relate to each other, this is the only way for us to lift each other higher. Recently I have read the book ‘Lean In’ by Sheryl Sandberg where she elaborated on how women must lean in to each other,” she added.

She said that she had learned a great deal by working in various roles – both in the public and private sector. After graduating from Zayed University 15 years ago, she became the only Emirati woman working at furniture retail company The One. 

“It was a great experience to be the only local woman working in such diverse, multinational environment for two years,” said Alblooshi.

She went on to work in a variety of private sector roles. She worked as a brand manager at master developer Nakheel and as a corporate communications manager for the General Civil Aviation Authority, as well as completing other jobs before joining the cabinet in 2014.

“One cannot grow without going through challenges, and I am thankful for all the rough patches I faced,” she said.

“Always remember, that the battles you are fighting today are not just for you and me, but we are paving the way for generations to come.”

Mind the gap

According to the World Economic Forum report, closing the female employment gender gap could help to increase the gross domestic product (GDP) of Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous nation, by over 34 percent and the UAE’s by over 12 percent.

Last month, the World Bank launched a public-private loan progamme to support female entrepreneurs in developing countries, Reuters reported.

During the Women in Business event, Al Blooshi was keen to praise the UAE for its efforts in promoting women’s roles in society ever since the creation of the Women’s Union in the 1970s. “Since then, the government has prioritised equality for women, pushing for greater representation in the public and private sector, and providing young women with role models that inspire them and their career choices,” she said.

She added that as a result, women now make up 66 percent of public sector employees, and 30 percent of leadership roles.

Loretta Ahmed, the CEO of Grayling Middle East who compered the event, said that the Middle East region “has made enormous strides to create an exciting environment for women in the workplace”, with a growing number of events and forums.

“However, we can all do more to support women’s careers for the benefit of the business world and the overall economy. This will help ensure a sustainable talent pool of women for board positions in the future,” she said.

(Additional reporting by Michael Fahy)

© Zawya 2017