ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2017

15

SPECIAL REPORT

Sandheikha Lubna Al Qasimi is a trail-

blazer who has fired the ambitions
aspirations of a generation of wom-
are driving now,” she argues. “Few peo-
ple talk about what is good about Saudi
Arabia. Not many people know that
en in the United Arab Emirates, and the Saudi women are some of the wealthiest
Gulf with her meteoric success story. in the region. They run establishments,
Because not only is the US-educated and their right to run organizations has
Sheikha Lubna the first woman in the always been there. They are smart, mod-
Emirates to hold a ministerial post, she ern women, but instead of appreciating
is also the first woman in the region to that the world is nitpicking. Give them a
have successfully led the male-dominat- breathing chance,” she urges.
ed Ministry of Economy and Planning, Every country, she says, aims to build
she is also the first to start a Middle a happy society, and the journey it un-
Eastern BB online marketplace, which dertakes to achieve that goal depends
is now one of Dubai World’s most suc- on its cultural conditioning. “Perhaps,
cessful business units with franchises in the West, a happy democratic society
across the Middle East. Sheikha Lubna can be achieved through elections, but
has spent a long time in governance here in the Gulf, we do it though open
starting from 2004. And over the years, majlises, development programmes that
she moved from Economy and Planning put people at the centre of the services.
to Foreign Trade, International Coop- In the end, one achieves the same goal
eration and then the curiously named as the West, but the methodology is dif-
‘Ministry of Tolerance’ before stepping ferent. And who is to judge which meth-
down a couple of weeks back. Listed odology is right?” she asks.
by Forbes every year in the past decade Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi’s re-
for her dynamism and achievements, in sponses are precise, clear and analyti-
2016 she made it to number 43 on the cal, in keeping with her background in
list of the most powerful women in the information technology. Did she find
world, and this year she was ranked the it difficult to bridge the gap between
most powerful Arab woman in govern- IT and politics? “If you think about it,
ance. What makes her even more inter- technology is not just about coding,”
esting is the ease with which Sheikha
Lubna straddles the traditional and the
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi she smiles. “The essence of my job for
twenty years was to transform organi-
modern with her attitude and way of zations by raising their efficiency and
thinking. A member of the Sharjah royal making them more profitable. You do
family, Sheikha Lubna carries none of the same when you move to a govern-
the baggage associated with her class ment organization. As an engineer, I
and status. A ‘people’s person’, she is assess an organization, search out gaps
unassuming, unpretentious and forth- if any and then try to resolve those
coming, and willing to share her vision gaps. I had the responsibility of creat-
and life’s philosophy. Sheikha Lubna Al ing ministries. I did it with the help of
Qasimi was in Kuwait to give a keynote
speech at the 10th International Confer-
Reaching for our roots a business model before it went into ‘a
delivery and maintain’ mode. I finished
ence on Women Leaders in Science, my job in three to four years. Looking
Technology and Engineering organized back I feel that computer engineering

A TRAILBLAZER
by Kuwait Foundation for Advance- is the best background for one to get
ment of Science in association with the into government service,” smiled the
American Association of Science and woman who led her country into a pe-
the US State Department. In an exclu- riod of unprecedented philanthropy as
sive interview with the Arab Times, the Minister of International Coopera-
Sheikha Lubna explains the importance tion and Development.
of co-existence and tolerance in an in- Despite being ranked among the most
creasingly divisive world, the need of powerful women in the world several
countries and culture to evolve at a pace years in a row, there is no arrogance in

ON TOLERANCE
of their choosing, and shared her pride the woman who has played a signifi-
in the increasingly progressive role that cant role in her country’s diversification
women are playing in her country. plans and helped to pull it out of the
The United Arab Emirates has made dark phase of recession. Sheikha Lubna
no bones about championing the cause Al Qasimi is a study in simplicity and
of co-existence and tolerance in its so- amiability and has a hands-on approach
ciety. Last year, HH Sheikh Moham- to leadership. Developing human capital
med Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler is her forte, and she believes in walking
of Dubai and Vice-President and Prime the talk, thus becoming a role model
Minister of the UAE in a statement said, By Chaitali B. Roy for her people. “In every organization I
“We need to study, teach, and prac- am asked to lead, I say I do not own the
tice tolerance and instil it in our chil- Special to the Arab Times chair I sit on. The organization will go
dren, both through education and our on even after I have left. The most im-
own example.” When asked about the portant task for me is to focus on people.
workings of the Ministry of Tolerance I identify people who work and contrib-
she headed until a short while back, ute, and I also work on people who may
Sheikha Lubna reiterates the vision of think they are limited, by enhancing
her country’s enlightened leadership. their knowledge. I have to give an op-
“Usually ministries are formed to solve portunity to my people to prove them-
a problem or address a lacuna, but the
Emirates has 200 nationalities living
in co-existence so that one may won-
der about the need for a ministry like
this,” she smiles. “Tolerance is a leg-
acy from our founders,” she explains.
“The foundation of UAE is based on
‘
Other nations can adopt the national programme for tolerance followed by
the UAE which includes the principle that government is an incubator for tol-
selves. I have to give them a chance,”
she reiterates.
It could not have been easy for
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi to shoul-
der the responsibility of being the first
woman cabinet minister of a country
rooted in traditions and defined gen-
coexistence, and this is the reason der roles. “Before I joined the cabinet,
our country thrives with people from
all over the world living and working
erance. For example, the UAE has laws against hate speech and discrimina- I managed Tijari, a startup company
with 18 employees. And then I inherited
there. Moreover, moderate Islam advo-
cates tolerance and co-existence for all
tion, especially on social media. The other thing the UAE concentrates on is the 300 employees when I joined the gov-
ernment. Moreover, I was given a very
nations, and we believe it is important
to preserve this legacy.” In the face of
youth. Today, young people live in a virtual world where they are more influ- heavy portfolio. Economy and planning
is the bloodline of the country. I tell you
violence, terrorism, negative rhetoric enced by others than their parents. We have to immunize the kids by instilling I could not sleep for three weeks,” she
and blame shaming, she says, it has be- laughs in recollection. “I had sleepless
come imperative that governments play values in them, something we took for granted while growing up. We have to nights, and I would think, ‘Oh my God!
an active role in guiding and educating I am going to fail my country. How
their people on the values of inclusivity will I ever do this?’ One day I woke up
and coexistence. “There has been a rise carry out an immunization program that will remind people of the essence of early morning at 4 am. I sat on my bed,
in populism and hate speech. Values and it dawned on me that I was given
have started to erode worldwide. We their nationalism, identity and community. The UAE has created a charter for this responsibility by the leaders of my
have to remind ourselves that societies country and there is no way they would
cannot exist on just moving forward teachers forbidding them from influencing students with their personal views. leave me in a lurch. They would be there
without preserving our values, which to support me. They would make sure I
are our assets. Other nations can adopt succeed. A sense of relief overcame me,
the national programme for tolerance and I succeeded in redirecting my en-

’
followed by the UAE. We aspire that ergy. That was an ‘aha’ moment in my
others will follow our example. This life,” she smiles.
policy stands on certain pillars which Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi has played
includes the principle that government her part in steering the United Arab
is an incubator for tolerance. For ex- Emirates through difficult times into an
ample, the UAE has laws against hate era of unprecedented prosperity. She
speech and discrimination, especially has also been a powerful role model for
on social media. The other thing the women in her country and the region
UAE concentrates on is the youth. not only with the efficiency and purpose
Today, young people live in a virtual with she carried out her responsibilities
world where they are more influenced but with her effective straddling of the
by others than their parents. We have to old and the new, the traditional and the
immunize the kids by instilling values modern. When asked about her views
in them, something we took for granted on the present role of Emirati women,
while growing up,” said Sheikha Lub- she remarks, “When I was appointed the
na who is also the President of Zayed first woman minister, I aimed to ensure
University. “We have to carry out an that there would come a time when there
immunization program that will remind would be so many of them that my pres-
people of the essence of their nation- community and family. And lastly, we strong programme for tolerance in the Abu Dhabi. It is easy to build high-rises, ence would not be required. That time
alism, identity and community,” she work on enriching cultural content. To- UAE,” she explains. but it takes time to change the culture came a few days back when I stepped
continues. To strengthen their ‘immu- day, there is a lot of negativity on the The United Arab Emirates, Oman and and mindsets of nations. You don’t want down. Today we have nine women min-
nization’ programme, the UAE has cre- internet, and the only way to counteract Bahrain have been proactive in their to accelerate a process of change that isters in the UAE, and most of them are
ated a charter for teachers forbidding this is to remind people of the values pursuit of tolerant societies, but why doesn’t suit the nation, as it may back- young and aspiring. My job was to build
them from influencing students with of civilization and co-existence. We is the rest of the Gulf lagging behind? fire,” she warns. She also examines the a bridge, and I did that. It is unfair for
their personal views and limiting their should celebrate our differences and Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the consum- tendency of people to focus on the nega- any woman to sit on a job and not be
role to the curriculum alone. “We also not criticize. For example, last month, mate diplomat, answers, “The cultural tives of a country and not acknowledge there for the young ones. Our job is to
focus on cohesive families,” she adds. the UAE celebrated Diwali, with our context of every country in the Gulf is and appreciate its achievements. “Saudi leave a legacy, and the best legacy you
“Families are no longer the same, and it Indian friends. It was a big deal for different. Even in the UAE, the North- Arabia has been criticized for not giving can leave are people who become lead-
is important that kids are close to their us. This is the essence and reason for a ern Emirates is different from Dubai and their women the right to drive, well, they ers themselves.”

society