Galal Fakkar | Arab News
JEDDAH: The new law for the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CSCCI) gives greater powers to businesswomen, Fahd Al-Sultan, secretary-general of the council, said yesterday.
“The new law, which replaces the existing 50-year-old law, will be passed within a few days,” he said.
Speaking to Arab News after attending a seminar on “Developing a new concept and culture of chamber elections” at the JCCI, Al-Sultan said the new law was designed to provide the council with necessary flexibility.
“The law has already been studied by the committee of experts at the Council of Ministers and has been passed to the minister of commerce and industry for his endorsement before presenting to the Cabinet for final approval,” he said.
Al-Sultan said the new law gives businesswomen a greater role in the council as well as in the development of the country.
“Even if only women are elected to the CSCCI board, there is nothing in the law to prevent it,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, three businesswomen, Madhawi Al-Hassoun, Lamy Suleiman and Nashwa Taher, yesterday announced their decision to contest the upcoming election to the JCCI board. They said they wanted to deepen the concept of women’s participation in elections to civil organizations in the country.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania Law School Host Young Women Leaders From the Middle East
Penn Law and Wharton Executive Education Deliver Third Annual Legal and Business Fellowship Program in Partnership With AMIDEAST and the U.S. Department of State
PHILADELPHIA, June 22, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Wharton School have attracted a group of 22 young women leaders in business and law from over 10 countries in the Middle East for a Legal and Business Fellowship Program. Now in its third year, the Penn Law and Wharton Executive Education program is offered in partnership with the America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST) and funded by the U.S. Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).
The young executives and lawyers came to Penn from countries that included Algeria, Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, and the West Bank. Admission to the program is highly competitive and based upon each woman's leadership potential, commitment to professional growth in the business and legal sectors of her local economy, and knowledge of English.Since completion of the program, the women have dispersed across the U.S. for a four-month internship at a Fortune 500 company or top-tier law firm.
"It was a pleasure to welcome the third cohort from the Legal and Business Fellowship Program this year," says Wharton Executive Education Senior Director Sandhya Karpe. "The program participants are eagerly awaited each year by staff and faculty at Penn because of the richness they bring to the community. Over the years, we have learned as much from these fine young women as they have learned from us - about their countries and cultures, but more importantly about resilience. We wish them happiness and success as they return to their countries to follow their dreams and as passionate ambassadors of peace and change."
The program is co-directed by Peter Cappelli, George W. Taylor Professor of Management and director of Wharton's Center for Human Resources; Janet Greco, co-president, Transition One Associates; and Michael Knoll, Theodore K. Warner Professor of Law & Professor of Real Estate, and co-director of the Center for Tax Law and Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. Knoll notes that the faculty makes changes to the program each year to keep it fresh. One such important change was the addition of societal wealth creation projects, designed and facilitated by Jim Thompson, associate director of Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs and director of Wharton's Societal Wealth Program.
"This year we asked the women to produce business plans for a business that would be profitable for investors and cater to an important societal need in their home countries," Knoll says. "Working in groups of four or five, the women came up with a range of interesting proposals, including a glass-blowing factory, an English language school, and a recycling business. They drew heavily on what they had learned in their four weeks here. After their presentations, the women left Penn with a sense of accomplishment, confidence in their abilities, and a real can-do attitude."
Impressed by the women she has taught in the program, Lisa Warshaw, director of the Wharton Communication Program, says that the group is one of her favorites to teach. "These young women bring a wide diversity of experience and backgrounds that enhance the learning experience," Warshaw says. "We've always found them to be engaged and intellectually curious; we learn a great deal from our discussions with these remarkable women."
Raghda Shaheen, a program participant from the UAE, feels that the program represents an opportunity to break the stereotypes between Arabs and Americans. "The program allowed us to bridge the cultural gaps between the different environments," Shaheen says. What she will remember most about the program, in addition to the knowledge gained, was its transformative effect.
"On my last day at Wharton, after saying farewell to the amazing faculty and staff at the graduation ceremony, I walked back to the hotel with a heavy heart," Shaheen says. "I was carrying my Wharton certificate, four heavy binders for each week of class, a couple of amazing books, a treasure of friendships, and a life-time experience. I looked back at the statue of Benjamin Franklin smiling at me, and at that moment, I knew my life would never be the same."
PHILADELPHIA, June 22, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Wharton School have attracted a group of 22 young women leaders in business and law from over 10 countries in the Middle East for a Legal and Business Fellowship Program. Now in its third year, the Penn Law and Wharton Executive Education program is offered in partnership with the America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST) and funded by the U.S. Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).
The young executives and lawyers came to Penn from countries that included Algeria, Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, and the West Bank. Admission to the program is highly competitive and based upon each woman's leadership potential, commitment to professional growth in the business and legal sectors of her local economy, and knowledge of English.Since completion of the program, the women have dispersed across the U.S. for a four-month internship at a Fortune 500 company or top-tier law firm.
"It was a pleasure to welcome the third cohort from the Legal and Business Fellowship Program this year," says Wharton Executive Education Senior Director Sandhya Karpe. "The program participants are eagerly awaited each year by staff and faculty at Penn because of the richness they bring to the community. Over the years, we have learned as much from these fine young women as they have learned from us - about their countries and cultures, but more importantly about resilience. We wish them happiness and success as they return to their countries to follow their dreams and as passionate ambassadors of peace and change."
The program is co-directed by Peter Cappelli, George W. Taylor Professor of Management and director of Wharton's Center for Human Resources; Janet Greco, co-president, Transition One Associates; and Michael Knoll, Theodore K. Warner Professor of Law & Professor of Real Estate, and co-director of the Center for Tax Law and Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. Knoll notes that the faculty makes changes to the program each year to keep it fresh. One such important change was the addition of societal wealth creation projects, designed and facilitated by Jim Thompson, associate director of Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs and director of Wharton's Societal Wealth Program.
"This year we asked the women to produce business plans for a business that would be profitable for investors and cater to an important societal need in their home countries," Knoll says. "Working in groups of four or five, the women came up with a range of interesting proposals, including a glass-blowing factory, an English language school, and a recycling business. They drew heavily on what they had learned in their four weeks here. After their presentations, the women left Penn with a sense of accomplishment, confidence in their abilities, and a real can-do attitude."
Impressed by the women she has taught in the program, Lisa Warshaw, director of the Wharton Communication Program, says that the group is one of her favorites to teach. "These young women bring a wide diversity of experience and backgrounds that enhance the learning experience," Warshaw says. "We've always found them to be engaged and intellectually curious; we learn a great deal from our discussions with these remarkable women."
Raghda Shaheen, a program participant from the UAE, feels that the program represents an opportunity to break the stereotypes between Arabs and Americans. "The program allowed us to bridge the cultural gaps between the different environments," Shaheen says. What she will remember most about the program, in addition to the knowledge gained, was its transformative effect.
"On my last day at Wharton, after saying farewell to the amazing faculty and staff at the graduation ceremony, I walked back to the hotel with a heavy heart," Shaheen says. "I was carrying my Wharton certificate, four heavy binders for each week of class, a couple of amazing books, a treasure of friendships, and a life-time experience. I looked back at the statue of Benjamin Franklin smiling at me, and at that moment, I knew my life would never be the same."
Raghda Shaheen: Bridging Two Worlds -- America and The Middle East
Published: June 23, 2009 in Knowledge@Wharton
Raghda Shaheen, who works for the Dubai International Finance Centre, recently completed a four-week business and legal fellowship program at Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania law school. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and supported by America-Mideast Educational and Training Services (AMIDEAST), teaches management, business and legal skills to women from the Middle East and North Africa. This year, 22 women from 11 countries attended the program. Shaheen will spend the next three months working at the Chicago Chamber of Commerce before returning to the UAE. She spoke with Knowledge@Wharton about her experiences in Gaza City, Canada, the U.S. and the Middle East.
An edited transcript of the conversation follows.
Knowledge@Wharton: Raghda, thanks for joining us.
Shaheen: Thank you for having me.
Knowledge@Wharton: Can you start off by telling us a little bit about yourself? Where you were born, educated and where you have worked so far?
Shaheen: Sure. I am an Arabic girl, born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents. So I am Palestinian. I lived in Kuwait for seven years and then moved to Palestine. I grew up in Gaza City, and moved to Toronto, Canada, in 2001. I received a bachelor's degree in engineering. I worked there for a couple of years and then moved to Dubai in 2008 and that's where I live right now.
Knowledge@Wharton: What are you doing there?
Shaheen: I'm a business and process consultant at Dubai International Financial Centre.
Knowledge@Wharton: Why did you decide to come to the program at Wharton and Penn Law?
Shaheen: I always find exchange programs are fascinating because it's my opportunity to break some stereotypes. I've been in similar programs before and I really enjoyed the experience. So I thought that I would use the opportunity to come again to the States and do more work on breaking stereotypes.
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Knowledge@Wharton: What kinds of stereotypes are you talking about?
Shaheen: On both sides. I'm talking about the stereotypes of both Americans and Arabs [regarding] business behaviors, the people, the culture ...
Knowledge@Wharton: So what's an example on your side?
Shaheen: I find a lot of stereotypes about Arab women that I would like to break and about Arabs in general here in the States, because [most people] receive their [impressions] from the media. We all know that the media can be biased at certain times and does not reflect the correct image of the culture. So I came here to experience the American culture by myself through my [own] eyes, not through someone else's eyes. And I try to transfer that to the Americans myself.
Knowledge@Wharton: So what would you think is a typical American image of an Arab woman and how is that image right or wrong?
Shaheen: They still have the image that Arab women may not be educated, that they're suppressed, that they can't work, they don't speak, they are not cosmopolitan. So I try with my fellows here to break that stereotype. We tell them that Arabs in general, not just women, usually speak two languages at a minimum. We speak English as a second language in my country. There are other places in the Middle East, such as Lebanon and Syria, that speak French as a second language. The exposure to the West is very high in the Middle East, probably because of the political situation and the geographical location of that area. So we already know about other countries and civilizations out there in the world.
Knowledge@Wharton: Is it unusual for Arab women who are educated and have work experience like you to come to the States and take courses here and bring that [knowledge] back to their home countries?
Shaheen: I would say it depends. It depends on the family and it depends on the occasion. My aunt 30 years ago left to receive her education in medicine in Germany. But that doesn't mean that it's okay for most of the families. It depends on the family level of education and the country, the culture and the tradition. The Arab world is 14 countries and it's diverse. I think this is the beauty of it, that it's diverse. You would find all the cultures there.
Knowledge@Wharton: In Gaza City, would you consider yourself one of the more educated, more experienced women in terms of business background and career?
Shaheen: I wouldn't say the most educated because ... the education level in Gaza is very high. But I would say I'm one of the luckiest to have this exposure to opportunities out there in the world, because of the unfortunate political situation. Some of the people in Gaza are lucky to be alive.... So yes, I am blessed with opportunities. But the education [level] is very high in Gaza. I can talk about my personal experience. I was a senior in high school when the [uprising] started and the war. The political situation deteriorated in Gaza in 2001. That did not stop me from reaching my school, which was 45 minutes away. So I believe people living there definitely have a strong soul and are intent on [providing] education for their kids.
Knowledge@Wharton: Is this your first trip to the United States?
Shaheen: No.
Knowledge@Wharton: When were you here before?
Shaheen: I've been here a couple of times before. I have a sister here who lives in Boston and is chief of radiology at Harvard Medical School. And I've visited Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey during my previous job through Siemens Canada. So I received some training courses here.
Knowledge@Wharton: You are now taking both business and law courses? Is that correct?
Shaheen: Yes. We have taken a couple of law classes.
Knowledge@Wharton: What is the one thing that you've learned in your business courses that you feel has been especially valuable?
Shaheen: That's an excellent question. I am an engineer by education. I haven't had a strong exposure to finance and accounting. My job is consulting. I always face balance sheets and "no, we can't" answers from the finance department. But now I understand what they're going through because I've attended an excellent accounting class. It was a fantastic experience. It was taught in an unusual way. I think it's a new [approach] even at Wharton and they were testing it on us. I'm telling you it's fantastic. So my favorite class so far has been the accounting class.
Knowledge@Wharton: Are there certain key subject areas or topic areas that professional business women in the Middle East feel they might need more exposure to on an international basis than they now have?
Shaheen: I don't think it is Arab women only.... We [took] a course [aimed at] women [in general] in the workplace -- the issues we face as women in our workplace and how we behave when we face challenges. I found this course very interesting. It would be excellent if we could promote it for women in general, not just for women in the Middle East.
Knowledge@Wharton: How can you relate that course to your personal experience in the workplace as a woman?
Shaheen: It was [about] being proud to be a woman and not surrendering or giving up because you're a woman. You don't need to work harder than your colleagues just to prove a point ... to prove that you're capable and qualified. I think that's a fantastic observation.
Knowledge@Wharton: But I've heard from some Arab women that, in fact, they do need to work harder. They need to work two or three times harder.
Shaheen: Again, I don't think it's just an Arab woman's challenge. It's women around the globe.... I worked in Canada, as I said, and I worked in the Middle East. In both cases regarding the executive managers I've seen who are females, yes, that observation was true about them. They were trying to prove that they were qualified, capable and stronger than their peers so they had to work harder.
Knowledge@Wharton: In your business experience in the Middle East, have you ever personally felt discriminated against because you're a woman?
Shaheen: Not at all, actually. I did face that fear, to be honest with you, because of the stereotype. I lived in Toronto for seven years so I wasn't sure how the work environment would be in the Middle East. But I can quote for you the hospitality COO in my company, who is German. She said to me: "Raghda, as a German woman I face less racism and sexism in the Middle East than I ever faced anywhere else." So it's a very supportive environment. We have many executive women. I'm living, as I mentioned, in Dubai right now. There is a foundation for leadership for women supported by the ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid. To be honest, I'm very happy to be there to receive some of the support. I myself have been on an exchange program that supports me as a woman.
Knowledge@Wharton: You mentioned that you've had a lot of contact with other women in the program here. Do you feel that part of the value of this program is to help you set up a network of women you will keep in touch with when you leave? And do you have that kind of opportunity in Dubai to set up these networks? Is that something that can happen there easily?
Shaheen: I've been always interested in such networks with women. Since getting my undergraduate degree in Canada, I have been part of a Women in Engineering program because I've always been a minority. Here, yes, I think that's the main purpose of the program. But the network should not only be for women.... We should expand it because the world is not only women out there. We should extend our hand to help men also.... We should focus on the development of relationships between females and males in the workplace so that both can work together and prosper together.
Knowledge@Wharton: I have never been to Dubai. But I get the sense that you're one of a rare breed of women in that area. You are very educated, very articulate. You've had work experiences in Canada, in the U.S. You're going to be working in Chicago when you leave. But in Dubai you are definitely a minority in terms of the women there, correct?
Shaheen: It's not true, but thank you for the compliment. There are a lot of cosmopolitan girls there and ladies. Actually, I'm the fourth one in this program from my company and the number is increasing. As I mentioned earlier, I was in an exchange program similar to this but it was both males and females with American businessmen and women. The observation was the same. Again, you would be surprised that we have females who are like those you mentioned -- cosmopolitan, speaking good English, having exposure to the world. I think the world is getting smaller. Dubai is where everything is happening nowadays.
Knowledge@Wharton: Right, it is very cosmopolitan itself.
Shaheen: It is a very cosmopolitan city. Again, as I mentioned, exposure to [different] cultures is very high in the Middle East. It's close to Europe. It's close to China, India, the Far East. I think the geographical location really helps.
Knowledge@Wharton: But is it generational? How old are you?
Shaheen: I'm 25.
Knowledge@Wharton: Do you feel that women in your generation are having a very different experience than women who are 45 or 50?
Shaheen: I [believe that's true] everywhere in the world. Even here, the current generation is different than their parents. Yes, we're developing with the media, and with the technology. We watch "American Idol." We watch your TV shows. We watch "Oprah," "Dr. Phil"...
Knowledge@Wharton: Is that a good thing?
Shaheen: I don't know about that. [We watch] "Sex in the City." So I guess it's just that the exposure is getting higher and higher.... [Also], it's because the media to a certain degree exposes you to the American streets, environments and buildings. So when we went to New York, most of us felt that we had there before. We saw the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. You feel that you've been on the streets of New York even if you've never been there because you always see it on TV. So that's what increasing the exposure; it's the technology. Believe it or not, the political problems are playing a good part here because we have to learn about what's happening out there in the world. Most of the political situation in the Middle East is highly related to the U.S. So that's why we're highly exposed and are learning a lot about you.
Knowledge@Wharton: What about Gaza City, where you went to high school? Is that as sophisticated and developed as Dubai in terms of opportunities for women?
Shaheen: Opportunities for women in Gaza I would say are as bad as the opportunities for men. It's not because of [gender].... Unfortunately, the political situation is really bad down there. As I mentioned earlier, they don't have the opportunity to [be] exposed [to other places] or to travel as much. But before the political situation deteriorated in 2001 was when I first started my exchange program. When I was 16, I was in a Norwegian exchange program, so we had the Norwegian students come into Gaza and we traveled to Oslo. So when the political situation was stable, yes, Gaza was doing well. I don't think it's fair to compare it to Dubai because Dubai is, relatively speaking, stable. It's safe. There is no war there. The political situation is stable. Whereas for Gaza it is not, but hopefully it will be one day.
Knowledge@Wharton: You've probably come from a very supportive family as well. Is that correct? Your parents have been supportive so you don't face any disapproval about what you're doing or where you're going or anything like that?
Shaheen: Of course. All the way.
Knowledge@Wharton: Do you live alone in Dubai?
Shaheen: No, I live with them. Actually, they moved to come and live with me. They were supporting me all the way. When I was in Canada, my mom and my dad would take turns to come and visit me. They were living in Gaza so sometimes they would be back and forth between Gaza and Toronto. And then when I made the decision to move to Dubai, we thought that it was time for us to be together. So that's why we moved all of us to Dubai.
Knowledge@Wharton: Is it fairly common for young professionals to live with their parents?
Shaheen: Yes. I guess the Arabic culture is like most of the Eastern cultures. They are very much family oriented. It's not very common for girls to move out of their family houses, even guys, until they get married. That's just how the culture is.
Knowledge@Wharton: So what are your plans now for the next few years? You're going to Chicago?
Shaheen: For three months.
Knowledge@Wharton: What will you be doing there?
Shaheen: I heard that I'll be working in green initiatives, which I'm very excited about because that's what my graduation project here at Wharton is about. And I'll be working on the submission for the Olympics 2016.
Knowledge@Wharton: That's terrific.
Shaheen: How exciting is that? I'm very excited because I think I'll be having higher exposure to this green technology, which is booming as well in the Middle East, especially in Dubai. And afterwards, I always had the plan that I wanted to go for my MBA. That's why I was very excited about this opportunity [at] Wharton, which was always my dream school.... Now it's time for me to start working on my GMAT.
Knowledge@Wharton: So you plan to apply to graduate school?
Shaheen: Correct.
Knowledge@Wharton: Will that be after you complete your work in Chicago?
Shaheen: Yes. I'm planning to enjoy the experience to the maximum and not study while I'm there.
Knowledge@Wharton: What would you like to do after business school?
Shaheen: In the long term, I would like to work in the government and get some experience in the public administration sector.
Knowledge@Wharton: Where?
Shaheen: In Dubai.... Then afterwards I would like to teach and become a professor.
Knowledge@Wharton: An engineering professor? A business professor?
Shaheen: I haven't worked much with [engineering]. I would like to teach in a business school. I would like to teach an MBA class.
Knowledge@Wharton: So, who knows? We could see you back here sometime.... I have one final question. There's a story in The Wall Street Journal today talking about the steep declines in countries around the world, specifically Mexico, Germany and Japan, and how they are getting the brunt of this financial collapse. Are you feeling the impact of the financial crisis at all in Dubai?
Shaheen: I cannot deny that this financial crisis has hit the whole world hard. Dubai is a very global city, a cosmopolitan city. And it's very highly related to the [rest of] the world economy. So, yes, it does affect investments in Dubai. However, the government is being very [supportive]. About a month ago, the government of Abu Dhabi issued bonds for 30 billion Dirham, which is almost $10 billion, to support the economy in the UAE. And since then, the situation – I've been here a month so far and I'm always in touch with my colleagues to understand the situation and I read the news -- is starting to recover. So some companies are starting to hire again. Some [employees] are receiving their bonuses and their [annual] appraisals. So, yes, I think we've been affected. But also I think we're having a stronger recovery there because the government has the funds to support it.
Knowledge@Wharton: Thank you for joining us and good luck in Chicago.
Shaheen: Thank you. It was my pleasure.
Raghda Shaheen, who works for the Dubai International Finance Centre, recently completed a four-week business and legal fellowship program at Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania law school. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and supported by America-Mideast Educational and Training Services (AMIDEAST), teaches management, business and legal skills to women from the Middle East and North Africa. This year, 22 women from 11 countries attended the program. Shaheen will spend the next three months working at the Chicago Chamber of Commerce before returning to the UAE. She spoke with Knowledge@Wharton about her experiences in Gaza City, Canada, the U.S. and the Middle East.
An edited transcript of the conversation follows.
Knowledge@Wharton: Raghda, thanks for joining us.
Shaheen: Thank you for having me.
Knowledge@Wharton: Can you start off by telling us a little bit about yourself? Where you were born, educated and where you have worked so far?
Shaheen: Sure. I am an Arabic girl, born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents. So I am Palestinian. I lived in Kuwait for seven years and then moved to Palestine. I grew up in Gaza City, and moved to Toronto, Canada, in 2001. I received a bachelor's degree in engineering. I worked there for a couple of years and then moved to Dubai in 2008 and that's where I live right now.
Knowledge@Wharton: What are you doing there?
Shaheen: I'm a business and process consultant at Dubai International Financial Centre.
Knowledge@Wharton: Why did you decide to come to the program at Wharton and Penn Law?
Shaheen: I always find exchange programs are fascinating because it's my opportunity to break some stereotypes. I've been in similar programs before and I really enjoyed the experience. So I thought that I would use the opportunity to come again to the States and do more work on breaking stereotypes.
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Knowledge@Wharton: What kinds of stereotypes are you talking about?
Shaheen: On both sides. I'm talking about the stereotypes of both Americans and Arabs [regarding] business behaviors, the people, the culture ...
Knowledge@Wharton: So what's an example on your side?
Shaheen: I find a lot of stereotypes about Arab women that I would like to break and about Arabs in general here in the States, because [most people] receive their [impressions] from the media. We all know that the media can be biased at certain times and does not reflect the correct image of the culture. So I came here to experience the American culture by myself through my [own] eyes, not through someone else's eyes. And I try to transfer that to the Americans myself.
Knowledge@Wharton: So what would you think is a typical American image of an Arab woman and how is that image right or wrong?
Shaheen: They still have the image that Arab women may not be educated, that they're suppressed, that they can't work, they don't speak, they are not cosmopolitan. So I try with my fellows here to break that stereotype. We tell them that Arabs in general, not just women, usually speak two languages at a minimum. We speak English as a second language in my country. There are other places in the Middle East, such as Lebanon and Syria, that speak French as a second language. The exposure to the West is very high in the Middle East, probably because of the political situation and the geographical location of that area. So we already know about other countries and civilizations out there in the world.
Knowledge@Wharton: Is it unusual for Arab women who are educated and have work experience like you to come to the States and take courses here and bring that [knowledge] back to their home countries?
Shaheen: I would say it depends. It depends on the family and it depends on the occasion. My aunt 30 years ago left to receive her education in medicine in Germany. But that doesn't mean that it's okay for most of the families. It depends on the family level of education and the country, the culture and the tradition. The Arab world is 14 countries and it's diverse. I think this is the beauty of it, that it's diverse. You would find all the cultures there.
Knowledge@Wharton: In Gaza City, would you consider yourself one of the more educated, more experienced women in terms of business background and career?
Shaheen: I wouldn't say the most educated because ... the education level in Gaza is very high. But I would say I'm one of the luckiest to have this exposure to opportunities out there in the world, because of the unfortunate political situation. Some of the people in Gaza are lucky to be alive.... So yes, I am blessed with opportunities. But the education [level] is very high in Gaza. I can talk about my personal experience. I was a senior in high school when the [uprising] started and the war. The political situation deteriorated in Gaza in 2001. That did not stop me from reaching my school, which was 45 minutes away. So I believe people living there definitely have a strong soul and are intent on [providing] education for their kids.
Knowledge@Wharton: Is this your first trip to the United States?
Shaheen: No.
Knowledge@Wharton: When were you here before?
Shaheen: I've been here a couple of times before. I have a sister here who lives in Boston and is chief of radiology at Harvard Medical School. And I've visited Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey during my previous job through Siemens Canada. So I received some training courses here.
Knowledge@Wharton: You are now taking both business and law courses? Is that correct?
Shaheen: Yes. We have taken a couple of law classes.
Knowledge@Wharton: What is the one thing that you've learned in your business courses that you feel has been especially valuable?
Shaheen: That's an excellent question. I am an engineer by education. I haven't had a strong exposure to finance and accounting. My job is consulting. I always face balance sheets and "no, we can't" answers from the finance department. But now I understand what they're going through because I've attended an excellent accounting class. It was a fantastic experience. It was taught in an unusual way. I think it's a new [approach] even at Wharton and they were testing it on us. I'm telling you it's fantastic. So my favorite class so far has been the accounting class.
Knowledge@Wharton: Are there certain key subject areas or topic areas that professional business women in the Middle East feel they might need more exposure to on an international basis than they now have?
Shaheen: I don't think it is Arab women only.... We [took] a course [aimed at] women [in general] in the workplace -- the issues we face as women in our workplace and how we behave when we face challenges. I found this course very interesting. It would be excellent if we could promote it for women in general, not just for women in the Middle East.
Knowledge@Wharton: How can you relate that course to your personal experience in the workplace as a woman?
Shaheen: It was [about] being proud to be a woman and not surrendering or giving up because you're a woman. You don't need to work harder than your colleagues just to prove a point ... to prove that you're capable and qualified. I think that's a fantastic observation.
Knowledge@Wharton: But I've heard from some Arab women that, in fact, they do need to work harder. They need to work two or three times harder.
Shaheen: Again, I don't think it's just an Arab woman's challenge. It's women around the globe.... I worked in Canada, as I said, and I worked in the Middle East. In both cases regarding the executive managers I've seen who are females, yes, that observation was true about them. They were trying to prove that they were qualified, capable and stronger than their peers so they had to work harder.
Knowledge@Wharton: In your business experience in the Middle East, have you ever personally felt discriminated against because you're a woman?
Shaheen: Not at all, actually. I did face that fear, to be honest with you, because of the stereotype. I lived in Toronto for seven years so I wasn't sure how the work environment would be in the Middle East. But I can quote for you the hospitality COO in my company, who is German. She said to me: "Raghda, as a German woman I face less racism and sexism in the Middle East than I ever faced anywhere else." So it's a very supportive environment. We have many executive women. I'm living, as I mentioned, in Dubai right now. There is a foundation for leadership for women supported by the ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid. To be honest, I'm very happy to be there to receive some of the support. I myself have been on an exchange program that supports me as a woman.
Knowledge@Wharton: You mentioned that you've had a lot of contact with other women in the program here. Do you feel that part of the value of this program is to help you set up a network of women you will keep in touch with when you leave? And do you have that kind of opportunity in Dubai to set up these networks? Is that something that can happen there easily?
Shaheen: I've been always interested in such networks with women. Since getting my undergraduate degree in Canada, I have been part of a Women in Engineering program because I've always been a minority. Here, yes, I think that's the main purpose of the program. But the network should not only be for women.... We should expand it because the world is not only women out there. We should extend our hand to help men also.... We should focus on the development of relationships between females and males in the workplace so that both can work together and prosper together.
Knowledge@Wharton: I have never been to Dubai. But I get the sense that you're one of a rare breed of women in that area. You are very educated, very articulate. You've had work experiences in Canada, in the U.S. You're going to be working in Chicago when you leave. But in Dubai you are definitely a minority in terms of the women there, correct?
Shaheen: It's not true, but thank you for the compliment. There are a lot of cosmopolitan girls there and ladies. Actually, I'm the fourth one in this program from my company and the number is increasing. As I mentioned earlier, I was in an exchange program similar to this but it was both males and females with American businessmen and women. The observation was the same. Again, you would be surprised that we have females who are like those you mentioned -- cosmopolitan, speaking good English, having exposure to the world. I think the world is getting smaller. Dubai is where everything is happening nowadays.
Knowledge@Wharton: Right, it is very cosmopolitan itself.
Shaheen: It is a very cosmopolitan city. Again, as I mentioned, exposure to [different] cultures is very high in the Middle East. It's close to Europe. It's close to China, India, the Far East. I think the geographical location really helps.
Knowledge@Wharton: But is it generational? How old are you?
Shaheen: I'm 25.
Knowledge@Wharton: Do you feel that women in your generation are having a very different experience than women who are 45 or 50?
Shaheen: I [believe that's true] everywhere in the world. Even here, the current generation is different than their parents. Yes, we're developing with the media, and with the technology. We watch "American Idol." We watch your TV shows. We watch "Oprah," "Dr. Phil"...
Knowledge@Wharton: Is that a good thing?
Shaheen: I don't know about that. [We watch] "Sex in the City." So I guess it's just that the exposure is getting higher and higher.... [Also], it's because the media to a certain degree exposes you to the American streets, environments and buildings. So when we went to New York, most of us felt that we had there before. We saw the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. You feel that you've been on the streets of New York even if you've never been there because you always see it on TV. So that's what increasing the exposure; it's the technology. Believe it or not, the political problems are playing a good part here because we have to learn about what's happening out there in the world. Most of the political situation in the Middle East is highly related to the U.S. So that's why we're highly exposed and are learning a lot about you.
Knowledge@Wharton: What about Gaza City, where you went to high school? Is that as sophisticated and developed as Dubai in terms of opportunities for women?
Shaheen: Opportunities for women in Gaza I would say are as bad as the opportunities for men. It's not because of [gender].... Unfortunately, the political situation is really bad down there. As I mentioned earlier, they don't have the opportunity to [be] exposed [to other places] or to travel as much. But before the political situation deteriorated in 2001 was when I first started my exchange program. When I was 16, I was in a Norwegian exchange program, so we had the Norwegian students come into Gaza and we traveled to Oslo. So when the political situation was stable, yes, Gaza was doing well. I don't think it's fair to compare it to Dubai because Dubai is, relatively speaking, stable. It's safe. There is no war there. The political situation is stable. Whereas for Gaza it is not, but hopefully it will be one day.
Knowledge@Wharton: You've probably come from a very supportive family as well. Is that correct? Your parents have been supportive so you don't face any disapproval about what you're doing or where you're going or anything like that?
Shaheen: Of course. All the way.
Knowledge@Wharton: Do you live alone in Dubai?
Shaheen: No, I live with them. Actually, they moved to come and live with me. They were supporting me all the way. When I was in Canada, my mom and my dad would take turns to come and visit me. They were living in Gaza so sometimes they would be back and forth between Gaza and Toronto. And then when I made the decision to move to Dubai, we thought that it was time for us to be together. So that's why we moved all of us to Dubai.
Knowledge@Wharton: Is it fairly common for young professionals to live with their parents?
Shaheen: Yes. I guess the Arabic culture is like most of the Eastern cultures. They are very much family oriented. It's not very common for girls to move out of their family houses, even guys, until they get married. That's just how the culture is.
Knowledge@Wharton: So what are your plans now for the next few years? You're going to Chicago?
Shaheen: For three months.
Knowledge@Wharton: What will you be doing there?
Shaheen: I heard that I'll be working in green initiatives, which I'm very excited about because that's what my graduation project here at Wharton is about. And I'll be working on the submission for the Olympics 2016.
Knowledge@Wharton: That's terrific.
Shaheen: How exciting is that? I'm very excited because I think I'll be having higher exposure to this green technology, which is booming as well in the Middle East, especially in Dubai. And afterwards, I always had the plan that I wanted to go for my MBA. That's why I was very excited about this opportunity [at] Wharton, which was always my dream school.... Now it's time for me to start working on my GMAT.
Knowledge@Wharton: So you plan to apply to graduate school?
Shaheen: Correct.
Knowledge@Wharton: Will that be after you complete your work in Chicago?
Shaheen: Yes. I'm planning to enjoy the experience to the maximum and not study while I'm there.
Knowledge@Wharton: What would you like to do after business school?
Shaheen: In the long term, I would like to work in the government and get some experience in the public administration sector.
Knowledge@Wharton: Where?
Shaheen: In Dubai.... Then afterwards I would like to teach and become a professor.
Knowledge@Wharton: An engineering professor? A business professor?
Shaheen: I haven't worked much with [engineering]. I would like to teach in a business school. I would like to teach an MBA class.
Knowledge@Wharton: So, who knows? We could see you back here sometime.... I have one final question. There's a story in The Wall Street Journal today talking about the steep declines in countries around the world, specifically Mexico, Germany and Japan, and how they are getting the brunt of this financial collapse. Are you feeling the impact of the financial crisis at all in Dubai?
Shaheen: I cannot deny that this financial crisis has hit the whole world hard. Dubai is a very global city, a cosmopolitan city. And it's very highly related to the [rest of] the world economy. So, yes, it does affect investments in Dubai. However, the government is being very [supportive]. About a month ago, the government of Abu Dhabi issued bonds for 30 billion Dirham, which is almost $10 billion, to support the economy in the UAE. And since then, the situation – I've been here a month so far and I'm always in touch with my colleagues to understand the situation and I read the news -- is starting to recover. So some companies are starting to hire again. Some [employees] are receiving their bonuses and their [annual] appraisals. So, yes, I think we've been affected. But also I think we're having a stronger recovery there because the government has the funds to support it.
Knowledge@Wharton: Thank you for joining us and good luck in Chicago.
Shaheen: Thank you. It was my pleasure.
Sheikha Fatima sponsor of UAE women's achievments in use of technology
2009-06-24 13:25:28
WAM ABU DHABI, June 24th, 2009: UAE women have made remarkable achievements employing technology in service of the community, thanks to the efforts and generous support of H.H Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak President of the UAE Women's General Union (WGU) The GWU was among the first UAE institutions to use the latest tehnology to empower women, further advance their status and enable them take part in the process of building the nation.
Under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima, GWU, in November 2006, launched Women in Technology programme which serves as a perfect example of a public private partnership program designed to empower women through e-literacy.
Women in Technology is a regional public-private partnership program funded by the U.S. Department of State's Middle East Partnership Initiative --or MEPI--and works in partnership with the General Women's Union and its several partners throughout the Emirates.
Considered as one of the most successful women's training programs in the region, Women in Technology for the Middle East and North Africa seeks to empower women and youth, create educational opportunities, and foster economic reform through helping women acquire skills in business planning and entrepreneurship and learn a wide-range of computer programs through Microsoft's Unlimited Potential training.
Sheikha Fatima has extended strong support to Women in Technology participants to help them polish their communication, leadership and business writing skills. The participants join a network through which they connect, engage in community service activities and share resources to help them to advance in their careers or enter the job market.
On remarks last April in Abu Dhabi, U.S Ambassaor Richard G. Olson, Jr. saluted Sheikha Fatima her patronage and unwavering support for this program, and her dedication to empowering women throughout the UAE, as well as Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi for his support for women's issues. Olson also commended the tremendous work and accomplishments of the Women in Technology Program in the United Arab Emirates. The efforts of the General Women's Union, the Institute of International Education, an American not for profit institution, and Microsoft were also also highlighted by Ambassador Olsen.
The United Arab Emirates, he said, continues to show its dedication to improving the lives of its people. Over the past 37 years, the Emirates' investment in improving education and effectively eliminating illiteracy, improving and providing health care to its citizens, and adapting to rapid change while also maintaining its traditions and cultural values, should be commended.
Sheikha Fatima spared no efforts to supoport the use of technology as a tool to enhance women's lives, ans this represents just one example of the cross-cultural work the Emirates is doing to show its commitment to being a responsible global citizen and creating a better future for its people.
GWU is actively supporting MEPI, a unique inititaive in that it focuses on partnerships to build bridges between the United States and the Middle East through creative projects working to expand political participation, strengthen civil society and the rule of law, empower women and youth, create educational opportunities, and foster economic reform.
MEPI projects reach out directly to Non Governmental Organizations, the private sector, academic institutions, and other local groups, as well as governments, in providing direct support to the people of the region in addressing locally identified priorities and opportunities.
The Women in Technology project in the UAE is a perfect example of a public private partnership program designed to empower women - in this case, through "e-literacy." Women acquire skills in Business Planning and Entrepreneurship and learn a wide-range of computer programs through Microsoft's Unlimited Potential training. Women in Technology participants also polish their communication, leadership and business writing skills. The participants join a network through which they connect, engage in community service activities and share resources to help them to advance in their careers or enter the job market.
The program also provides tools and intensive instruction and coaching to local partner organizations, such as the Western Region Development Council here in the UAE. This enables them to operate their training centers on a long-term basis. The program provides support for a cost-recovery business model and reduces partners' dependence on external sources of funding.
This is very powerful. And it ensures that partner organizations have the knowledge and tools to expand their reach and ability to serve women in their communities long into the future, in other words, sustainability.
The Women in Technology program has been implemented in collaboration with fifty (50) local partner organizations across nine countries in the Middle East and North Africa. To date, the program has trained more than 6,000 women in the region. The program is managed by the Institute of International Education, a not-for-profit organization based in the United States. The Institute has been developing and administering high quality international education, training and leadership programs worldwide since 1919.
In the private sector, Microsoft Corporation has been a generous supporter and partner of Women in Technology throughout the region. Microsoft has provided more than $1 million in cash, equipment and in-kind contributions to the program since 2005. In 2008, Microsoft recognized Women in Technology with the "Outstanding Partnership Award" for its innovative partnership model between local and international organizations and the private sector.
Microsoft continues to serve as a model in its commitment to empower women by providing knowledge and skills through its high-quality, globally-recognized training. In addition to donating curricula packages to all fifty partner organizations in the region, Microsoft has funded the preparation of nearly 250 trainers to deliver its Unlimited Potential curriculum. Microsoft Unlimited Potential is a global initiative designed to narrow the technology skills gap and aid global workforce development. Without Microsoft's ongoing partnership and support to Women in Technology throughout the Middle East and North Africa, this program would not be possible.
GWU is a lead local partner of MEPI since the program was launched in the UAE in 2006. It has been a pioneer in women's development in the UAE under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak.
The General Women's Union's commitment to the partnership has allowed Women in Technology to gain recognition and reach women well beyond Abu Dhabi. Due to this strong foundation, Women in Technology was able last year to enter into a formal partnership with the Western Region Development Council, which has provided the extensive financial and logistical support needed to open new training centers for women in the Western Region.
WAM/MMYS
WAM ABU DHABI, June 24th, 2009: UAE women have made remarkable achievements employing technology in service of the community, thanks to the efforts and generous support of H.H Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak President of the UAE Women's General Union (WGU) The GWU was among the first UAE institutions to use the latest tehnology to empower women, further advance their status and enable them take part in the process of building the nation.
Under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima, GWU, in November 2006, launched Women in Technology programme which serves as a perfect example of a public private partnership program designed to empower women through e-literacy.
Women in Technology is a regional public-private partnership program funded by the U.S. Department of State's Middle East Partnership Initiative --or MEPI--and works in partnership with the General Women's Union and its several partners throughout the Emirates.
Considered as one of the most successful women's training programs in the region, Women in Technology for the Middle East and North Africa seeks to empower women and youth, create educational opportunities, and foster economic reform through helping women acquire skills in business planning and entrepreneurship and learn a wide-range of computer programs through Microsoft's Unlimited Potential training.
Sheikha Fatima has extended strong support to Women in Technology participants to help them polish their communication, leadership and business writing skills. The participants join a network through which they connect, engage in community service activities and share resources to help them to advance in their careers or enter the job market.
On remarks last April in Abu Dhabi, U.S Ambassaor Richard G. Olson, Jr. saluted Sheikha Fatima her patronage and unwavering support for this program, and her dedication to empowering women throughout the UAE, as well as Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi for his support for women's issues. Olson also commended the tremendous work and accomplishments of the Women in Technology Program in the United Arab Emirates. The efforts of the General Women's Union, the Institute of International Education, an American not for profit institution, and Microsoft were also also highlighted by Ambassador Olsen.
The United Arab Emirates, he said, continues to show its dedication to improving the lives of its people. Over the past 37 years, the Emirates' investment in improving education and effectively eliminating illiteracy, improving and providing health care to its citizens, and adapting to rapid change while also maintaining its traditions and cultural values, should be commended.
Sheikha Fatima spared no efforts to supoport the use of technology as a tool to enhance women's lives, ans this represents just one example of the cross-cultural work the Emirates is doing to show its commitment to being a responsible global citizen and creating a better future for its people.
GWU is actively supporting MEPI, a unique inititaive in that it focuses on partnerships to build bridges between the United States and the Middle East through creative projects working to expand political participation, strengthen civil society and the rule of law, empower women and youth, create educational opportunities, and foster economic reform.
MEPI projects reach out directly to Non Governmental Organizations, the private sector, academic institutions, and other local groups, as well as governments, in providing direct support to the people of the region in addressing locally identified priorities and opportunities.
The Women in Technology project in the UAE is a perfect example of a public private partnership program designed to empower women - in this case, through "e-literacy." Women acquire skills in Business Planning and Entrepreneurship and learn a wide-range of computer programs through Microsoft's Unlimited Potential training. Women in Technology participants also polish their communication, leadership and business writing skills. The participants join a network through which they connect, engage in community service activities and share resources to help them to advance in their careers or enter the job market.
The program also provides tools and intensive instruction and coaching to local partner organizations, such as the Western Region Development Council here in the UAE. This enables them to operate their training centers on a long-term basis. The program provides support for a cost-recovery business model and reduces partners' dependence on external sources of funding.
This is very powerful. And it ensures that partner organizations have the knowledge and tools to expand their reach and ability to serve women in their communities long into the future, in other words, sustainability.
The Women in Technology program has been implemented in collaboration with fifty (50) local partner organizations across nine countries in the Middle East and North Africa. To date, the program has trained more than 6,000 women in the region. The program is managed by the Institute of International Education, a not-for-profit organization based in the United States. The Institute has been developing and administering high quality international education, training and leadership programs worldwide since 1919.
In the private sector, Microsoft Corporation has been a generous supporter and partner of Women in Technology throughout the region. Microsoft has provided more than $1 million in cash, equipment and in-kind contributions to the program since 2005. In 2008, Microsoft recognized Women in Technology with the "Outstanding Partnership Award" for its innovative partnership model between local and international organizations and the private sector.
Microsoft continues to serve as a model in its commitment to empower women by providing knowledge and skills through its high-quality, globally-recognized training. In addition to donating curricula packages to all fifty partner organizations in the region, Microsoft has funded the preparation of nearly 250 trainers to deliver its Unlimited Potential curriculum. Microsoft Unlimited Potential is a global initiative designed to narrow the technology skills gap and aid global workforce development. Without Microsoft's ongoing partnership and support to Women in Technology throughout the Middle East and North Africa, this program would not be possible.
GWU is a lead local partner of MEPI since the program was launched in the UAE in 2006. It has been a pioneer in women's development in the UAE under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak.
The General Women's Union's commitment to the partnership has allowed Women in Technology to gain recognition and reach women well beyond Abu Dhabi. Due to this strong foundation, Women in Technology was able last year to enter into a formal partnership with the Western Region Development Council, which has provided the extensive financial and logistical support needed to open new training centers for women in the Western Region.
WAM/MMYS
Monday, June 22, 2009
Qatar: Businesswomen forum to host leadership meet
The Qatar Businesswomen Forum (QBWF) will host the ‘semi-annual leadership meeting’ of MENA Businesswomen’s Network (MENA BWN) in Doha from June 16 to 18.
The network is a partnership of local businesswomen’s organisations across the Middle East and North Africa, Vital Voices Global Partnership and the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) of the US Department of State.
The goal of the partnership is to build a regional network of businesswomen to expand the number of women in business, to increase the value of their businesses, to advance the role of women in society, and to promote a regional culture of women’s entrepreneurship.
Aisha Alfardan, QBWF vice -chairperson, said, “We are pleased to host the leadership meeting in Qatar. It will be an excellent opportunity for the new members to learn more about the network, and meet in person with businesswomen from other countries to share the expertise and exchange information.”
The network is a partnership of local businesswomen’s organisations across the Middle East and North Africa, Vital Voices Global Partnership and the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) of the US Department of State.
The goal of the partnership is to build a regional network of businesswomen to expand the number of women in business, to increase the value of their businesses, to advance the role of women in society, and to promote a regional culture of women’s entrepreneurship.
Aisha Alfardan, QBWF vice -chairperson, said, “We are pleased to host the leadership meeting in Qatar. It will be an excellent opportunity for the new members to learn more about the network, and meet in person with businesswomen from other countries to share the expertise and exchange information.”
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Saudi Arabia clamps down on unlicensed female gyms
By Asma Alsharif
JEDDAH (Reuters) - "Let her get fat!" is the slogan women in Saudi Arabia are using to challenge a clampdown on female-only gyms.
Unhappy at the growing number of unlicensed female gyms, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs recently closed two in the Red Sea city of Jeddah and one in the city of Dammam on the Gulf Arab coast for not having a license.
In response, newspaper columnists and bloggers are promoting the sarcastic line "let her get fat!" as a way of fighting back, though it is likely to be a losing battle.
In Saudi Arabia, where clerics have extensive influence in society, gyms are sexually segregated because of conservative tribal and religious values.
Female participation in sports has long been a controversial issue in the kingdom, with physical education banned from public girls' schools and clerics issuing religious prohibitions on female participation in sports.
While male gyms get licenses from a government sports body, female gyms have no official authority overseeing them.
"The idea of female fitness is non-existent within our government," said Fouziah Alouni, a prominent women's rights campaigner.
"Depriving women of this is yet another way of marginalizing them. Give us a justifiable reason or leave woman alone. This is unbearable."
The result has been high rates of diabetes and even bone frailty among women, which the Ministry of Health says it wants to combat.
"Football and basketball are sports that require a lot of movement and jumping," Sheikh Abdullah al-Maneea, member of the official Supreme Council of Religious Scholars, said in a religious opinion published in Okaz newspaper Thursday.
He said such excessive movement may harm girls who are still virgins, possibly causing them to lose their virginity.
"There is a school of thought that unfortunately exists and which has a distorted interpretation of Islam," said Lina Al-Maeena, who organises basketball training in Jeddah.
Women's gyms can only exist inside hospitals as "health centres" supervised by the Ministry of Health but prices are so high, at least 1,000 riyals ($266) a month, that only the affluent can afford membership.
Cheaper versions have sprung up under name "beauty salon" or "studio" but now their future is in doubt.
Madawi Al-Hassoun of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce said the chamber has been trying for three years to find a government body prepared to take on board licensing female gyms.
"Some people don't like women to go out of their homes. This is a common struggle for female businesses in Saudi," she said.
JEDDAH (Reuters) - "Let her get fat!" is the slogan women in Saudi Arabia are using to challenge a clampdown on female-only gyms.
Unhappy at the growing number of unlicensed female gyms, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs recently closed two in the Red Sea city of Jeddah and one in the city of Dammam on the Gulf Arab coast for not having a license.
In response, newspaper columnists and bloggers are promoting the sarcastic line "let her get fat!" as a way of fighting back, though it is likely to be a losing battle.
In Saudi Arabia, where clerics have extensive influence in society, gyms are sexually segregated because of conservative tribal and religious values.
Female participation in sports has long been a controversial issue in the kingdom, with physical education banned from public girls' schools and clerics issuing religious prohibitions on female participation in sports.
While male gyms get licenses from a government sports body, female gyms have no official authority overseeing them.
"The idea of female fitness is non-existent within our government," said Fouziah Alouni, a prominent women's rights campaigner.
"Depriving women of this is yet another way of marginalizing them. Give us a justifiable reason or leave woman alone. This is unbearable."
The result has been high rates of diabetes and even bone frailty among women, which the Ministry of Health says it wants to combat.
"Football and basketball are sports that require a lot of movement and jumping," Sheikh Abdullah al-Maneea, member of the official Supreme Council of Religious Scholars, said in a religious opinion published in Okaz newspaper Thursday.
He said such excessive movement may harm girls who are still virgins, possibly causing them to lose their virginity.
"There is a school of thought that unfortunately exists and which has a distorted interpretation of Islam," said Lina Al-Maeena, who organises basketball training in Jeddah.
Women's gyms can only exist inside hospitals as "health centres" supervised by the Ministry of Health but prices are so high, at least 1,000 riyals ($266) a month, that only the affluent can afford membership.
Cheaper versions have sprung up under name "beauty salon" or "studio" but now their future is in doubt.
Madawi Al-Hassoun of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce said the chamber has been trying for three years to find a government body prepared to take on board licensing female gyms.
"Some people don't like women to go out of their homes. This is a common struggle for female businesses in Saudi," she said.
British Council embarks on two major projects
Mohammed Rasooldeen | Arab News
RIYADH: The British Council, under the umbrella of Social Partnership Projects, runs two large-scale programs, Springboard and Global Changemakers.
Springboard, a women’s self-development program, was introduced to Saudi Arabia in December 2004 as part of the British Council’s plans to develop women’s activities. It has attracted more than 600 Saudi women, all of whom found the program extremely beneficial in boosting their confidence and helping them to further develop their personal and working lives.
The program’s topics included understanding yourself; identifying your values; confidence building; setting goals; networking and support; assertiveness and work life balance.
“Springboard was a turning point in my life. In the past, my mind was full of worries and fear for the future. Springboard filled my inner soul with hope and desire to start a new life with a set of fixed goals to achieve,” one of Springboard’s participants said.
Several success stories that reflect the practical experience in the personal and work life of Springboard participants have emerged, illuminating the path for achieving self-recognition, and preparing the way for more successes.
At the same time, the Global Changemakers project, introduced to Saudi Arabia by the British Council, aims at enhancing the capacity of future leaders to meet global challenges. It links young community and future influencers from diverse backgrounds around the world in a sustainable global network. The participants are emerging talents, aged 16 to 25, who are committed to positive social change in their communities.
Joud Kashgari, an 18-year-old Saudi political science and economics student at the American University in Cairo, is among a group of 60 participants who attended the Guildford forum, representing Saudi Arabia, in the UK in January, 2009. The participants coming from different backgrounds and cultures shared their enthusiasm at Guildford and discussed challenging issues such as climate change, education, intercultural conflict and the devastating impact of poverty.
Additionally, Yazeed Al-Mujali, a 22-year-old global changemaker working at King Saud University as a teaching assistant, participated in the London Summit in April, 2009. Yazeed is one of a group of 20 activists — one representing each of the G-20 economies — all members of the British Council’s Global Changemakers network. The young people shared knowledge, ideas and best practices, and worked individually and together on projects that directly impact the lives of those in their local communities. “1001 School Links” project started in Saudi Arabia in 2006 with 12 private schools on board. The schools from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam formed six partnerships with UK schools and showed great enthusiasm to work on the project. They have continued to lead on the program.
“This year to celebrate the successes of the Connecting Classrooms partnerships between schools in the UK and the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, a regional conference on Internationalism in Education was held in Kuwait at the end of March 2009,” Jim Scarth, director of the British Council in the Kingdom, said.
He added that the two-day conference was a valuable opportunity for the council to explore with its partners on common issues affecting schools in the UK and the Middle East and to look forward to the future for Connecting Classrooms as we work to strengthen its impact and reach in the Middle East.
“It wasn’t the first time we collaborated with the British Council when the 1001 school link project was introduced to our school. The whole idea has not only changed in name but also grew so fast into lots of inspiring experiences for our teachers and students. Connecting Classrooms is really helping all of us with becoming better global citizens,” said Omar Bouhlel, Dhahran Ahliya Schools — Dammam.
During year two of Connecting Classrooms another 11 partnerships were formed between 24 schools in Saudi and 12 schools in the UK. “I heard from colleagues in other schools that participated in the project how successful and motivating it is and therefore I was very happy when the British Council approached my school. I immediately asked the school management if I could be the project coordinator in the school,” said Mazen Bsat, Najd Private Schools, Riyadh.
Connecting Classrooms partnerships brought together “clusters” of three or more schools from the UK and the Saudi Arabia. Teachers and school leaders from partnership schools receive support and professional development opportunities to build skills in leading internationalism in education. Partnership schools initially meet at a Contact Seminar held in the Middle East. Teachers work together to develop joint curriculum project plans so that classes in their respective schools can learn about each other whilst exploring a mutually relevant topic together.
The Connecting Classrooms partnership is school to school. As the partnership matures and embeds, students throughout the school will learn about the cultural differences and similarities of their peers in their partner school. Through Connecting Classrooms, young learners in Saudi and the region and the UK will be supported to become true “global citizens.”
RIYADH: The British Council, under the umbrella of Social Partnership Projects, runs two large-scale programs, Springboard and Global Changemakers.
Springboard, a women’s self-development program, was introduced to Saudi Arabia in December 2004 as part of the British Council’s plans to develop women’s activities. It has attracted more than 600 Saudi women, all of whom found the program extremely beneficial in boosting their confidence and helping them to further develop their personal and working lives.
The program’s topics included understanding yourself; identifying your values; confidence building; setting goals; networking and support; assertiveness and work life balance.
“Springboard was a turning point in my life. In the past, my mind was full of worries and fear for the future. Springboard filled my inner soul with hope and desire to start a new life with a set of fixed goals to achieve,” one of Springboard’s participants said.
Several success stories that reflect the practical experience in the personal and work life of Springboard participants have emerged, illuminating the path for achieving self-recognition, and preparing the way for more successes.
At the same time, the Global Changemakers project, introduced to Saudi Arabia by the British Council, aims at enhancing the capacity of future leaders to meet global challenges. It links young community and future influencers from diverse backgrounds around the world in a sustainable global network. The participants are emerging talents, aged 16 to 25, who are committed to positive social change in their communities.
Joud Kashgari, an 18-year-old Saudi political science and economics student at the American University in Cairo, is among a group of 60 participants who attended the Guildford forum, representing Saudi Arabia, in the UK in January, 2009. The participants coming from different backgrounds and cultures shared their enthusiasm at Guildford and discussed challenging issues such as climate change, education, intercultural conflict and the devastating impact of poverty.
Additionally, Yazeed Al-Mujali, a 22-year-old global changemaker working at King Saud University as a teaching assistant, participated in the London Summit in April, 2009. Yazeed is one of a group of 20 activists — one representing each of the G-20 economies — all members of the British Council’s Global Changemakers network. The young people shared knowledge, ideas and best practices, and worked individually and together on projects that directly impact the lives of those in their local communities. “1001 School Links” project started in Saudi Arabia in 2006 with 12 private schools on board. The schools from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam formed six partnerships with UK schools and showed great enthusiasm to work on the project. They have continued to lead on the program.
“This year to celebrate the successes of the Connecting Classrooms partnerships between schools in the UK and the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, a regional conference on Internationalism in Education was held in Kuwait at the end of March 2009,” Jim Scarth, director of the British Council in the Kingdom, said.
He added that the two-day conference was a valuable opportunity for the council to explore with its partners on common issues affecting schools in the UK and the Middle East and to look forward to the future for Connecting Classrooms as we work to strengthen its impact and reach in the Middle East.
“It wasn’t the first time we collaborated with the British Council when the 1001 school link project was introduced to our school. The whole idea has not only changed in name but also grew so fast into lots of inspiring experiences for our teachers and students. Connecting Classrooms is really helping all of us with becoming better global citizens,” said Omar Bouhlel, Dhahran Ahliya Schools — Dammam.
During year two of Connecting Classrooms another 11 partnerships were formed between 24 schools in Saudi and 12 schools in the UK. “I heard from colleagues in other schools that participated in the project how successful and motivating it is and therefore I was very happy when the British Council approached my school. I immediately asked the school management if I could be the project coordinator in the school,” said Mazen Bsat, Najd Private Schools, Riyadh.
Connecting Classrooms partnerships brought together “clusters” of three or more schools from the UK and the Saudi Arabia. Teachers and school leaders from partnership schools receive support and professional development opportunities to build skills in leading internationalism in education. Partnership schools initially meet at a Contact Seminar held in the Middle East. Teachers work together to develop joint curriculum project plans so that classes in their respective schools can learn about each other whilst exploring a mutually relevant topic together.
The Connecting Classrooms partnership is school to school. As the partnership matures and embeds, students throughout the school will learn about the cultural differences and similarities of their peers in their partner school. Through Connecting Classrooms, young learners in Saudi and the region and the UK will be supported to become true “global citizens.”
British Council embarks on two major projects
Mohammed Rasooldeen | Arab News
RIYADH: The British Council, under the umbrella of Social Partnership Projects, runs two large-scale programs, Springboard and Global Changemakers.
Springboard, a women’s self-development program, was introduced to Saudi Arabia in December 2004 as part of the British Council’s plans to develop women’s activities. It has attracted more than 600 Saudi women, all of whom found the program extremely beneficial in boosting their confidence and helping them to further develop their personal and working lives.
The program’s topics included understanding yourself; identifying your values; confidence building; setting goals; networking and support; assertiveness and work life balance.
“Springboard was a turning point in my life. In the past, my mind was full of worries and fear for the future. Springboard filled my inner soul with hope and desire to start a new life with a set of fixed goals to achieve,” one of Springboard’s participants said.
Several success stories that reflect the practical experience in the personal and work life of Springboard participants have emerged, illuminating the path for achieving self-recognition, and preparing the way for more successes.
At the same time, the Global Changemakers project, introduced to Saudi Arabia by the British Council, aims at enhancing the capacity of future leaders to meet global challenges. It links young community and future influencers from diverse backgrounds around the world in a sustainable global network. The participants are emerging talents, aged 16 to 25, who are committed to positive social change in their communities.
Joud Kashgari, an 18-year-old Saudi political science and economics student at the American University in Cairo, is among a group of 60 participants who attended the Guildford forum, representing Saudi Arabia, in the UK in January, 2009. The participants coming from different backgrounds and cultures shared their enthusiasm at Guildford and discussed challenging issues such as climate change, education, intercultural conflict and the devastating impact of poverty.
Additionally, Yazeed Al-Mujali, a 22-year-old global changemaker working at King Saud University as a teaching assistant, participated in the London Summit in April, 2009. Yazeed is one of a group of 20 activists — one representing each of the G-20 economies — all members of the British Council’s Global Changemakers network. The young people shared knowledge, ideas and best practices, and worked individually and together on projects that directly impact the lives of those in their local communities. “1001 School Links” project started in Saudi Arabia in 2006 with 12 private schools on board. The schools from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam formed six partnerships with UK schools and showed great enthusiasm to work on the project. They have continued to lead on the program.
“This year to celebrate the successes of the Connecting Classrooms partnerships between schools in the UK and the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, a regional conference on Internationalism in Education was held in Kuwait at the end of March 2009,” Jim Scarth, director of the British Council in the Kingdom, said.
He added that the two-day conference was a valuable opportunity for the council to explore with its partners on common issues affecting schools in the UK and the Middle East and to look forward to the future for Connecting Classrooms as we work to strengthen its impact and reach in the Middle East.
“It wasn’t the first time we collaborated with the British Council when the 1001 school link project was introduced to our school. The whole idea has not only changed in name but also grew so fast into lots of inspiring experiences for our teachers and students. Connecting Classrooms is really helping all of us with becoming better global citizens,” said Omar Bouhlel, Dhahran Ahliya Schools — Dammam.
During year two of Connecting Classrooms another 11 partnerships were formed between 24 schools in Saudi and 12 schools in the UK. “I heard from colleagues in other schools that participated in the project how successful and motivating it is and therefore I was very happy when the British Council approached my school. I immediately asked the school management if I could be the project coordinator in the school,” said Mazen Bsat, Najd Private Schools, Riyadh.
Connecting Classrooms partnerships brought together “clusters” of three or more schools from the UK and the Saudi Arabia. Teachers and school leaders from partnership schools receive support and professional development opportunities to build skills in leading internationalism in education. Partnership schools initially meet at a Contact Seminar held in the Middle East. Teachers work together to develop joint curriculum project plans so that classes in their respective schools can learn about each other whilst exploring a mutually relevant topic together.
The Connecting Classrooms partnership is school to school. As the partnership matures and embeds, students throughout the school will learn about the cultural differences and similarities of their peers in their partner school. Through Connecting Classrooms, young learners in Saudi and the region and the UK will be supported to become true “global citizens.”
RIYADH: The British Council, under the umbrella of Social Partnership Projects, runs two large-scale programs, Springboard and Global Changemakers.
Springboard, a women’s self-development program, was introduced to Saudi Arabia in December 2004 as part of the British Council’s plans to develop women’s activities. It has attracted more than 600 Saudi women, all of whom found the program extremely beneficial in boosting their confidence and helping them to further develop their personal and working lives.
The program’s topics included understanding yourself; identifying your values; confidence building; setting goals; networking and support; assertiveness and work life balance.
“Springboard was a turning point in my life. In the past, my mind was full of worries and fear for the future. Springboard filled my inner soul with hope and desire to start a new life with a set of fixed goals to achieve,” one of Springboard’s participants said.
Several success stories that reflect the practical experience in the personal and work life of Springboard participants have emerged, illuminating the path for achieving self-recognition, and preparing the way for more successes.
At the same time, the Global Changemakers project, introduced to Saudi Arabia by the British Council, aims at enhancing the capacity of future leaders to meet global challenges. It links young community and future influencers from diverse backgrounds around the world in a sustainable global network. The participants are emerging talents, aged 16 to 25, who are committed to positive social change in their communities.
Joud Kashgari, an 18-year-old Saudi political science and economics student at the American University in Cairo, is among a group of 60 participants who attended the Guildford forum, representing Saudi Arabia, in the UK in January, 2009. The participants coming from different backgrounds and cultures shared their enthusiasm at Guildford and discussed challenging issues such as climate change, education, intercultural conflict and the devastating impact of poverty.
Additionally, Yazeed Al-Mujali, a 22-year-old global changemaker working at King Saud University as a teaching assistant, participated in the London Summit in April, 2009. Yazeed is one of a group of 20 activists — one representing each of the G-20 economies — all members of the British Council’s Global Changemakers network. The young people shared knowledge, ideas and best practices, and worked individually and together on projects that directly impact the lives of those in their local communities. “1001 School Links” project started in Saudi Arabia in 2006 with 12 private schools on board. The schools from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam formed six partnerships with UK schools and showed great enthusiasm to work on the project. They have continued to lead on the program.
“This year to celebrate the successes of the Connecting Classrooms partnerships between schools in the UK and the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, a regional conference on Internationalism in Education was held in Kuwait at the end of March 2009,” Jim Scarth, director of the British Council in the Kingdom, said.
He added that the two-day conference was a valuable opportunity for the council to explore with its partners on common issues affecting schools in the UK and the Middle East and to look forward to the future for Connecting Classrooms as we work to strengthen its impact and reach in the Middle East.
“It wasn’t the first time we collaborated with the British Council when the 1001 school link project was introduced to our school. The whole idea has not only changed in name but also grew so fast into lots of inspiring experiences for our teachers and students. Connecting Classrooms is really helping all of us with becoming better global citizens,” said Omar Bouhlel, Dhahran Ahliya Schools — Dammam.
During year two of Connecting Classrooms another 11 partnerships were formed between 24 schools in Saudi and 12 schools in the UK. “I heard from colleagues in other schools that participated in the project how successful and motivating it is and therefore I was very happy when the British Council approached my school. I immediately asked the school management if I could be the project coordinator in the school,” said Mazen Bsat, Najd Private Schools, Riyadh.
Connecting Classrooms partnerships brought together “clusters” of three or more schools from the UK and the Saudi Arabia. Teachers and school leaders from partnership schools receive support and professional development opportunities to build skills in leading internationalism in education. Partnership schools initially meet at a Contact Seminar held in the Middle East. Teachers work together to develop joint curriculum project plans so that classes in their respective schools can learn about each other whilst exploring a mutually relevant topic together.
The Connecting Classrooms partnership is school to school. As the partnership matures and embeds, students throughout the school will learn about the cultural differences and similarities of their peers in their partner school. Through Connecting Classrooms, young learners in Saudi and the region and the UK will be supported to become true “global citizens.”
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia Suffers Lack of Working Women as Oil Fluctuates
By William Green
June 2 (Bloomberg) -- Deep in the Arabian desert, hundreds of guests celebrate the birth of a city.
The Saudi government has flown them in on chartered planes to the northern city of Hail, then driven them for about half an hour in buses with police escorts to a giant marquee in the sand with a red carpet out front.
Inside, curtains with gold tassels adorn walls decorated with artists’ renditions of Prince Abdulaziz bin Mousaed Economic City, which the government says will be home to 300,000 people when it’s built.
After prayers from the Koran, the ceremony begins with a speech by Amr Al-Dabbagh, head of the ministry that has planned the city, who wears a formal cloak with gold trim. The audience -- all male, except for one woman -- sips tea and plucks chocolates off silver trays.
A film about the city offers a vision of the future: skyscrapers, science labs, kids with laptops in classrooms. As the speeches end, a Muzak version of “Nights in White Satin,” the song by the British group the Moody Blues, wafts from the loudspeakers.
Oil is no longer enough for Saudi Arabia, which is the largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Population Surge
The country’s population has more than tripled to 25 million people from 7.3 million in 1975 -- and 57 percent of all Saudis are under the age of 25. As the population grows, the kingdom’s riches must be spread among more people: In 2008, per- capita gross domestic product was less than $19,000, versus $47,000 in the U.S. and $103,000 in Qatar.
To create jobs for its growing citizenry, the government wants to build cities and diversify into new industries. “The impetus to change has grown as the population has grown,” says Howard Handy, chief economist at Samba Financial Group, a Riyadh-based bank. “They’re very focused on how to find work for all these young people.”
The proposed economic city -- 720 kilometers (450 miles) north of the capital of Riyadh -- is one of four new metropolises that Saudi Arabia is planning in the hope of creating more than a million new jobs by 2020. “Their dream is to become a major industrial power beyond oil,” says Jean- Francois Seznec, who teaches at the center for contemporary Arab studies at Georgetown University in Washington. The Saudis are mainly looking at energy-hungry industries such as plastics, petrochemicals, aluminum and steel.
Oil, Terrorists
The success -- or failure -- of Saudi Arabia’s plans could affect the stability of the whole region, which supplies the world with much of its oil and has also been a breeding ground for terrorists. “It’s a very big, populous country in a risky neighborhood,” Handy says. “It’s the holder of a tremendous amount of oil resources that are of great importance to the global economy. So everybody has an interest in its political future and the development of its economy.”
Recognizing this strategic significance, U.S. President Barack Obama plans to visit King Abdullah in Riyadh tomorrow to discuss such issues as peace in the Middle East, terrorism and the price of oil. Obama has said he intends to tell the king that “huge spikes” in energy prices would hurt the interests of both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
Sitting on nearly a quarter of the world’s known oil reserves, the kingdom can afford lavish dreams. As crude oil surged to a peak of $147 a barrel in July 2008, the state-owned oil and gas company, Saudi Aramco, generated as much as $1 billion a day in revenue.
Foreign Holdings
The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency -- the nation’s central bank -- built up its holdings of foreign assets such as bonds and currencies to $546 billion in October 2008 from $98 billion in 2003. Saudi Arabia’s total 2008 GDP of $482 billion dwarfed that of every other Middle Eastern nation.
For all of its wealth, Saudi Arabia has felt the effects of the global economic crisis as oil tumbled to $34 a barrel in December before rising to $68 yesterday. The four-city project is a scaled-back version of the original plan for six new urban centers. With banks and investors avoiding risk, more than $60 billion of projects have been canceled or delayed, Handy says.
The decline in oil prices and a 71 percent plunge in the nation’s Tadawul All Share Index since its February 2006 peak have shaken confidence. Handy expects GDP to shrink by 1.8 percent this year after growing 4.2 percent in 2008.
Restrictions on Women
Until recently, most Saudis haven’t needed to hold jobs. The government provides free education and health care and levies no personal income tax. An immigrant population of 6.5 million people performs almost all of the kingdom’s menial tasks. In 2007, just 4 million Saudis worked, according to the Ministry of Economy and Planning.
Only a fraction of the labor force is female, in part because of constraints placed on women by the government’s strict interpretation of Islam. They’re not allowed to mix in public with men who aren’t related to them, for instance, and are prohibited from driving cars.
With the population growing and inflation averaging 9.9 percent last year, there’s an economic need for more women to hold jobs. “Unless you’re very wealthy in Saudi Arabia, you cannot maintain a comfortable standard of living without two incomes,” says John Sfakianakis, chief economist at SABB, a Riyadh-based bank. “That is compelling women to work.”
Opening Up Insurance
Under its octogenarian ruler, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the country has been trying to modernize its economy. It wants to attract foreign investment -- including $500 billion for the new cities -- and has opened up industries such as insurance that were previously off-limits to foreign firms.
In its 2009 Ease of Doing Business report, the World Bank ranks Saudi Arabia 16th out of 181 countries, up from 67th in 2004. The kingdom attracted $24.3 billion in foreign direct investment in 2007, according to the latest available figures from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, compared with just $183 million in 2000.
Seznec says two big challenges remain: improving the quality of education and advancing the status of women in the workplace. “These are the two lines in the sand where the battle is taking place between the reformists and the religious forces in the kingdom,” he says.
King Abdullah favors change, talking in a 2007 speech of the need to create a “culture of labor,” for example. He also appointed a female deputy minister for girls’ education in February, the highest government rank a Saudi woman has attained.
First Co-Ed School
And he has authorized Saudi Aramco to create the country’s first co-ed school, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, which will open in September.
Saudi Arabia isn’t the only country in the region moving to empower women. In May, neighboring Kuwait elected four women to its parliament.
The Saudi king and his ministers are “very logical and reasonable but are moving very slowly,” says Sherifa Zuhur, a Middle East expert at the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute.
“The majority of Saudi people are extremely conservative and not inclined to make any significant change.”
Saudi Arabia needs to prepare its youth for the workplace lest they become restive and more prone to terrorism, SABB’s Sfakianakis says. “These young people need to be empowered,” he says. “They can become untamed and uncontrolled if you fail to provide the right education, skills and jobs.”
Striking Oil
Since 1938, when American drillers in the eastern desert struck oil in a well called Dammam No. 7, Saudi Arabia’s economy has been entwined with those of its allies in the West.
For decades, the kingdom provided plentiful supplies at low prices: Throughout the 1960s, oil fetched less than $3 a barrel. Then in 1973, Saudi Arabia led an Arab embargo on oil sales to the U.S. and other supporters of Israel during the Yom Kippur War. Within months, oil hit $12 a barrel, sending economic shock waves around the world.
The embargo was the start of an oil-fueled boom for Saudi Arabia. As the price soared to $39.50 by 1980, the year that war broke out between Iraq and Iran, newly wealthy Saudis became archetypes of excess, notorious in the West for squandering fortunes on everything from jewels to trophy properties.
In the 1980s, global growth slowed and oil sank to less than $10 a barrel in 1986. Then, in 2003, a new oil boom gathered pace: Prices climbed sevenfold by 2008, with rising consumption in China and India stoking concerns that oil reserves would not keep pace with demand.
Record State Budget
Saudi Arabia is still living on the spoils of that second boom. In December, King Abdullah announced a record $126.7 billion state budget for 2009. The money will pay for 1,500 new schools, 86 hospitals and the world’s largest women-only university.
Saudi Arabia has hundreds of billions of dollars of reserves while its debt amounts to only 15 percent of GDP.
“It’s really well positioned to face the global slowdown,” says Abdelhak Senhadji, the IMF’s mission chief for Saudi Arabia.
Still, the country remains vulnerable to fluctuations in the price of oil, which accounted for half of GDP and 90 percent of government revenue in 2007.
“The major economic challenge is to develop engines of growth that don’t have anything to do with oil and that work through the cycle, whether the price of oil is down or up,” says Brad Bourland, chief economist at Jadwa Investment, a Riyadh- based investment bank.
New Cities
To drive growth, new metropolises such as King Abdullah Economic City, beside the Red Sea, need help from foreign investors.
The city, designed to house 2 million people and employ 1 million, will cost $100 billion to build, says Fahd Al- Rasheed, CEO of Emaar, the Economic City, a Saudi-listed company formed in 2006 to oversee the development.
In addition to a “financial island” with office towers as high as 120 stories, the city would also include what the developers call Plastics Valley. Saudi Arabia can produce plastics cheaply because of its vast supply of petroleum, Al- Rasheed says.
In the desert heat, foreign laborers from countries such as India and Bangladesh toil in constructing the skeleton of King Abdullah city, burying sewage pipes, leveling roads and building the first blocks of offices and apartments.
Thousands of newly planted palm trees flank the road to the city’s main gate, which is decorated with an image of the king. There are no signs yet of the port or the towers.
Private Investors Sought
Al-Rasheed, 31, says the total cost of building the four cities will be about $157 billion. The government expects most of that to come from private investors ranging from plastics producers to mall developers to operators of private schools, which the government hopes to lure in part with tax breaks.
Early investors include the Kuwaiti company Al Mal Investment Co., appointed to develop Prince Abdulaziz bin Mousaed Economic City, and Abu Dhabi-based Rotana Hotel Management Corp., which plans to operate a luxury hotel there.
The government will provide land and fund a few projects such as the city’s train station.
Many other potential investors, strapped by the financial crisis, may not come. “The appetite for such things is really reduced,” Sfakianakis says. “It’s not an opportune time.” With hindsight, the Saudis’ original project now seems too ambitious, he says, evoking the grandiose developments conceived during the boom in Gulf neighbor Dubai.
“There was a little bit of Dubai-ness to it,” he says. “Let’s not build one; let’s build six.”
Demand for Homes
Al-Rasheed disagrees. He says rapid population growth will create demand for millions of new homes.
And the financial crisis has helped the cities because construction costs have tumbled along with the prices of property in the region, he says.
Some foreign companies are hoping to profit from building contracts in the cities. Cisco Systems Inc. is designing the technological infrastructure -- everything from broadband Internet connections to video surveillance systems to traffic control -- for all four of them.
Cisco will invest $250 million in Saudi Arabia during the next five years, says Wim Elfrink, Cisco’s chief globalization officer. Al-Dabbagh, the minister in charge of the cities, has asked Cisco to provide the world’s fastest broadband Internet connections.
“It’s one of these countries where we see a transformation going on,” Elfrink says.
Scottish Widows, KKR
Other investors are moving into the kingdom, too. Edinburgh-based Scottish Widows Investment Partnership Ltd. last year opened an asset management outpost in Riyadh.
“There are very real opportunities here that don’t exist in other parts of the Gulf,” says Peter Dorward, CEO of the company’s Saudi unit. “The Saudi economy is bigger than all of the other Gulf Cooperation Council economies put together.”
Scottish Widows hopes to manage assets for insurers that have been granted licenses to operate there, Dorward says. He’s also looking to create a fund to invest in property as population growth accentuates a shortage of homes, hotels and offices in cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah.
“Real estate has to be an opportunity when you’ve got that sort of demand,” he says.
The housing market should continue to grow in Riyadh as the population of 4.6 million increases by 3 percent a year, says a fourth-quarter review of the city’s property market by the Chicago real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle.
Another foreign company eying investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia is Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. In May, the leveraged buyout firm named Ford Fraker, the former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as a senior adviser.
No Alcohol, No Cinemas
Western executives who venture to Saudi Arabia enter a world bearing little relation to their own. The Saudi government bans alcohol, outlaws cinemas and forbids the public practice of any religion other than Islam.
The government blocks Web sites featuring pornography, gambling or anything else deemed to “violate the tenets of the Islamic religion or societal norms.” Adultery and homosexuality are crimes punishable by death.
Reporters Without Borders ranks the kingdom 161st out of 173 countries in terms of freedom of the press.
Even something as mundane as shopping is tightly regulated.
At the entrance to Riyadh’s Al Faisaliah Mall, a sign warns that Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are for “families only.” On those days, women eat with their husbands and children in the main area of the food court; at other times, when unmarried men might see them, women must sit in a “family section,” cordoned off by a wall.
Women Segregated
As in all public settings, every woman in the mall -- regardless of nationality -- must wear a black, floor-length cloak called an abaya. Saudi women must cover their hair with a hijab, or head scarf, and many cover their faces too.
Security guards keep control, repeatedly stopping and questioning single men. The kingdom also has a religious police force -- the Commission for the Protection of Virtue and the Suppression of Vice -- which patrols the streets to ensure that women cover their hair and don’t meet with men who aren’t related to them.
Such rules make it difficult for Saudi Arabia to attract foreign talent.
“I’ve lived in 11 countries, and this is off the charts,” says a Western banker in Riyadh who asked not to be named. “It’s a dreadfully dreary place.”
After two weeks there, his wife left to live overseas, while he stayed to finish an assignment that fascinates him. He says government ministers and rich Saudi businessmen live by their own rules in their opulent homes, routinely serving guests the finest wines.
‘I Have a Nightmare’
“It’s a badge of distinction to have an open bar,” he says. “It immediately declares he’s above the system.”
For him, the idea of being caught with so much as a bottle of Scotch is terrifying: “I have a nightmare that some day I’ll be driving home and I’ll get stopped by the police and thrown in jail.”
“Saudi Arabia has an advanced social fabric with many expatriates who enjoy the standard and quality of living here,” responds Fahd Hamidaddin, general director of corporate communications at the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority. “It’s different from other countries and is proud to be so. However, these differences have not been an obstacle to record growth in foreign direct investment flows or the rich trading history we have with Western economies.”
Homemade Wine, Machine Guns
Westerners who land well-paying jobs typically live in gated compounds reserved for foreigners. There, expats drink homemade wine and alcohol smuggled in from countries such as Bahrain, while Western women are free to wear shorts.
At Eid Villas in Riyadh, the amenities include tennis courts, bowling alleys and five swimming pools. With kids biking and rollerblading in the streets, it could easily be an American suburb -- if not for the gun-toting soldiers in bulletproof vests at the front gate or the armored vehicle with a machine gun mounted on its roof.
The soldiers are a legacy of a spate of terrorist attacks from 2002 to 2005, including one in 2003 in which suicide bombers killed more than 20 foreigners at three expatriate compounds.
In October, the government said it had indicted 991 suspected militants it considers responsible for 30 attacks. “There’s been a tremendous change in terms of security,” says economist Sfakianakis, who moved in 2004 to one of the compounds that was bombed the previous year.
Al-Qaeda
“They basically broke the back of al-Qaeda,” says Sir William Patey, Britain’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia. “I’m sure there are still people in the country who are radicalized and extreme, but the security forces are keeping pressure on them. It’s a much more difficult operating environment for terrorists than three or four years ago.”
Even so, the taint of terrorism persists for the country that gave the world Osama bin Laden and 15 of the 19 hijackers who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks.
“We are battling misconceptions,” says Ahmed Abdulkarim, CEO of Cadre Economic Cities Co., a nonprofit that educates and trains Saudi workers for the new cities. “People do not know Saudi Arabia. If they do, they’ll be talking about terrorism and bombing and Osama bin Laden.”
Saudi Arabia isn’t a hotbed of terrorism, Abdulkarim says. “There are people who have done lots of misdeeds, and they have smeared the entire nation,” he says.
Abdulkarim, who worked in Europe for Procter & Gamble, says Saudi Arabia’s image is a recurring obstacle in talks with potential foreign investors.
Resumes from Dubai, London
Lately, hiring has become easier as resumes flow in from humbled cities such as Dubai and London, he says. In the past, foreigners expected hardship money to live in Saudi Arabia. “Now these people are coming with a pay cut,” he says.
Finding good workers domestically is just as difficult, says Mohammed Hafiz, CEO of Al-Sawani Group, a clothing retailer with about 1,500 salesmen. “You face the issue of education and commitment,” he says. “There’s very high turnover.”
Hafiz is sitting one evening at an outdoor restaurant in Jeddah with about a dozen other Saudi businessmen, discussing the biggest issues confronting them. “We always had money,” says Reda Islam, CEO of Future Waves, a Jeddah-based technology consulting firm. “Nobody needed to work. We were spoiled.”
Cadre’s Abdulkarim, whose mandate is to train 200,000 Saudis over 15 years to work at globally competitive levels, says state schools are out of touch with the needs of the marketplace because they emphasize memorization over problem solving.
Islamic Studies Focus
Georgetown’s Seznec says the curriculum focuses so heavily on Islamic studies that it neglects subjects such as math and science, which leaves students with inadequate practical skills.
At advanced levels, Saudi Arabia ranks 86th out of 131 countries in the quality of its math and science education, according to Harvard University’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness.
While women account for 57 percent of higher-education graduates, they make up only 15 percent of the workforce. Those that work tend to be limited to a few fields: 86 percent are in education, 6 percent are in health care and 4 percent are in public administration.
Of 5.8 million people working in the private sector, only 51,000 are Saudi women.
Women face tough restrictions in the workplace in addition to having to wear a hijab. “If there is a department which employs a woman who works in a job that does not suit her nature or leads to mixing with men, then this is wrong and should be avoided,” the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency wrote to banks last year.
‘A Man’s Country’
Working women also say they’re underutilized. “It’s still a man’s country,” says Amal Al Olayan, 34, who studied health sciences at a women’s college in Jeddah. Al Olayan began her career in 1997 as an unpaid employee at a hospital laboratory and now works in human resources for a mall developer.
“I did not do what I really wanted to do, but at least I did something for myself and my kid,” she says.
Al Olayan, who is divorced, says she’d move to England, where she spent much of her childhood, if it didn’t mean leaving her 12-year-old son, who lives with her ex-husband. Under Saudi law, the boy cannot see her without his father’s permission.
Until 2005, a Saudi woman couldn’t start a business without a male manager to handle responsibilities such as signing company checks. Since then, a handful of women have become well- known entrepreneurs, including Nahed Taher, who founded Gulf One Investment Bank in 2006 with $100 million in capital.
Supported by Colleagues
Taher, 40, spent part of her youth in Texas before earning a Ph.D. in economics at Lancaster University in the U.K. In 2002, Taher became a senior economist at National Commercial Bank in Jeddah, where she says she was the first woman in a building with 4,000 employees.
“I’ve honestly been supported all the way through -- by colleagues, by the government, by royals and by investors,” says Taher, who dresses in Western clothes and leaves her head uncovered at work.
Still, the authorities send mixed signals about women’s freedom. The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority invited female speakers such as Ireland’s former president, Mary Robinson, to a conference in Riyadh in January. But they were required to wear black abayas.
Saudi female audience members at first were segregated by a dividing wall from male attendees and foreign women. By the third day of the conference, though, several Saudi women had moved into the men’s section and were left undisturbed.
Less Insular
Saudis say that by their standards, things are moving rapidly. “We sit in the eye of the storm of change,” says Ammar Alkhudairy, CEO of Riyadh-based private equity firm Amwal AlKhaleej. “Ten years ago, we were much more insular.”
The government no longer decrees which companies can go public, he says. Today, it’s far easier for an entrepreneur to register a business, take it public and even sell stakes to overseas investors.
For the country to meet its economic ambitions, change will have to come faster, Georgetown’s Seznec says. “There’s not enough progress in modernizing education, and they’re not allowing women to develop fast enough in the workplace,” he says. “They’re aware of this, but it’s very, very slow.”
In the long run, the king and modernizing ministers are likely to prevail over the religious conservatives who have dominated areas such as education and the judicial system. “I’m convinced the reformists are winning the battle,” Seznec says. “They’re marginalizing the conservatives.”
Financial Crisis
The financial crisis poses a more immediate threat. Hurt by low prices and a drop in output, the portion of Saudi Arabia’s GDP that comes from selling oil will fall 10.5 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.
At home, people who’ve lost money on stocks and real estate are cutting back on spending and investment. Even the powerful merchant families that dominate the private sector have suffered.
“I have friends who have literally lost hundreds of millions of dollars,” says Loay Nazer, chairman of the Nazer Group, a company in Jeddah with interests ranging from public relations to health care.
Alkhudairy agrees. “Everybody has seen a ghost,” he says. “Nobody is investing; nobody is buying.”
Once this crisis passes, the government expects that its efforts to modernize will drive a boom in foreign investment. “Saudi Arabia is a country that is aggressively changing its economic landscape,” says Hamidaddin of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority.
Grass and Flowers
Saudi Arabia is even trying to change its topography. In King Abdullah Economic City on the shores of the Red Sea, laborers are dredging canals in the sand and planting patches of lush grass and flowers.
Guides from Emaar show visitors architects’ models of villas as large as 12,000 square meters (129,167 square feet). Prospective buyers can also tour a show apartment with a trompe l’oeil mural that depicts the view residents could have of a fountain beside the sea.
Though change seems slow to outsiders, Saudis such as Nazer are confident that the modernized society the country is striving for will become a concrete reality. “The mood here is very cautious, not nervous,” he says. “You can’t be nervous when you’re sitting on the largest oil reserves in the world.”
June 2 (Bloomberg) -- Deep in the Arabian desert, hundreds of guests celebrate the birth of a city.
The Saudi government has flown them in on chartered planes to the northern city of Hail, then driven them for about half an hour in buses with police escorts to a giant marquee in the sand with a red carpet out front.
Inside, curtains with gold tassels adorn walls decorated with artists’ renditions of Prince Abdulaziz bin Mousaed Economic City, which the government says will be home to 300,000 people when it’s built.
After prayers from the Koran, the ceremony begins with a speech by Amr Al-Dabbagh, head of the ministry that has planned the city, who wears a formal cloak with gold trim. The audience -- all male, except for one woman -- sips tea and plucks chocolates off silver trays.
A film about the city offers a vision of the future: skyscrapers, science labs, kids with laptops in classrooms. As the speeches end, a Muzak version of “Nights in White Satin,” the song by the British group the Moody Blues, wafts from the loudspeakers.
Oil is no longer enough for Saudi Arabia, which is the largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Population Surge
The country’s population has more than tripled to 25 million people from 7.3 million in 1975 -- and 57 percent of all Saudis are under the age of 25. As the population grows, the kingdom’s riches must be spread among more people: In 2008, per- capita gross domestic product was less than $19,000, versus $47,000 in the U.S. and $103,000 in Qatar.
To create jobs for its growing citizenry, the government wants to build cities and diversify into new industries. “The impetus to change has grown as the population has grown,” says Howard Handy, chief economist at Samba Financial Group, a Riyadh-based bank. “They’re very focused on how to find work for all these young people.”
The proposed economic city -- 720 kilometers (450 miles) north of the capital of Riyadh -- is one of four new metropolises that Saudi Arabia is planning in the hope of creating more than a million new jobs by 2020. “Their dream is to become a major industrial power beyond oil,” says Jean- Francois Seznec, who teaches at the center for contemporary Arab studies at Georgetown University in Washington. The Saudis are mainly looking at energy-hungry industries such as plastics, petrochemicals, aluminum and steel.
Oil, Terrorists
The success -- or failure -- of Saudi Arabia’s plans could affect the stability of the whole region, which supplies the world with much of its oil and has also been a breeding ground for terrorists. “It’s a very big, populous country in a risky neighborhood,” Handy says. “It’s the holder of a tremendous amount of oil resources that are of great importance to the global economy. So everybody has an interest in its political future and the development of its economy.”
Recognizing this strategic significance, U.S. President Barack Obama plans to visit King Abdullah in Riyadh tomorrow to discuss such issues as peace in the Middle East, terrorism and the price of oil. Obama has said he intends to tell the king that “huge spikes” in energy prices would hurt the interests of both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
Sitting on nearly a quarter of the world’s known oil reserves, the kingdom can afford lavish dreams. As crude oil surged to a peak of $147 a barrel in July 2008, the state-owned oil and gas company, Saudi Aramco, generated as much as $1 billion a day in revenue.
Foreign Holdings
The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency -- the nation’s central bank -- built up its holdings of foreign assets such as bonds and currencies to $546 billion in October 2008 from $98 billion in 2003. Saudi Arabia’s total 2008 GDP of $482 billion dwarfed that of every other Middle Eastern nation.
For all of its wealth, Saudi Arabia has felt the effects of the global economic crisis as oil tumbled to $34 a barrel in December before rising to $68 yesterday. The four-city project is a scaled-back version of the original plan for six new urban centers. With banks and investors avoiding risk, more than $60 billion of projects have been canceled or delayed, Handy says.
The decline in oil prices and a 71 percent plunge in the nation’s Tadawul All Share Index since its February 2006 peak have shaken confidence. Handy expects GDP to shrink by 1.8 percent this year after growing 4.2 percent in 2008.
Restrictions on Women
Until recently, most Saudis haven’t needed to hold jobs. The government provides free education and health care and levies no personal income tax. An immigrant population of 6.5 million people performs almost all of the kingdom’s menial tasks. In 2007, just 4 million Saudis worked, according to the Ministry of Economy and Planning.
Only a fraction of the labor force is female, in part because of constraints placed on women by the government’s strict interpretation of Islam. They’re not allowed to mix in public with men who aren’t related to them, for instance, and are prohibited from driving cars.
With the population growing and inflation averaging 9.9 percent last year, there’s an economic need for more women to hold jobs. “Unless you’re very wealthy in Saudi Arabia, you cannot maintain a comfortable standard of living without two incomes,” says John Sfakianakis, chief economist at SABB, a Riyadh-based bank. “That is compelling women to work.”
Opening Up Insurance
Under its octogenarian ruler, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the country has been trying to modernize its economy. It wants to attract foreign investment -- including $500 billion for the new cities -- and has opened up industries such as insurance that were previously off-limits to foreign firms.
In its 2009 Ease of Doing Business report, the World Bank ranks Saudi Arabia 16th out of 181 countries, up from 67th in 2004. The kingdom attracted $24.3 billion in foreign direct investment in 2007, according to the latest available figures from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, compared with just $183 million in 2000.
Seznec says two big challenges remain: improving the quality of education and advancing the status of women in the workplace. “These are the two lines in the sand where the battle is taking place between the reformists and the religious forces in the kingdom,” he says.
King Abdullah favors change, talking in a 2007 speech of the need to create a “culture of labor,” for example. He also appointed a female deputy minister for girls’ education in February, the highest government rank a Saudi woman has attained.
First Co-Ed School
And he has authorized Saudi Aramco to create the country’s first co-ed school, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, which will open in September.
Saudi Arabia isn’t the only country in the region moving to empower women. In May, neighboring Kuwait elected four women to its parliament.
The Saudi king and his ministers are “very logical and reasonable but are moving very slowly,” says Sherifa Zuhur, a Middle East expert at the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute.
“The majority of Saudi people are extremely conservative and not inclined to make any significant change.”
Saudi Arabia needs to prepare its youth for the workplace lest they become restive and more prone to terrorism, SABB’s Sfakianakis says. “These young people need to be empowered,” he says. “They can become untamed and uncontrolled if you fail to provide the right education, skills and jobs.”
Striking Oil
Since 1938, when American drillers in the eastern desert struck oil in a well called Dammam No. 7, Saudi Arabia’s economy has been entwined with those of its allies in the West.
For decades, the kingdom provided plentiful supplies at low prices: Throughout the 1960s, oil fetched less than $3 a barrel. Then in 1973, Saudi Arabia led an Arab embargo on oil sales to the U.S. and other supporters of Israel during the Yom Kippur War. Within months, oil hit $12 a barrel, sending economic shock waves around the world.
The embargo was the start of an oil-fueled boom for Saudi Arabia. As the price soared to $39.50 by 1980, the year that war broke out between Iraq and Iran, newly wealthy Saudis became archetypes of excess, notorious in the West for squandering fortunes on everything from jewels to trophy properties.
In the 1980s, global growth slowed and oil sank to less than $10 a barrel in 1986. Then, in 2003, a new oil boom gathered pace: Prices climbed sevenfold by 2008, with rising consumption in China and India stoking concerns that oil reserves would not keep pace with demand.
Record State Budget
Saudi Arabia is still living on the spoils of that second boom. In December, King Abdullah announced a record $126.7 billion state budget for 2009. The money will pay for 1,500 new schools, 86 hospitals and the world’s largest women-only university.
Saudi Arabia has hundreds of billions of dollars of reserves while its debt amounts to only 15 percent of GDP.
“It’s really well positioned to face the global slowdown,” says Abdelhak Senhadji, the IMF’s mission chief for Saudi Arabia.
Still, the country remains vulnerable to fluctuations in the price of oil, which accounted for half of GDP and 90 percent of government revenue in 2007.
“The major economic challenge is to develop engines of growth that don’t have anything to do with oil and that work through the cycle, whether the price of oil is down or up,” says Brad Bourland, chief economist at Jadwa Investment, a Riyadh- based investment bank.
New Cities
To drive growth, new metropolises such as King Abdullah Economic City, beside the Red Sea, need help from foreign investors.
The city, designed to house 2 million people and employ 1 million, will cost $100 billion to build, says Fahd Al- Rasheed, CEO of Emaar, the Economic City, a Saudi-listed company formed in 2006 to oversee the development.
In addition to a “financial island” with office towers as high as 120 stories, the city would also include what the developers call Plastics Valley. Saudi Arabia can produce plastics cheaply because of its vast supply of petroleum, Al- Rasheed says.
In the desert heat, foreign laborers from countries such as India and Bangladesh toil in constructing the skeleton of King Abdullah city, burying sewage pipes, leveling roads and building the first blocks of offices and apartments.
Thousands of newly planted palm trees flank the road to the city’s main gate, which is decorated with an image of the king. There are no signs yet of the port or the towers.
Private Investors Sought
Al-Rasheed, 31, says the total cost of building the four cities will be about $157 billion. The government expects most of that to come from private investors ranging from plastics producers to mall developers to operators of private schools, which the government hopes to lure in part with tax breaks.
Early investors include the Kuwaiti company Al Mal Investment Co., appointed to develop Prince Abdulaziz bin Mousaed Economic City, and Abu Dhabi-based Rotana Hotel Management Corp., which plans to operate a luxury hotel there.
The government will provide land and fund a few projects such as the city’s train station.
Many other potential investors, strapped by the financial crisis, may not come. “The appetite for such things is really reduced,” Sfakianakis says. “It’s not an opportune time.” With hindsight, the Saudis’ original project now seems too ambitious, he says, evoking the grandiose developments conceived during the boom in Gulf neighbor Dubai.
“There was a little bit of Dubai-ness to it,” he says. “Let’s not build one; let’s build six.”
Demand for Homes
Al-Rasheed disagrees. He says rapid population growth will create demand for millions of new homes.
And the financial crisis has helped the cities because construction costs have tumbled along with the prices of property in the region, he says.
Some foreign companies are hoping to profit from building contracts in the cities. Cisco Systems Inc. is designing the technological infrastructure -- everything from broadband Internet connections to video surveillance systems to traffic control -- for all four of them.
Cisco will invest $250 million in Saudi Arabia during the next five years, says Wim Elfrink, Cisco’s chief globalization officer. Al-Dabbagh, the minister in charge of the cities, has asked Cisco to provide the world’s fastest broadband Internet connections.
“It’s one of these countries where we see a transformation going on,” Elfrink says.
Scottish Widows, KKR
Other investors are moving into the kingdom, too. Edinburgh-based Scottish Widows Investment Partnership Ltd. last year opened an asset management outpost in Riyadh.
“There are very real opportunities here that don’t exist in other parts of the Gulf,” says Peter Dorward, CEO of the company’s Saudi unit. “The Saudi economy is bigger than all of the other Gulf Cooperation Council economies put together.”
Scottish Widows hopes to manage assets for insurers that have been granted licenses to operate there, Dorward says. He’s also looking to create a fund to invest in property as population growth accentuates a shortage of homes, hotels and offices in cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah.
“Real estate has to be an opportunity when you’ve got that sort of demand,” he says.
The housing market should continue to grow in Riyadh as the population of 4.6 million increases by 3 percent a year, says a fourth-quarter review of the city’s property market by the Chicago real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle.
Another foreign company eying investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia is Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. In May, the leveraged buyout firm named Ford Fraker, the former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as a senior adviser.
No Alcohol, No Cinemas
Western executives who venture to Saudi Arabia enter a world bearing little relation to their own. The Saudi government bans alcohol, outlaws cinemas and forbids the public practice of any religion other than Islam.
The government blocks Web sites featuring pornography, gambling or anything else deemed to “violate the tenets of the Islamic religion or societal norms.” Adultery and homosexuality are crimes punishable by death.
Reporters Without Borders ranks the kingdom 161st out of 173 countries in terms of freedom of the press.
Even something as mundane as shopping is tightly regulated.
At the entrance to Riyadh’s Al Faisaliah Mall, a sign warns that Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are for “families only.” On those days, women eat with their husbands and children in the main area of the food court; at other times, when unmarried men might see them, women must sit in a “family section,” cordoned off by a wall.
Women Segregated
As in all public settings, every woman in the mall -- regardless of nationality -- must wear a black, floor-length cloak called an abaya. Saudi women must cover their hair with a hijab, or head scarf, and many cover their faces too.
Security guards keep control, repeatedly stopping and questioning single men. The kingdom also has a religious police force -- the Commission for the Protection of Virtue and the Suppression of Vice -- which patrols the streets to ensure that women cover their hair and don’t meet with men who aren’t related to them.
Such rules make it difficult for Saudi Arabia to attract foreign talent.
“I’ve lived in 11 countries, and this is off the charts,” says a Western banker in Riyadh who asked not to be named. “It’s a dreadfully dreary place.”
After two weeks there, his wife left to live overseas, while he stayed to finish an assignment that fascinates him. He says government ministers and rich Saudi businessmen live by their own rules in their opulent homes, routinely serving guests the finest wines.
‘I Have a Nightmare’
“It’s a badge of distinction to have an open bar,” he says. “It immediately declares he’s above the system.”
For him, the idea of being caught with so much as a bottle of Scotch is terrifying: “I have a nightmare that some day I’ll be driving home and I’ll get stopped by the police and thrown in jail.”
“Saudi Arabia has an advanced social fabric with many expatriates who enjoy the standard and quality of living here,” responds Fahd Hamidaddin, general director of corporate communications at the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority. “It’s different from other countries and is proud to be so. However, these differences have not been an obstacle to record growth in foreign direct investment flows or the rich trading history we have with Western economies.”
Homemade Wine, Machine Guns
Westerners who land well-paying jobs typically live in gated compounds reserved for foreigners. There, expats drink homemade wine and alcohol smuggled in from countries such as Bahrain, while Western women are free to wear shorts.
At Eid Villas in Riyadh, the amenities include tennis courts, bowling alleys and five swimming pools. With kids biking and rollerblading in the streets, it could easily be an American suburb -- if not for the gun-toting soldiers in bulletproof vests at the front gate or the armored vehicle with a machine gun mounted on its roof.
The soldiers are a legacy of a spate of terrorist attacks from 2002 to 2005, including one in 2003 in which suicide bombers killed more than 20 foreigners at three expatriate compounds.
In October, the government said it had indicted 991 suspected militants it considers responsible for 30 attacks. “There’s been a tremendous change in terms of security,” says economist Sfakianakis, who moved in 2004 to one of the compounds that was bombed the previous year.
Al-Qaeda
“They basically broke the back of al-Qaeda,” says Sir William Patey, Britain’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia. “I’m sure there are still people in the country who are radicalized and extreme, but the security forces are keeping pressure on them. It’s a much more difficult operating environment for terrorists than three or four years ago.”
Even so, the taint of terrorism persists for the country that gave the world Osama bin Laden and 15 of the 19 hijackers who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks.
“We are battling misconceptions,” says Ahmed Abdulkarim, CEO of Cadre Economic Cities Co., a nonprofit that educates and trains Saudi workers for the new cities. “People do not know Saudi Arabia. If they do, they’ll be talking about terrorism and bombing and Osama bin Laden.”
Saudi Arabia isn’t a hotbed of terrorism, Abdulkarim says. “There are people who have done lots of misdeeds, and they have smeared the entire nation,” he says.
Abdulkarim, who worked in Europe for Procter & Gamble, says Saudi Arabia’s image is a recurring obstacle in talks with potential foreign investors.
Resumes from Dubai, London
Lately, hiring has become easier as resumes flow in from humbled cities such as Dubai and London, he says. In the past, foreigners expected hardship money to live in Saudi Arabia. “Now these people are coming with a pay cut,” he says.
Finding good workers domestically is just as difficult, says Mohammed Hafiz, CEO of Al-Sawani Group, a clothing retailer with about 1,500 salesmen. “You face the issue of education and commitment,” he says. “There’s very high turnover.”
Hafiz is sitting one evening at an outdoor restaurant in Jeddah with about a dozen other Saudi businessmen, discussing the biggest issues confronting them. “We always had money,” says Reda Islam, CEO of Future Waves, a Jeddah-based technology consulting firm. “Nobody needed to work. We were spoiled.”
Cadre’s Abdulkarim, whose mandate is to train 200,000 Saudis over 15 years to work at globally competitive levels, says state schools are out of touch with the needs of the marketplace because they emphasize memorization over problem solving.
Islamic Studies Focus
Georgetown’s Seznec says the curriculum focuses so heavily on Islamic studies that it neglects subjects such as math and science, which leaves students with inadequate practical skills.
At advanced levels, Saudi Arabia ranks 86th out of 131 countries in the quality of its math and science education, according to Harvard University’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness.
While women account for 57 percent of higher-education graduates, they make up only 15 percent of the workforce. Those that work tend to be limited to a few fields: 86 percent are in education, 6 percent are in health care and 4 percent are in public administration.
Of 5.8 million people working in the private sector, only 51,000 are Saudi women.
Women face tough restrictions in the workplace in addition to having to wear a hijab. “If there is a department which employs a woman who works in a job that does not suit her nature or leads to mixing with men, then this is wrong and should be avoided,” the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency wrote to banks last year.
‘A Man’s Country’
Working women also say they’re underutilized. “It’s still a man’s country,” says Amal Al Olayan, 34, who studied health sciences at a women’s college in Jeddah. Al Olayan began her career in 1997 as an unpaid employee at a hospital laboratory and now works in human resources for a mall developer.
“I did not do what I really wanted to do, but at least I did something for myself and my kid,” she says.
Al Olayan, who is divorced, says she’d move to England, where she spent much of her childhood, if it didn’t mean leaving her 12-year-old son, who lives with her ex-husband. Under Saudi law, the boy cannot see her without his father’s permission.
Until 2005, a Saudi woman couldn’t start a business without a male manager to handle responsibilities such as signing company checks. Since then, a handful of women have become well- known entrepreneurs, including Nahed Taher, who founded Gulf One Investment Bank in 2006 with $100 million in capital.
Supported by Colleagues
Taher, 40, spent part of her youth in Texas before earning a Ph.D. in economics at Lancaster University in the U.K. In 2002, Taher became a senior economist at National Commercial Bank in Jeddah, where she says she was the first woman in a building with 4,000 employees.
“I’ve honestly been supported all the way through -- by colleagues, by the government, by royals and by investors,” says Taher, who dresses in Western clothes and leaves her head uncovered at work.
Still, the authorities send mixed signals about women’s freedom. The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority invited female speakers such as Ireland’s former president, Mary Robinson, to a conference in Riyadh in January. But they were required to wear black abayas.
Saudi female audience members at first were segregated by a dividing wall from male attendees and foreign women. By the third day of the conference, though, several Saudi women had moved into the men’s section and were left undisturbed.
Less Insular
Saudis say that by their standards, things are moving rapidly. “We sit in the eye of the storm of change,” says Ammar Alkhudairy, CEO of Riyadh-based private equity firm Amwal AlKhaleej. “Ten years ago, we were much more insular.”
The government no longer decrees which companies can go public, he says. Today, it’s far easier for an entrepreneur to register a business, take it public and even sell stakes to overseas investors.
For the country to meet its economic ambitions, change will have to come faster, Georgetown’s Seznec says. “There’s not enough progress in modernizing education, and they’re not allowing women to develop fast enough in the workplace,” he says. “They’re aware of this, but it’s very, very slow.”
In the long run, the king and modernizing ministers are likely to prevail over the religious conservatives who have dominated areas such as education and the judicial system. “I’m convinced the reformists are winning the battle,” Seznec says. “They’re marginalizing the conservatives.”
Financial Crisis
The financial crisis poses a more immediate threat. Hurt by low prices and a drop in output, the portion of Saudi Arabia’s GDP that comes from selling oil will fall 10.5 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.
At home, people who’ve lost money on stocks and real estate are cutting back on spending and investment. Even the powerful merchant families that dominate the private sector have suffered.
“I have friends who have literally lost hundreds of millions of dollars,” says Loay Nazer, chairman of the Nazer Group, a company in Jeddah with interests ranging from public relations to health care.
Alkhudairy agrees. “Everybody has seen a ghost,” he says. “Nobody is investing; nobody is buying.”
Once this crisis passes, the government expects that its efforts to modernize will drive a boom in foreign investment. “Saudi Arabia is a country that is aggressively changing its economic landscape,” says Hamidaddin of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority.
Grass and Flowers
Saudi Arabia is even trying to change its topography. In King Abdullah Economic City on the shores of the Red Sea, laborers are dredging canals in the sand and planting patches of lush grass and flowers.
Guides from Emaar show visitors architects’ models of villas as large as 12,000 square meters (129,167 square feet). Prospective buyers can also tour a show apartment with a trompe l’oeil mural that depicts the view residents could have of a fountain beside the sea.
Though change seems slow to outsiders, Saudis such as Nazer are confident that the modernized society the country is striving for will become a concrete reality. “The mood here is very cautious, not nervous,” he says. “You can’t be nervous when you’re sitting on the largest oil reserves in the world.”
Saudi Arabia: Saudi applauds women appointments to council
Saudi leaders have commended the appointment of six women to the Shura Council, which oversees the implementation of Islamic laws and values, and are calling for women to be allowed to drive in the conservative Muslim country.
Women are needed to decide various issues, especially concerning families, said Sheikh Azeb bin Saeed Aal Mesbil, head of the Islamic affairs and judiciary committee at the Shura Council, daily Saudi Gazette reported on Thursday.
"It should be borne in mind that the life of our society has changed and so we at the council need to seek the opinions of experts, be they men or women. We need to listen to women on social and family issues," Aal Mesbil said.
Saudi Arabia regularly comes under fire globally for its strict values based on an austere form of Sunni Islam, which does not allow unmarried men and women to mix
Some senior clerics have recently called for women to be banned from the media and other forms of art. There is also a ban on women drivers.
But a leading Islamic thinker and former government minister has said women drivers are a necessity.
"What is best?" Mohammed Abdo Yamani questioned in a recent interview. "That we let women drive cars in safety or that we sit them next to male foreign drivers who might harm them?"
Another leader told a Saudi newspaper: "Driving has become a necessity for Saudi women. It is their right to drive - at least in cities and safe areas."
Maktoob Business
Women are needed to decide various issues, especially concerning families, said Sheikh Azeb bin Saeed Aal Mesbil, head of the Islamic affairs and judiciary committee at the Shura Council, daily Saudi Gazette reported on Thursday.
"It should be borne in mind that the life of our society has changed and so we at the council need to seek the opinions of experts, be they men or women. We need to listen to women on social and family issues," Aal Mesbil said.
Saudi Arabia regularly comes under fire globally for its strict values based on an austere form of Sunni Islam, which does not allow unmarried men and women to mix
Some senior clerics have recently called for women to be banned from the media and other forms of art. There is also a ban on women drivers.
But a leading Islamic thinker and former government minister has said women drivers are a necessity.
"What is best?" Mohammed Abdo Yamani questioned in a recent interview. "That we let women drive cars in safety or that we sit them next to male foreign drivers who might harm them?"
Another leader told a Saudi newspaper: "Driving has become a necessity for Saudi women. It is their right to drive - at least in cities and safe areas."
Maktoob Business
Saudi Arabia: Women delighted at Obama’s address
Siraj Wahab | Arab News
ALKHOBAR: For women across the Muslim world, US President Barack Obama’s historic address from Cairo was nothing short of a blessing.
He acknowledged his respect for their personal choices and at the same time underscored his belief that their choices should be personal.
“God bless him,” said Asya Al-Ashaikh, founder and CEO of the Jeddah-based Tamkeen Development and Management Consulting. “He is a courageous man. It was a fascinating speech. He said all the right things. I am sure he will be able to translate all that he has spoken in Cairo into real action. His words will open a new chapter in our relationship with the US. He touched almost all the issues that concern us. What struck a chord within me was his focus on education and the empowering of women through education. ‘Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons.’ I will always remember that line forever. It is so true.”
Obama divided his speech into seven sections, mostly political.
However, the sixth issue focused entirely on women’s rights.
“I know there is debate about this issue,” Obama said. “I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality. And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well-educated are far more likely to be prosperous.”
He echoed that long-respected American principle of self-determination.
“I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles, but it should be their choice,” Obama said.
“I was impressed by his talk. His selection of Cairo University to deliver his all-important address carried a very important message. This university is a symbol of Arab history and culture, of our education and civilization and of modernity. It is a very important institution,” said Hatoon Al-Fassi, a Riyadh-based Saudi writer and historian.
“His statement that the United States will partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing is highly significant. It is a proposal that should be immediately grasped for the general good of the civilized world,” said Al-Fassi.
“Obama’s overtures to the Muslim world may still come with bogies attached, but his unequivocal support toward empowerment of Muslim women is a welcome sign indeed,” said Amna Khaishgi, a Dubai-based Pakistani broadcast journalist.
“Be it the West, Middle East or Asia, the role of women acquires the most critical dimension, and any progress will be incomplete without the participation of almost half the population on the planet. Women have always played and will continue to play a great role in the Muslim world but making it further participatory will surely be more than welcome.”
One Jeddah mother of four said although she was impressed by Obama’s speech she was unsure if his words would translate into policy decisions. “He is a genuine man but that doesn’t mean he will have an easy ride having his way in the United States,” said Aisha Al-Fassi.
“He is the president, yes, but there are other levers of power in the United States that are equally if not more important. Also, it remains to be seen how the American media will react. The pro-Israeli media in the US have exacerbated many of the problems. They have been feeding the American public with a steady anti-Arab and anti-Muslim diet. However, I have no doubt about the good intentions of Obama. I hope he succeeds in what he believes,” she said.
“His speech was excellent. It was comprehensive and balanced,” said Maha Akeel, managing editor of The Journal (issued by the Organization of the Islamic Conference). “Some might criticize that he repeated the usual stands of the US in support of Israel and the same rhetoric about peace and Islam and that we should wait for action instead of being happy with mere words.”
Some pundits cautioned Obama might be seen as lecturing the Muslim world, but he made it clear that the issue of women’s rights is a global one that many nations — including the US — need to address. Some women expressed hope that his words might advance that conversation in the Middle East.
“Obama’s speech to the Muslim world was one of hope and prospect. His address about women in the Muslim world was on the one hand one of respect toward religious and traditional differences and on the other hand one of encouragement to women,” said Sharia Abdullah Walker, a Jeddah-based Saudi student of international relations.
“It is time that women take their rightful role in their society, which is in demand for educated and professional women who can contribute to the growth and development of the society and humanity.”
“Obama’s views on women’s education are more than welcome. Certainly, it is one of the fundamental building blocks of growth and development,” said Sadia Khan, a student of Islamic studies at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. “It is indeed high time that the traditional and orthodox elements in the Muslim society assessed this very critical issue,” she said.
ALKHOBAR: For women across the Muslim world, US President Barack Obama’s historic address from Cairo was nothing short of a blessing.
He acknowledged his respect for their personal choices and at the same time underscored his belief that their choices should be personal.
“God bless him,” said Asya Al-Ashaikh, founder and CEO of the Jeddah-based Tamkeen Development and Management Consulting. “He is a courageous man. It was a fascinating speech. He said all the right things. I am sure he will be able to translate all that he has spoken in Cairo into real action. His words will open a new chapter in our relationship with the US. He touched almost all the issues that concern us. What struck a chord within me was his focus on education and the empowering of women through education. ‘Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons.’ I will always remember that line forever. It is so true.”
Obama divided his speech into seven sections, mostly political.
However, the sixth issue focused entirely on women’s rights.
“I know there is debate about this issue,” Obama said. “I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality. And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well-educated are far more likely to be prosperous.”
He echoed that long-respected American principle of self-determination.
“I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles, but it should be their choice,” Obama said.
“I was impressed by his talk. His selection of Cairo University to deliver his all-important address carried a very important message. This university is a symbol of Arab history and culture, of our education and civilization and of modernity. It is a very important institution,” said Hatoon Al-Fassi, a Riyadh-based Saudi writer and historian.
“His statement that the United States will partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing is highly significant. It is a proposal that should be immediately grasped for the general good of the civilized world,” said Al-Fassi.
“Obama’s overtures to the Muslim world may still come with bogies attached, but his unequivocal support toward empowerment of Muslim women is a welcome sign indeed,” said Amna Khaishgi, a Dubai-based Pakistani broadcast journalist.
“Be it the West, Middle East or Asia, the role of women acquires the most critical dimension, and any progress will be incomplete without the participation of almost half the population on the planet. Women have always played and will continue to play a great role in the Muslim world but making it further participatory will surely be more than welcome.”
One Jeddah mother of four said although she was impressed by Obama’s speech she was unsure if his words would translate into policy decisions. “He is a genuine man but that doesn’t mean he will have an easy ride having his way in the United States,” said Aisha Al-Fassi.
“He is the president, yes, but there are other levers of power in the United States that are equally if not more important. Also, it remains to be seen how the American media will react. The pro-Israeli media in the US have exacerbated many of the problems. They have been feeding the American public with a steady anti-Arab and anti-Muslim diet. However, I have no doubt about the good intentions of Obama. I hope he succeeds in what he believes,” she said.
“His speech was excellent. It was comprehensive and balanced,” said Maha Akeel, managing editor of The Journal (issued by the Organization of the Islamic Conference). “Some might criticize that he repeated the usual stands of the US in support of Israel and the same rhetoric about peace and Islam and that we should wait for action instead of being happy with mere words.”
Some pundits cautioned Obama might be seen as lecturing the Muslim world, but he made it clear that the issue of women’s rights is a global one that many nations — including the US — need to address. Some women expressed hope that his words might advance that conversation in the Middle East.
“Obama’s speech to the Muslim world was one of hope and prospect. His address about women in the Muslim world was on the one hand one of respect toward religious and traditional differences and on the other hand one of encouragement to women,” said Sharia Abdullah Walker, a Jeddah-based Saudi student of international relations.
“It is time that women take their rightful role in their society, which is in demand for educated and professional women who can contribute to the growth and development of the society and humanity.”
“Obama’s views on women’s education are more than welcome. Certainly, it is one of the fundamental building blocks of growth and development,” said Sadia Khan, a student of Islamic studies at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. “It is indeed high time that the traditional and orthodox elements in the Muslim society assessed this very critical issue,” she said.
Friday, June 5, 2009
UAE: UAE is determined to continue in the path of women revivalism
2009-06-04 20:52:33
WAM Geneva, Jun 04th, 2009 (WAM): The United Arab Emirates reiterated today before the world community, its determination to continue the march in the path of women revivalism.
Addressing the annual full-day discussion of the Human Rights Council on women's human rights today, the permanent representative of the UAE at the United Nations Office in Geneva Obeid Salem Al Za'abi said that since the formation of the UAE under the presidency of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the leadership of the country was fully aware of the fact the woman is an equal partner in the process of national development.
The leadership of the country, inspired by its faith in gender equality, adopted a strategy of empowering women in cultural, social and economic fields, Al Za'abi said.
In an intervention made during the discussion, Al Za'abi portrayed how UAE worked to achieve the gender equality in rights and duties through guaranteeing women their right to ownership, employment, social security, economic and financial management, education, healthcare, earning, as well as many other rights.
In our country, the strong presence of women in the leadership roles and positions of decision making is not a new trend, but is a continuation of the march led by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak though her ardent work for the renaissance of the women, said Al Za'abi.
He briefly shed light on various institutions in the UAE established with an objective of empowering women to play the equal role in the nation building. Al Za'abi drew a few examples such as the General Women's Union (GWU), which was founded by HH Sheikh Fatima and the Family Development Foundation (FDF).
Women in UAE holds four seats in the federal cabinet and fills nine seats in a total of 40 seats in the Federal National Council, the country's supreme legislative body. This in addition to a large number of key posts women hold in various ministries and local governments. More over, women represent 59 percent of the total work force in the UAE and enjoy equal opportunity in the economic life, Al Za'abi pointed out.
He also asserted the country's commitment to continue this march under the leadership of President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The Human Rights Council's discussion on women's human rights was entitled equality before the law: concrete steps to further women's equality. The discussion focused on non-discrimination in the law, with a view to identifying concrete steps to further women's equality. The first part addressed institutional perspectives on equality before the law and the second part presented a wider perspective from academia and civil society.
Opening the discussion, Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said international human rights treaties prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex and included guarantees to ensure that women and men enjoyed their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights on a basis of equality.
Despite this perception, global and national realities indicated that there was a wide gulf between international legal obligations and their implementation. Not only did inequality in the legal, civil, economic, political and social arenas violate international obligations, but it also compounded discrimination against women.
When race, religion, ethnicity, poverty, disability, social status, and other forms of discrimination were factored in, then the picture was one of even greater disparity. Moreover, inequality created a climate where violence against women and girls was considered acceptable.
Speaking in the first part of the discussion were Chile, India, Nigeria, Paraguay for MERCOSUR, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Norway, Czech Republic for the European Union, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, Philippines for ASEAN, Slovenia, Ukraine, Luxembourg, Russian Federation, Lithuania, Iceland, Turkey, Yemen, Kazakhstan, Serbia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Algeria, China, Indonesia, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina and South Africa.
Also speaking were the Equality and Human Rights Commission of Great Britain and the National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, national human rights institutions. Non-governmental organizations speaking were the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Equality Now, Amnesty International and Women's International Democratic Federation.
The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: Center for Women's Global Leadership, Worldwide Organization for Women, International Federation of Human Rights and Interfaith International.
International human rights treaties prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex and included guarantees to ensure that women and men enjoyed their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights on a basis of equality.
WAM/AB
WAM Geneva, Jun 04th, 2009 (WAM): The United Arab Emirates reiterated today before the world community, its determination to continue the march in the path of women revivalism.
Addressing the annual full-day discussion of the Human Rights Council on women's human rights today, the permanent representative of the UAE at the United Nations Office in Geneva Obeid Salem Al Za'abi said that since the formation of the UAE under the presidency of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the leadership of the country was fully aware of the fact the woman is an equal partner in the process of national development.
The leadership of the country, inspired by its faith in gender equality, adopted a strategy of empowering women in cultural, social and economic fields, Al Za'abi said.
In an intervention made during the discussion, Al Za'abi portrayed how UAE worked to achieve the gender equality in rights and duties through guaranteeing women their right to ownership, employment, social security, economic and financial management, education, healthcare, earning, as well as many other rights.
In our country, the strong presence of women in the leadership roles and positions of decision making is not a new trend, but is a continuation of the march led by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak though her ardent work for the renaissance of the women, said Al Za'abi.
He briefly shed light on various institutions in the UAE established with an objective of empowering women to play the equal role in the nation building. Al Za'abi drew a few examples such as the General Women's Union (GWU), which was founded by HH Sheikh Fatima and the Family Development Foundation (FDF).
Women in UAE holds four seats in the federal cabinet and fills nine seats in a total of 40 seats in the Federal National Council, the country's supreme legislative body. This in addition to a large number of key posts women hold in various ministries and local governments. More over, women represent 59 percent of the total work force in the UAE and enjoy equal opportunity in the economic life, Al Za'abi pointed out.
He also asserted the country's commitment to continue this march under the leadership of President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The Human Rights Council's discussion on women's human rights was entitled equality before the law: concrete steps to further women's equality. The discussion focused on non-discrimination in the law, with a view to identifying concrete steps to further women's equality. The first part addressed institutional perspectives on equality before the law and the second part presented a wider perspective from academia and civil society.
Opening the discussion, Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said international human rights treaties prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex and included guarantees to ensure that women and men enjoyed their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights on a basis of equality.
Despite this perception, global and national realities indicated that there was a wide gulf between international legal obligations and their implementation. Not only did inequality in the legal, civil, economic, political and social arenas violate international obligations, but it also compounded discrimination against women.
When race, religion, ethnicity, poverty, disability, social status, and other forms of discrimination were factored in, then the picture was one of even greater disparity. Moreover, inequality created a climate where violence against women and girls was considered acceptable.
Speaking in the first part of the discussion were Chile, India, Nigeria, Paraguay for MERCOSUR, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Norway, Czech Republic for the European Union, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, Philippines for ASEAN, Slovenia, Ukraine, Luxembourg, Russian Federation, Lithuania, Iceland, Turkey, Yemen, Kazakhstan, Serbia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Algeria, China, Indonesia, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina and South Africa.
Also speaking were the Equality and Human Rights Commission of Great Britain and the National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, national human rights institutions. Non-governmental organizations speaking were the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Equality Now, Amnesty International and Women's International Democratic Federation.
The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: Center for Women's Global Leadership, Worldwide Organization for Women, International Federation of Human Rights and Interfaith International.
International human rights treaties prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex and included guarantees to ensure that women and men enjoyed their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights on a basis of equality.
WAM/AB
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