Reem Al Hashimy is at the forefront of making that possibility a reality

After having played an instrumental role in UAE’s successful Expo 2020 bid last year, Reem Al Hashimy’s workload has increased exponentially as she works towards the global event which will arrive in five years.

Expo 2020 is expected to provide 277,000 new job opportunities, and bring in almost $25 billion in added economic activities, and Al Hashimy is at the forefront of making that possibility a reality.

Not only is she responsible for laying the groundwork necessary to host 25 million visitors, but she is also an integral part of the team looking beyond 2020, ensuing Dubai makes the most of the event in subsequent years.

And that’s just one part of her responsibilities. As Minister of State for the UAE, Al Hashimy is a vital part of the federal government, as well as managing the International Affairs Unit of the Executive Office of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice president and prime minister of the UAE, and ruler of Dubai.

In addition she chairs Dubai Cares, a charity aimed at improving children’s access to primary education in poorer parts of the world, as well as the Emirates Competitiveness Council, which works with public and private entities to endorse polices and undertake actions which will drive the UAE’s competitiveness agenda.

And it doesn’t stop there. Al Hashimy is also the chair of the National Bureau of Statistics, and has travelled the world to improve relationships between the UAE and other countries.

Mariam Al Mansouri - Emirati woman who became the face of the UAE airforce

When the UAE launched strikes against ISIL late last year, it was Major Mariam Al Mansouri who became the face of the UAE airforce.

The 35-year-old F-16 pilot led the missions in Syria, generating media coverage across the globe as the UAE’s first female fighter pilot, with the vast majority praising her involvement as a huge step for women in the armed forces and a boost for gender equality in the Middle East. Now a symbol of defiance against extremism, and proactivity in the fight against ISIL, Al Mansouri graduated from the United Arab Emirates Air Force academy in 2007. She also received the Mohammed bin Rashid Pride of the Emirates medal for excellence in her field. Her involvement in the 2014 airstrikes were not met with universal positivity. Following the news coverage on American TV, Fox News Channel hosts Eric Bolling and Greg Gutfeld made sexist comments about Al Mansouri - an episode was widely criticised, and served to further enhance the pilot’s reputation.

Mona Al Munajjed - Saudi woman who received the United Nations 21 Commendation Award

Dr Mona Al Munajjed is an award-winning and prominent sociologist at the forefront of those influencing women’s affairs in Saudi Arabia.

She is an advisor on social and gender issues and an author on social issues in the GCC countries. She holds a PhD in Sociology from George Washington University, Washington DC, and an MA in Sociology from New York University, New York. She is the author of the newly acclaimed book, Saudi Women: A Celebration of Success. Her publications include the books Women in Saudi Arabia Today, Significance of Arabic Names for Girls in the Arab World, and Saudi Women Speak.

She is a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines in the Gulf region. She has spent fifteen years working with and advising various United Nations international agencies on programs and projects related to gender, women, and social development, including field missions in the Arab region. She received the United Nations 21 Commendation Award in recognition of her contribution to the project: “Activating the role of women welfare associations in Saudi Arabia”.

Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch - Morocco woman who took the harder route to wealth and success

As the head of Akwa Group, a distributor of petroleum products, and the CEO of retail and luxury group Aksal, Akhannouch is one of Morocco’s wealthiest female entrepreneurs.

Despite being born into privilege, Akhannouch decided to take the harder route to wealth and success. No doubt benefitting from her grandfather’s tea empire and husband’s political standing, the high-flier has worked tirelessly to put – and keep – herself at the top of the luxury market in North Africa.

Her career started in 1993 when she launched a distribution company for floor laying materials, but things have changed a lot in the intervening years.

Among other things, she holds exclusive rights in Morocco to distribute various fashion brands such as Zara, Banana Republic and Gap, and has built an impressive real estate portfolio, including 50 percent of Morocco Mall – Africa’s largest shopping centre, which attracts 15 million visitors each year.

Amina Al Rustamani - Emirati woman who have developed innovative media initiatives

“We are very aggressive in our plan,” said Amina Al Rustamani in an interview with Arabian Business last year.

The CEO of TECOM Investments was talking about the Dubai Design District (d3), TECOM’s flagship project which could change the face of creativity in the region.

The executive has won huge praise – and awards – for her leadership of the project which will boost Dubai’s economy through fashion, design, art, and other sectors. The $1 billion masterplan has been approved and construction is well under way, meaning the coming months and years will be as busy and exciting for Al Rustamani as ever.

Starting her career in 2001 as a project engineer in Dubai Media City, she has risen to become one of the Arab world’s most powerful and respected women, looking after upwards of 4,500 companies across a number of industries at TECOM Business Parks.

She is also a board member of Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI), as well as Lamtara, Tunisie Telecom, and the Dubai Holding Audit Committee.

Add to this her role in developing innovative media initiatives, such as People Meter and the Digital Video Broadcasting project, and you have a good idea of why Al Rustamani is held is such high regard.

Zainab Mohammed - Emirati woman who excels in property management and marketing

As CEO of property management and marketing at property developer wasl, Mohammed has built a reputation as a driving force behind Dubai’s real estate sector.

Mohammed plays a critical part in running the company that looks after the property portfolio owned by the government’s Dubai Real Estate Corporation (effectively the emirate’s biggest landlord). She and her team oversee several of wasl’s most important divisions.

She also overlooks the wasl call centre, and wasl owners’ association management, and if that isn’t enough for one person, Mohammed also sits on the board of Emaar Industries and Investments.

Her position at wasl is a rarity for women in the region’s real estate industry - an industry which remains male-dominated, but is changing thanks to the likes of Mohammed.

She said in recent interview: “This scenario represents a challenge for female professionals working within it. However, women have proven that they have what it takes to be leaders in all sectors… I believe that if a woman works hard and utilised every opportunity, she will get where she wants to be.”