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50 S IMPLY ABU DHABI SIMPLY INFLUENTIAL HE SHEIKHA LUBNA BINT KHALID BIN SULTAN AL QAS IMI When it comes to powerful women, HE Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, the UAE’s Minister for Foreign Trade takes some beating. Having studied computer science at the California State University, this influential Emirati national’s background may be in IT but it is her role in government for which she is celebrated. As a major player in the UAE business arena, she has pushed the boundaries, challenging traditional perceptions about women in business ever since her remarkable development of a highly efficient system that impressively reduced cargo turnaround at Dubai Ports Authority from one hour to just ten minutes! This is just a small indication of the determination to succeed that this remarkable woman possesses. An Inspirational Role Model for Women Positions of power call for great strength of character but it is rare to see someone command such respect due not only to their business savvy but also as a result of being a generally pleasant and warm personality. She is extremely well regarded in the UAE and admired by most women in the country, who view her as an incredibly inspirational role model. Highly regarded as the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the United Arab Emirates, she has received the high praise of ‘redefining what it is to be a woman in charge and in control’. Such is the positive power of her influence in the UAE that she has made it on to the revered Forbes List of 100 Most Powerful Women in the World – high praise indeed and very well deserved given the difference she has made to the country and the wider world. The Motivational Journey of a Powerhouse So who is this remarkable powerhouse who seems to have captured the attentions of a nation? A member of the ruling family of Sharja, Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, is the niece of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi. Having graduated from the California State University, Chico, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan al Qasimi also impressively lays claim to an Executive MBA from the American University of Sharjah and subsequently received an honorary Doctorate of Science from California State University, Chico. With her academic qualifications under her belt in 1981 she returned to work in the UAE as a programmer for software company Datamation. This was followed by a position as Dubai Branch Manager for the General Information Authority, the organisation in charge of automating the federal government of the United Arab Emirates. Following this role she then spent the next seven years in the high profile position of Senior Manager of the Information Systems Department at the Dubai Ports Authority (DPA), the largest port in the Middle East. Here she gained yet more invaluable experience which is apparent in the manner in which she conducts her business affairs today. Previously the Minister of Economic and Planning, on 1 November 2004 she was appointed the UAE’s Minister of Trade and holds the honorable distinction of being the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the United Arab Emirates. So she represents the first female to hold a ministerial post in the UAE when she was appointed to the UAE’s Minister of Economics and Planning, but that was by no means the start of her aspirational business journey. Before entering government service, Sheikha founded Tejari, (meaning ‘commerce’ in Arabic) the first Middle Eastern Business to Business marketplace promoting private venture for online purchasing. This came about following her significant contribution at the DPA which, in 1999, prompted His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Ports and Customs, to award her the ‘Distinguished Government Employee Award’ and appoint her as Chief Executive of Tejari. Establishing this visionary governmental organisation in Dubai in June 2000 , Lubna worked hard to encourage e-business between organisations and it was under her authoritative leadership that Tejari went on to win the awards for the World Summit for Information Society’s ‘Best e-Content Provider in e-business’ (Geneva) and the UAE Super Brands Council ‘Super Brand of 2003’. Achieving great things in the world of commerce, as a result of Tejari, 70 percent of the Dubai’s government purchases are now made online. The company has franchises across the Middle East and despite its initial funding by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, broke even in 2006. There are many ordinary women in the world who achieve extraordinary things for the greater good. When it comes to highly admired and esteemed executives, HE Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi certainly holds her own in the Arab business world. Demonstrating exceptional business acumen for bringing about systematic change, 2011 saw Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Minister of Foreign Trade, become the number one ranked woman in the UAE.