Dubai Moving Towards a Gender Balanced Future

By: Rachita Sharma, Managing Editor | Friday, 25 April 2025

American author Beth Revis said, "Power isn't control at all - power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn't someone who forces others to make them stronger; a leader is someone willing to give their strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own."

This thought perfectly encapsulates the true definition of a leader. For long, leadership was viewed as a masculine act; one that required aggression, assertion and other displays of power. But today, we have a new breed of leaders who are marrying the masculinity of corporate leadership with other feminine traits such as sensitivity and empathy.

Studies have concluded time and again that female leaders perform well owing to high EQ and empathy. Female leaders also create more inclusive organizations. Having more women on leadership teams is beneficial for organizations and the business world as a whole.

Various nations have woken up to the importance of building a gender balanced business world and are actively working towards getting more women into decision-making roles. Dubai has been working steadfast towards improving representation of women in all spheres of work. Currently women for 66% of the public sector workers, with 30% in leadership roles and 15% in technical and academic roles in Dubai.

Although a lot of work remains to be done, yet Dubai is on the right track towards building a gender balanced future.

Keeping in line with WER’s mandate to highlight prolific women leaders, we present to you the Women Leaders from Dubai in the current edition of the magazine.

On the cover we have Marina Khalil, Founder of MK Design. With close to 17 years of experience in the interior design space, Marina is an excellent leader with passion for creativity and its execution. She holds a Master's degrees in Interior Design and Project Management from University of the Arts London and London Business School, respectively. She also has an MBA from International Business Management Institute.

Marina is joined by Annika S., CFO, Nara. Annika leads a leading luxury hospitality group in Dubai. With extensive experience in financial governance, Annika has played a key role in managing Nara's growth and operations. She brings a strong background in finance, risk management, and strategic decision-making to drive the company's success.

Read more about these women leaders and the secret to their success.