1. How did your career start? Was it planned or did you get into it by chance? With the Dubai real estate boom, especially in the freehold sector through the early 2000’s, it  was inevitable that you could not be impacted. However, it was a fortuitous meeting with a  friend that gave me the entry into one of the most talked about projects at the time, The Palm  Jumeirah, as a Handover & Transition Facilitator for the amazing frond villas on The Palm.   

2. Have you faced any challenges in your career due to your gender? 

As a rookie in the workplace, it does take a while, probably more so than it would take for the  average male, for a woman to make her voice heard and be accepted as a professional equal.  While the environment in all the firms I have worked in has been conducive to growth and  development for women, it is also ultimately an individual’s own drive and initiative to push  through barriers and ceilings that will set them on the path to progression. 

3. Do you think enough steps are being taken by companies to encourage women to enter C-level  positions? 

Attracting and developing more women in leadership roles requires company-wide changes that  are driven from the top. More awareness and conversation around gender equality is fine but it  should actually drive action.  

At Eltizam, there is a proven track record of women being coached, mentored and catapulted into  executive leadership roles and we’re seeing other companies in the region following suit but this  is still an area that has significant disparity in the representation of women at the C-suite level.

4. Is work-life balance real or fiction? 

Work life balance is not just about compartmentalizing different segments of your life where  each operates in its own silo but about achieving a harmonious balance where you are fulfilled  and content in both areas of your life. Again, this is a highly personalized area where each  individual manages this based on their own unique situation. The last couple of years have seen a  paradigm shift in this aspect where people have become more aware of what they really want to  achieve and with options like flexible hours and remote working here to stay, the discussion  around work-life balance seems to be as relevant as ever.

5. What advice do you have for young women who would like to enter the industry? 

There’s no magic mantra but for a young person on the threshold of their career, the advice  would be – be diligent at work and pay attention to the quality you deliver, never shy away from  taking on more responsibilities as these are learning and growth opportunities, take pride in your  work and let it speak for itself as this will propel you to greater heights without you having to  make a noise about it.