Can the Middle East be a global leader in business without more women leaders?

 

 

Women leaders are important to global business.  In order for businesses to operate on a global scale, leaders must include people of different cultures.  In our changing climate, it must also include women. Globally, women are rising to the top and becoming outstanding leaders.  As the world changes, so do the leadership and customs of the Middle East.

 

The dominant culture in the middle east is the Arab culture.  While not all countries in the Middle East are Arab a good number are.  Women’s roles in Arab culture differ from country to country. Moran, Abramson, and Moran (2014) indicate that in some Arab countries, women run the household while men work.  Some women work outside of the home and have a rich education, whereas in some countries women do not know how to read.   

Aguirre, Cavanaugh, and Sabbagh (2011) describe that in the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries, which include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, women are playing a bigger part in business and government.  Women involved in the governmental aspect of these countries are setting standards in which women are respected and accepted in the business world outside of traditional gender employment. Women are pushing themselves to step out of their comfort zones and attend universities and obtain leadership roles in companies that were mostly male-dominated industries.  

 

Women leaders in the Gulf Corporation Council countries also face the same roadblocks as many women in America.  They face the challenges of work-life balance and the challenges of not being taken seriously. As the global culture changes, these countries are realizing that women must be included at the table in order to be taken seriously on a global scale.  Women lead companies in GCC countries are excelling and prospering. Women leaders have started mentorship programs to encourage other women to attend university and further their education. Just as in most parts of the world, it will take time and effort to make these changes, but thus far the GCC economy has excelled with more women in the room.

 

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). New York: Routledge.

 

Aguirre, D. Cavanaugh, M. Sabbagh, K. (2011).  The Future of Women Leaders in the Middle East. Strategy + Business, 2011(63). Retrieved from https://www.strategy-business.com/article/11209?gko=b6b18