By Admin | 3/13/2024
The Middle East technology industry is booming, but historically, the sector has struggled with gender disparity, with women traditionally underrepresented in tech roles. A staggering report states that the Middle East and North Africa lose $575 billion every year due to a lack of female participation in the economy.
Societal expectations and unconscious bias remain lingering obstacles for women in the region. Traditional gender roles can continue to discourage women from pursuing tech careers, and unconscious bias can lead to women being overlooked for promotions or leadership roles.
Thankfully, the narrative is gradually shifting as women are increasingly making their mark on the Middle Eastern tech landscape.
With 57% of STEM graduates now women in the Arab world and the UAE boasting an even higher rate of 61%, the tide is turning for women in tech. This talent pool is translating into action, with 34% of tech startups in the region having female founders.
As the Acting CTO of Majid Al Futtaim (an integrated lifestyle provider with brands across industries such as shopping malls, hotels, cinemas, hypermarkets), Zada, along with company CEO Ahmed Galal Ismail, drives the group’s malls’ omnichannel transformation to enable customers to shop both online and offline.
Zada’s focus is on transforming the value proposition and updating the business model for the malls to survive in the digital area in a sustainable and profitable way.
With a remarkable journey of 25 years in IT as an engineer, architect, consultant, and CTO, Shereen Fahmy was featured as one of the 50 Technology Leaders in the Middle East by Engati publication.
With a keen eye on renewable energy, decarbonisation, and sustainability, Fahmy is driven by the vision of bringing tech thought leadership and making an effective impact on business plans and technology solutions.
Kasia Poleszak has over 15 years of international & multicultural experience across varied industries. Currently operating as the Global Head of Tech Risk at PayU, she is transforming PayU tech risk management from reactive to proactive by formalizing and standardizing risk practices across all businesses.
Back in 2015, Kasia co-founded Chapter Zero Singapore - a social enterprise that supports parents of young children in respectful/mindful and evidence-based parenting.
With an educational background in Renewable Energy Engineering (MSc) and Chemical Engineering and Engineering Management (BSc), Mariam Khafagy is now the Regional Director Customer Success Management at GfK - An NIQ Company. With a focus on digital transformation, strategy development and customer experience optimization, she drives the gfknewron team offering clients insights from the latest AI-powered platform.
In an interview with Edge Middle East, she highlights a striking fact that in the Middle East, funding for female-founded start-ups represents less than 10% of the region’s venture capital funding. She goes on to mention “Having more women in technology will lead to more creative solutions, better products, and a more equitable society.”
The rise of women in the Middle Eastern tech industry is a testament to their talent, determination, and growing momentum for inclusivity. On the other hand, by actively dismantling societal barriers and promoting women participation, the Middle East can solidify its position as a global innovation hub, driven by the brilliance of its entire workforce.
[Data Source: miscellaneous]
