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Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi
Minister for Foreign Trade, United Arab Emirates
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi has been one of the most easily recognisable government officials of the United Arab Emirates, primarily because of her numerous groundbreaking achievements in both the public and private sectors. Her global prominence was highlighted recently when she was named among the 2009 Forbes List of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World.
As one of the country's pioneering women professionals in the field of computer engineering, Sheikha Lubna has had extensive experience in handling several technical responsibilities with a number of highly reputed firms, which ultimately led her to a coveted post at Dubai Ports Authority. Sheikha Lubna has also showcased her exceptional management skills in the corporate world when she was named CEO of Tejari (www.tejari.com), which she guided to become the premier electronic business-to-business marketplace for emerging markets and where she now serves as a board member.
In her relatively new role as a high-ranking government official, Sheikha Lubna's unique brand of leadership continued to sparkle when she spearheaded the UAE's Ministry of Economy during one of the country's most economically prosperous periods in history. Additionally, Sheikha Lubna's appointment in November 2004 to manage what was then the UAE’s newly merged economy and planning portfolio was a historic event for the UAE as she became the first woman ever in the country to assume a cabinet position.
Moreover, Sheikha Lubna was also appointed Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the UAE's Securities & Commodities Authority, serving from 2004 until 2008. Following her historic tenure as Minister of Economy, Sheikha Lubna was appointed in February 2008 to another highly sensitive post as Minister for Foreign Trade.
Her leadership abilities have again been tapped, this time to help guide the growth of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), the organization charged with the ownership, construction and operation of nuclear power plants as part of the UAE’s peaceful, civil nuclear energy program. ENEC will also serve as an investment arm of the government of Abu Dhabi, and will make strategic investments in collaboration with foreign partners in the nuclear sector, both domestically and internationally. Sheikha Lubna has been appointed Deputy Chairman of ENEC’s Board of Directors.
Sheikha Lubna's meteoric rise as one of the country's most prominent government officials started after she was honoured with the “Distinguished Government Employee Award” in 1999. Immediately thereafter, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, appointed her as head of Tejari at the launch of the marketplace in 2000.
Prior to managing Tejari, Sheikha Lubna was the senior manager of the Information Systems department at Dubai Ports Authority (DPA), a position she held for more than seven years. Before joining DPA, Sheikha Lubna acted as the Dubai branch manager for the General Information Authority, the organization responsible for automating the Federal Government of the UAE. In 2001, Sheikha Lubna was appointed as head of the Dubai e-Government executive team, which was responsible for instituting e-Government initiatives throughout the public sector.
Sheikha Lubna's expertise and leadership skills have been honed by over 20 years of information technology and management experience in the Middle East region. Sheikha Lubna holds a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University of Chico, and an Executive MBA from the American University of Sharjah.
Sheikha Lubna is a co-author of “The Diffusion of E-commerce in Developing Economies: A Resource-based Approach” with Dr. Zeinab Karake Shalhoub, Professor of Management Information Systems at the American University of Sharjah. The book provides a timely and valuable perspective on the impact of technology and the Internet on today’s business environments and global development, particularly in emerging countries.
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