The woman who brought Dubai World Trade Centre up to date

The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has been a city landmark for 30 years. Having also established itself as a premier exhibition centre and financial powerhouse, it is now undergoing yet another boost with the creation of The District next door, comprising housing, offices and hotels. It is also in the process of building Dubai Exhibition City, a new events complex in Jebel Ali. One executive who has played an instrumental role in the development of the centre is Maryam Al Bannai. She joined the organisation three years ago and has quickly risen up the ranks. The award-winning businesswoman talks to Emirates Business about success, the challenges facing women entrepreneurs in the UAE and how she attains a work/life balance.



How easy has it been for you as an Emirati woman to forge a successful career? Did you always have a goal in mind and what else do you still want to achieve?

It's been a journey and during it there have been some obstacles, but if people stand up for themselves it becomes easier. The revolution in IT helped me when I started my career in the 1980s and then in the 1990s it moved on again as dinosaur systems were phased out and companies started to realise that IT provided a competitive advantage. I always had a goal but not a position and never thought I wanted to reach the level I'm at now.

Were you surprised by how quickly you progressed?

It took me two years to become vice-president but it wasn't my plan when I joined. I was focused on strategic business goals and delivering value on a project. It was only in 2006 that this changed and I started to think bigger and wanted to move up the DWTC ladder.

What impact have you had on DWTC and what will be your legacy?

My achievement is transforming the IT department. When I joined as director of IT, the department was small and basically just a help desk, but I transformed it into a fully-fledged department. It wasn't easy as I had to work with all the businesses from exhibitions to real estate making them see that IT is not a technical unit simply providing computers, but that it is also an enabler to the business. In my current role as senior vice-president of corporate support services, I had the challenge of building the division at a time when the DWTC had begun working on two mega expansion projects. It has been rewarding to see the growth and development of the department to support strong business practices.

The Trade Centre has ambitious plans – what will they bring to Dubai?

The opportunities brought by the Trade Centre District [The District] will have a huge role on Dubai and attract international companies to the emirate as well as encourage more exhibitions. We are also looking at it as an integrated system between The District and Dubai Exhibition City in Jebel Ali that will impact visitors just as much in that it will be a one-stop-shop for them.

Having worked in both the public and private sector, is the gap between the two narrowing in the UAE?

There has been a huge improvement in the public sector but there are still many differences that will take time to change.

Are there any other Emirati entrepreneurs you look up to?

There are many people I look up to, but in particular His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for his vision and inspiration on a business and personal level. I also look up to Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi [Minister of Foreign Trade] – she is an inspiration and gave me the courage to make things happen.

What difference has winning the Emirates Businesswoman of the Year award last year made to your career?

Winning the EBWA had a huge impact on me personally because it gave me more confidence and made me believe that women can be recognised in society. It also opened my eyes to other important things, such as encouraging other UAE nationals to take steps to move their careers forward. I was made senior vice-president before receiving the award but it gave me more exposure to meeting and networking with other women in the UAE. The winners are all different nationalities but we have formed a good network, which will be the base for a future forum or official entrepreneurial organisation to bring women together.

How do the EBWAs help women in the UAE?

The awards are important for women because we are not good at networking. If you think about it culturally it is worse in Arab countries because of the close family ties, but the EBWA provides more opportunities to network and it will be the main driver to take leadership positions, get to know organisations and find out about new opportunities. It's an international problem, so we need to work on it together and improve prospects for women.

Is it difficult to find a work/life balance?

It is difficult, but not impossible. The first few years of my career were very difficult, but I'm managing it much better now and can switch off when I go home. I'm also learning to give things priority so when I'm with my family all my attention is focused there. But when people are in senior roles there's always pressure, so sometimes I do have to take calls out of hours and my family understands that.

What do you do to relax?

I spend time with my husband and daughters – even two hours of quality time with them is better than five hours of juggling family and work at the same time. We go to the beach or the park if the weather is good, or we go to the cinema or sometimes just stay at home and read. We also go to Fujairah regularly because a couple of days there is a great way to recharge. Even though it's only a couple of hours' drive, it's still far enough away from the city to feel like a different country.

Have you been following the Olympics? How do you rate the UAE team's chances?

I have watched a bit of the ladies gymnastics but I'm not really into sport so I've only seen the Olympics if my daughters have had it on.

PROFILE: Maryam Al Bannai, Senior Vice-President for Corporate Support Services, Dubai World Trade Centre

Maryam Al Bannai joined the Dubai World Trade Centre in October 2005 as IT manager, before being promoted to senior vice-president for administrative affairs responsible for human resources, procurement, contracts and IT departments two years later. She gained an IT degree from the University of South Texas in the United States and started her career as a systems analyst in Bahrain before returning to Dubai in 1996. Last year, Al Bannai was honoured with the Emirates Businesswoman of the year award. She lives in Mirdif with her husband and two daughters.