Mohammed Al-Fahim

Written by Monica

Mohammed Al-Fahim, entrepreneur and author of “Rags to Riches,” spoke with us today about his experience through the development of Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Growing up in the 1950s and 60s, Abu Dhabi was a pearling village. There was no modernity during this time. Soon after the market for pearls faded, Abu Dhabians were left with fishing as a main source of income and trade. Fahim stated that during this time the absence of his father and other men due to their fishing and trade travels in Saudi Arabia, left him without a father figure for several months. In the absence of a male figure, women ran the household. They sold fish in the markets and handmade handicrafts consisting of: clothing, furniture, and textiles. When oil was discovered in Abu Dhabi in 1962, men returned to their town and cultivated this natural resource. Ex Patriots from the East and West arrived in Abu Dhabi and bringing electricity, plumbing, and created paved roads, making the Abu Dhabi an accessible and modern town. Fahim argued, “When we got electricity in 1967, man landed on the moon in 1969. We were far from other civilizations.” Along with the development of modern luxuries, education was introduced in 1959 in order to cultivate and integrate Emiratis into the mainstream. When schools first began there was no plumbing or water nourish school children, nor any textbooks to teach from. In 1966, Sheikh Zayed opened the first girls’ school in belief that girls and boys should be equally educated and valued in society.

Today, Emiratis are a minority in their own country. With the immersion of East and West, 144 Nationalities coexist in one nation making the UAE a very diverse culture. Many Emiratis feel their culture and citizens are under siege due to globalization. The government has responded to these growing concerns by offering incentives and privileges to Emriatis such as free education and health care, interest free loans through Islamic banks, and other financial assistance in starting a business. With all these advancements that Fahim points out, Emirati women are still being held back by local tradition and culture. He states the two greatest hardships women face are obstacles within employment and the lack of career training. He believes that with easier access to a driver’s license and public transportation, more women will be able to commute to work and earn an income. Fahim has implemented his ideas into his realty business by extending flexible work hours to his employees. Women need flexible hours so that they can raise children, maintain a household, and pursue a career without sacrificing herself or feeling neglectful toward her family.

Our class got the pleasure to hear from an Emirati businessman and his views about the modernization of the UAE and the advancement of women leadership all within the past 30 years.