Reem Asaad is an exceptional Saudi woman. She is a wife, mother, financial advisor, writer, activist and key promoter of rights for women in her country. She was ranked the third most powerful Arab Woman in 2012 by Arabian Business Magazine. It gives American Bedu the greatest pleasure to further introduce Reem to readers through this exclusive interview.
First of all, Reem, thank you so very much for agreeing to this interview. It is an honor to have the opportunity to ask you a bevy of questions.
You are welcome. My pleasure.
I’d like to start at the beginning. Where are you from in the Kingdom? How would you describe your upbringing? Traditional? Open? Conservative?
My family is originally from Al-Madina Al-Munawarah. However, I was born in Egypt, where both my parents went to school then college before moving to Saudi when I was one year old. Their upbringing was a hybrid of liberal and traditional. Liberals in thought and beliefs, they still held some traditions with a “twist”.
What influences did you have in your childhood that impacted you to become the successful businesswoman you are today? In addition, who influenced you the most and how?
Both my parents are college graduates and professional. My father is a retired orthopedic surgeon and my mother earned a degree in commerce and held a variety of jobs in education, banking and later became an entrepreneur.
What was your educational background? Where did you go to school and in what subject did you major?
I graduated with a bachelor degree in science at King Abdulaziz University, majoring in chemistry. Years later I enrolled in an MBA program offered by Northeastern University (Boston) and graduated just before the tragic 9/11/ 2001. My focus was investment finance.
When did you first travel outside of the Kingdom? How often did you get to travel outside of the Kingdom as you were growing up? How did these trips exposing you to differing customs and cultures impact you?
My first trip was back to Saudi Arabia from my birth country of Egypt. As I grew up my parents took me and my siblings to Asia, Europe and the US on summer vacations. Foreign language was a key part of our upbringing both in Saudi and abroad. We learned English at a very early stage and grew up “thinking” differently. At school I was always asked: “How do you speak English so well?” I never really understood why it was even a “question”. I knew better later J
How were you as a Saudi woman able to break into the field of investment management and finance? What were some of the challenges you, as a woman, had to face and overcome?
Upon my return from the States, I was hired by the National Commercial Bank one of the largest in the Kingdom. Luckily the banking platform was a turning point in terms of female hiring. I was one of three women to be hired into non-female related positions. I received intensive training in my area of choice. Today, women assume all roles in banks including executive positions.
Do you think your campaign to provide women opportunities in Saudi lingerie stores not only made you a wider known public figure, but was that also a pivotal moment for you as an activist?
It was a great learning experience. Through it I came to know many underlying social, labor and economic issues that contributed to the delay of women’s progress and advancement. I would like to add that the success of this campaign is not about me, but rather about the thousands of women who supported the initiative and determinedly entered the workforce.
Can you share some details about your campaign and how many Saudi women have had new employment opportunities as a result?
This is a big Q. I suggest that you visit the Lingerie campaign page on FB (it is closed but please request and I’ll open up).
What did you feel when your campaign experienced success?
Exhilarated! When I learned that the Ministry of Labor (regulator) put the law into practice and enforced the recruitment of women in the sector, I simply sat back trying to digest a journey of 3 years that came to a happy end. It was like graduating with a high degree after years of work.
What are other campaigns in place or that you would like to see in place which would provide more rights and opportunities for Saudi women? Which are the most important to you and why? How can others help support you?
- Daycare facilities for women at work.
- Transport for every working woman without a personal driver, plus transport compensation for women below certain income bracket who use personal driver.
I’d like to now ask a few personal questions if you don’t mind. I know you are a mother and have three daughters. Is your husband Saudi? Was your marriage arranged?
My husband is of a Saudi father and Lebanese mother. My marriage was arranged by choice. We met through mutual friends and got married within a few months.
How does your husband feel about having a wife who also has an executive level career? Have you had to make any career comprises due to any family requests?
My husband’s and entire family support was vital in keeping me moving on. In fact both my parents and husband are the strongest supporters of all and any work that I decide to embark on. Naturally, we have differences, but work and career decisions are ultimately mine.
What is your personal advice to Saudi women who would also like to have both marriage and their own career? What sacrifices should they expect to make? How can they convince a lesser supportive husband to allow them to have a career?
I like women who know what they want. Every woman must have a degree and / or skills that enable her to get a job in hard times. Life is full of surprises, and we can only prepare early on. The sacrifice that working women face are quality time with her family. But even that, nowadays is not warranted; for with all technological distractions, kids prefer leisure away from parents. In terms of unsupportive spouses, I believe that economy dictates what happens in the family. Men under financial pressure often yield to ideas previously unquestionable such as a wife getting a job. Unfortunately, there are no clear statistics on these trends which hinders the better understanding and measuring of this social detour in the Kingdom.
You are setting an example and a legacy for your three daughters. As a mother, what are your hopes, dreams and aspirations for them? Do you want for them to have careers?
My daughters will hopefully have the opportunity to choose for themselves, in terms of career, marriage and life in general. Their generation will have different aspirations and pursuits, something we cannot predict. All we can hope to offer them is solid education and best possible exposure to the outside world.
Saudi Arabia is not always an easy place for women. Do you want your daughters to have their adult lives inside the Kingdom? Please explain your answer.
Yes. It started as early as kindergarten. My two elder daughters (youngest is only 2 yrs old) attend a French school where their learning and educational experience is different from the mainstream experience in local schools. For adult education, I would like to see each one successful in her field of choice, be it arts, sports or academia. No boundaries, no limits as long as she is fulfilled and positively contributing to the world.
Your lingerie campaign was a landmark campaign for the Kingdom. Do you think that opportunities will eventually open up for women to have a greater choice of career opportunities; to drive; to vote and to have greater control over their own lives? Why or why not?
Yes, eventually things will change’; “when” is the million dollar question. With the population growth, the state will not longer be able to accommodate more personal chauffeurs or excess foreign labor, which is already exhausting the feeble infrastructure. Generation Y will ultimately have the upper hand. It is up to the government to join forces and win them over.
There remain misunderstandings among Westerners about the Saudi women. Too many see a Saudi woman as repressed and oppressed based on how she dresses when in public and due to the fact that a woman requires a mahrem (male guardian). What would you like to say to individuals who share this view?
First, Saudi women dress the same but cannot be more different, ideologically, and in every aspect of life. The mystique surrounding typical Saudi women is a result of traditional preference of anonymity and privacy – a very cultural matter. This is also changing, thanks to social networking and new technology. The philosophy of sharing and exposing oneself to the world, was previously tabooed, socially speaking. Today, girls compete to post up not only their full name, but their photos and stories for the entire world to read and engage. This all happened in the span of 5-8 years, and the trend is accelerating, so in a few years, Saudi women will lose that edge (joking).
How can expatriate women in the Kingdom and Saudi women meet and get to know one another? It seems like these kind of bridge building opportunities would erase many false impressions.
Expat women are very good in building their own networks. Some are keenly interested in building bridges and contributing to clearing a highly distorted image of Saudi women. I think that a good collaboration of both teams can generate excellent results.
In closing, is there anything else you’d like to add that I’ve not asked?
Not so far J
Thanks again, Reem, for giving American Bedu the opportunity to interview you and ask all of these questions. I wish you all the continued success!
Filed under: Charity, culture, Dress, Economy, Freedoms, gender, Interview, Saudi Arabia, Saudi blogs, Saudi culture, Saudi Living, Uncategorized | Tagged: blogging, culture, gender issues, heritage, Saudi Arabia | 22 Comments »
