Arefa Al Falahi, the first Emirati woman to hold the position of bank manager in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, revealed her vision for decision-making, the future challenges of working women, and her responsibility in achieving a balance between professional leadership and family life.
Al-Falahi is known for her nearly 25 years of banking experience, and her ability to combine strategic vision and decision-making. She currently serves as a board member in eight companies, and works as a consultant for three other entities, meaning she works with more than 11 institutions inside and outside the emirate.
Her current responsibilities include membership in the Board of Directors of the Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce, Ras Al Khaimah Insurance Company, Gulf Cement Company, and Villas Housing Company, in addition to her presidency of the Exhibitions Committee in the Chamber of Commerce, and her membership in academic and economic committees in the Higher Colleges of Technology.
Al-Falahi said in an interview with “Emirates Today” that today’s talk about “empowering women” is no longer appropriate, because the UAE has already passed this stage, adding: “Today we are not in the empowerment stage… but rather in the continuity stage.” The real challenge is: Can women continue in leadership positions? Does she have the ability to balance work, family, and her health in light of accelerating changes?
She pointed out that Emirati women have proven their ability to balance to date, but the next stage requires greater awareness of the requirements of mental and physical health, because responsibilities multiply as women advance in the balance between leadership and family.
The biggest challenge
Arifa Al-Falahi opened her heart to tell the other side of her journey, a side that is rarely shown to people, as she says while smiling with the confidence of a mother who has gone through a lot: “Some may think that my achievements were only in positions and decisions, but the truth is that my greatest success was inside my home… with my children.”
She remembers with emotion how she would return from long meetings and heavy responsibilities, and then start a new day at home. She said: “My children are my true investment. I taught them everything when they were young, and today I see them as capable, educated, and self-reliant people…and this, for me, is the greatest achievement.”
Al-Falahi explained that the biggest challenge in her life was not managing work teams or leading institutions, but rather balancing between leading a bank and raising children who need daily presence and psychological containment. She added, in a voice carrying a mixture of pride and gratitude: “I believed that children do not only need time, but rather they need a conscious mind to accompany them, a kind word, and a model that they can see in front of them. This was the most difficult challenge in my life…but it was the most beautiful.”
My resignation before their resignation
Al-Falahi told Emirates Today that the most difficult moments of her career were when she put her resignation on the table in defense of her employees, and she stopped at one of the most cruel moments in her banking career, during the period of the “Corona” pandemic, when her management faced a financial crisis that prompted her to consider terminating the services of a number of employees due to the inability to pay salaries.
Al-Falahi recounts that moment, saying: “They called me that day and said that we had to lay off a number of employees. I told them directly: My resignation is before their resignation.”
She explained: “These employees are the real soldiers. They are the ones who created the success of Arifa Al-Falahi, and I cannot abandon them in the most difficult circumstances. If I abandoned them, I would be selfish, and I would have let down the people who have stood by me for years.”
She pointed out that fate was merciful at that moment, as the senior management later remedied the situation and decided to keep all employees without any redundancy.
Skills and experience
Al-Falahi stressed the importance of discipline, respect for time, and managing human relations, as she believes that a true leader is one who knows how to manage human and financial resources, because they are the basis of the success of any institution. She said: “We now, thank God, have education for women and men, but we must focus on skills and experiences. Decision-making skill and how we manage human and financial resources are very important, because these two departments are among the most important resources through which we see the level of a leader.”
She added, “The leader is the one who knows how to manage human resources management, because every human being has a specific expression, a specific method of motivation, a specific method of dialogue, and a method of dealing and encouraging… Every human being is different from the next.” This is where the role of a leader who knows how to manage human resources comes into play.”
A message to Emirati women
Al-Falahi sent a message to the new generation of Emirati girls, saying: “Pay attention to your studies, and do not look for quick gains.. Look for increasing competence and experience.” She added: “Decision-making requires specific skills. Learn how human resources are managed, and how budgets are invested in the right place. A successful leader is one who achieves results and directs the organization towards development.” Al-Falahi pointed out that institutions must give women real opportunities and qualitative training, because women have great capabilities, but they need a platform that shows these capabilities. Al Falahi stressed that Emirati women have proven their presence, and that investing in their training and refining their professional and leadership skills is the most important way to create a new generation of women leaders capable of influencing and shaping the future.
The wisdom of leaders
Al-Falahi explained that she learns and is inspired by the wisdom and vision of leaders, and said: “We learn from the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God have mercy on him, when he said (Nothing pleases me more than seeing a woman taking her role in society and nothing should hinder her progress).” She added that supporting the wise leadership of Emirati women is the foundation of everything they have achieved today, and it is the fundamental reason and true support for success.
Arefa Al Falahi presented a true model for Emirati women capable of decision-making, not as a “complementary role,” but as a fundamental axis in the development of society. To summarize her experience in the phrase, “The problem is not empowerment… but rather that we continue, make decisions, and balance all roles.”
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