SHARJAH, 24 November 2004 — Lubna Al-Qasimi, the UAE’s first female minister, has been honored by the British House of Lords with a special entrepreneurship award in recognition of her achievements in institutional administration.
Sheikha Lubna, who was appointed as minister of economy and planning by the late President Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al-Nahayan on Nov. 1, a day before his death, received the award at a special ceremony in London.
She was honored for her work prior to her appointment as minister. She used to serve as chief executive officer of tejari.com, which, under her administration, won a number of laurels, including the Superbrand award this year and the first trademark award it won from the Gulf Marketing Review. She is seen as a model in institutional administration in the Gulf region for the significant role she played and her immense contribution to the development of e-commerce in the Middle East.
The entrepreneurship award is a highly privileged honor presented by the House of Lords to individuals who demonstrate exemplary leadership and innovation in their respective fields.
Sheikha Lubna was welcomed to the House of Lords by Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, a Muslim peer representing the Labour Party. “Sheikha Lubna’s business acumen combined with her foresight and dedication has made tejari.com a prominent brand, not only in the Middle East but throughout the world,” said Lord Ahmed.
“She is a true inspiration for women everywhere and it gives me great pleasure to present her with this entrepreneurship award on behalf of the House of Lords.”
Sheikha Lubna reflected on the success of Tejari as she received her award. “It is a tremendous honor to receive this award from Lord Ahmed and the House of Lords. This recognition highlights the growing global awareness of the Tejari brand as well as the hard work and customer focus of all of my colleagues contributing to the development of the online marketplace,” she said.
