Haifa Al-Angari, a Saudi businesswoman and the founder of Sarmada Trading, believes that very little has changed legally and socially for businesswomen in Saudi Arabia over the past 15 years but stresses that future actions will determine the future.

“We live in a segregated society. For businesswomen, information is vital and we are deprived of it,” she ruefully said. “In this respect, men have a competitive advantage over us. In my opinion, the Grand Mosque is a great example for our public life. This is how our society should be. We don’t have to feel guilty, defensive and justify ourselves all the time. We have had enough of that,” she said, adding, “Choice is empowerment.”

She went on to say, “Choice can only be made if laws and regulations are properly implemented.” She explained that choice opened up multiple opportunities which endow women with greater material benefits and a more powerful place in society. With a bachelor’s degree in finance, two master’s degrees in politics and economics and a PhD in politics, Al-Angari is well armed both in knowledge and experience so in 1987 she launched Mayass Jeddah, the brand name of her two fashion stores. The second was in Riyadh. It was the first niche multi-brand fashion store in Saudi Arabia with proper architectural branding and design, selective brands, professional merchandising and distinctive service in a unique atmosphere. “My extensive experience in the retail market has shaped Mayass to emerge as a brand that has influenced the customer’s preferences and contributed to their outlook to fashion and international designers,” said Al-Angari.

Mayass has continued to be a fashion leader and a trendsetter, providing high fashion designer lines that target the luxury Saudi women’s market. “Over the years, I have introduced many designer names to the Saudi retail market that have shaped many customers’ outlook on fashion and has influenced their styles,” she said. Though Mayass has evolved into a trendsetting brand that offers distinctive service, Al-Angari believes that society did not give her the support she needed just because of her gender. “Women cannot be isolated from the whole society,” she said. “The status of women in society is a social issue that has to be evaluated within the context of the whole social structure. Women have to be part of the society’s value system, its social fabric, its institutions and its economic agenda,” she added. She believes that society as a whole needs to be upgraded in order to empower women. “If this happens, then they will naturally be in a better social, economic and legal positions,” she said, adding with a smile, “Proper education and hard work are our hopes for the future.” Al-Angari has a different measure for success too. “A lot of people equate success with moneymaking alone but in my view, success is achievement, and that includes achieving a wide range of goals,” she said, adding that “I feel fulfilled if I make a difference in society.”

She believes that merely having an idea is not enough to enter the competitive business field. The person must have special qualities in addition. “One must have, apart from the fighting spirit, the will to persevere and face adversity with discipline,” she said.

Al-Angari says it has not been easy for her to be a businesswoman in Saudi Arabia. “Being a businesswomen in the Kingdom brings on additional challenge. There is no transparency in the banking laws which creates obstacles in obtaining commercial facilities,” she said. “A Saudi businesswoman is more vulnerable than her male counterpart. For the businesswoman, getting banking facilities depends on the attitude and flexibility of the banking officer she is dealing with,” she said. She said, “Despite these and other obstacles, I have been fighting and I will continue to do so in a positive way. We must take life one day at a time. One has to do his/her best in doing the job and fighting the way through.” To her, not winning does not mean losing. It simply means moving to a new phase while enriched by new experiences. This philosophy makes her stronger and ready for fresh challenges. That’s why, despite the challenges, Al-Angari is still setting her goals high, saying, “I am very ambitious and aim to be a complete businesswoman.”