The winners, judges and sponsors pose during the honouring ceremony of the inaugural “Qatar Today Women of the Year” by Oryx Publishing & Advertising in partnership with Qatari Business Women Association on October 30 at The St. Regis Doha.
In its debut year, Qatar Today Women of the Year has honoured ten Qatari women, from different categories with awards, who have left their mark in various sectors in 2016-17.
The inaugural “Qatar Today Women of the Year”, Oryx Publishing & Advertising honoured outstanding Qatari women on October 30 at The St. Regis Doha, in partnership with Qatari Business Women Association (QBWA).
Oryx Publishing & Advertising also presented a special award, “Qatar Woman of the Year”, to the Minister of Public Health H E Dr Hanan Al Kuwari, who has excelled in the healthcare sector for years and guided the country to the pinnacle of success in this sector.
She served as the Managing Director of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) before being appointed as the Minister of Public Health in January 2016. Since joining HMC in 1996, H E Dr Hanan has worked on improving human resources and organ donation.
Qatar Today Women of the Year provides a unique platform for women in this country to be recognised for their talent and effort. The awards night will celebrate their accomplishments and contributions to society, thereby supporting the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Ten Qatari women from different categories won the awards. Eman Al Obaidly won Inspirational Woman of the Year award while Humanitarian of the Year award was given to Ameera Al Nuaimi.
Medical Pioneer of the Year award was won by Dr Basema Al Houri, Sportswoman of the Year award went to Roza Saleh while Naila Al Thani won Creative Woman of the Year award.
Young Talent of the Year was won by Amal Al Muftah, Hospitality Pioneer of the Year award was given to Amal Al Shammari and Mariam Al Bishri won Engineer of the Year award. Technocrat of the Year award was won by Fatima Al Kuwari.
The prestigious event had Spanish fashion brand Punt Roma as the official Gold Sponsor, Mercedes-Benz as the Automotive Sponsor, and Homes R Us as the Silver Sponsor. Oryx would like to thank The St. Regis Doha, Hyatt Plaza, Inglot, Syrian American Medical Center, Amazon Diet Center, Plaza Hollandi Events, and Darz Design for their support.
Another special award, ‘She’s Mercedes’ was given to Asmaa Al Thani. ‘She’s Mercedes’ is the canvas of this idea: a circle of inspiration; a place where women can connect and exchange ideas, share experiences and learn from one another. It’s a hub for meaningful conversation, offering new perspectives and supporting ambitions. ‘She’s Mercedes’ is a platform dedicated to inspiring, connecting and empowering women to unleash their best.
The nominations, shortlisted by the judges, were collected on September 28. The judging panel’s first meeting was held on October 4 at The St. Regis Doha, where the judges made their nominations for each category. After discussing the nominees, the judges gave scores to each nominee based on leadership, impact, creativity, resilience and commitment. The judging panel met again on October 9 for the final time to seal the names of the winners, which will remain confidential till the night of the awards.
The judging panel is composed of individuals from a wide range of sectors who brought their intimate knowledge of Qatar’s business and social landscape to the table, in both nominating and deciding the ultimate winner, in a thoroughly impartial and transparent manner. The panel included Aisha Al Bedeed, Board Member of QBWA and Brand Owner of Darz Design; Amal Al Aathem, Board Member of QBWA, Counselor in Ministry of Culture and Sports, and Chairwoman of 7th Heaven Arts; Mishael Al Ansari, Board Member of QBWA and Managing Partner of Oishi Sushi; Aysha Al Romaihi, Business Development Manager at Qatar Business Incubation Centre (QBIC); Reem Al Suwaidi, General Manager of Bedaya Center; and Lolwa Al Marri, President of Qatar Women Sports Committee (QWSC).
Aisha Alfardan, Vice Chairwoman of QBWA, said: “This award is a great way to honour, recognise and celebrate the contribution of women who have excelled in their respective fields, whilst inspiring future generations of women to achieve their full potential and maximize their contribution to the Qatari economy.” Ghazala Mohammad, Events Manager at Oryx and organiser of the Qatar Today Women of the Year 2017 awards, said: “Recipients of these awards are women from various sectors, from public service to business owners, who have achieved success against all odds. These individuals have broken glass ceilings; they work hard to remove barriers for other women and they are challenging established industry norms through innovation.”
“With longstanding support from Qatari Businesswomen Association, a very prominent organisation, I am sure this award will continue to be a distinguished event that inspires the next generation, fuels passion and galvanizes women to be a force for change.”
