H.E. Najla Mohammed Al Awar

Secretary General for the U.A.E. Cabinet
Board Member of Dubai Women's Club, U.A.E.

Her Excellency, Najla Al Awar, Secretary General of the U.A.E. Cabinet, is one of the most distinguished U.A.E. women leaders with a career marked by outstanding success.

H.E. Al Awar has proved to be a catalyst for positive development throughout each phase of her career path. Her results-oriented approach in handling multi disciplinary responsibilities led her to assume several key government positions both at the local and federal levels.

Since her appointment in March 2006 as Secretary General of the U.A.E. Cabinet, she has been responsible for supervising and coordinating the Cabinet's agenda. With her incisive management acumen, she continues to ensure the highest level of professionalism across the operations of the Cabinet Secretariat.

Within a time frame of just two years, H.E. Al Awar's introduction of new policies, work systems and information flow mechanisms have won considerable appreciation for raising the bar of excellence in the functioning of the Cabinet's various departments. Spearheading the formulation of the Secretariat's regulatory and administrative frameworks, her responsibilities also include following up on the implementation of the Cabinet's resolutions and supervising the work of its sub-committees.

Prior to her current role with the U.A.E. Cabinet, H.E. Najla Al Awar worked with The Executive Office (TEO) in Dubai, where she played a fundamental role in setting up its General Secretariat. She was particularly instrumental in laying the foundations of the administration and human resources systems at TEO. Her meticulous working style came to the fore through her precise implementation of The Executive Office's resolutions and recommendations. She also had a major contribution in setting up the Secretariat General of the Executive Council in Dubai.

H.E. Al Awar has participated in several key initiatives launched by the Executive Office. She was a member of the founding team of 'Edaad', a scholarship program for U.A.E. nationals initiated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the U.A.E. and Ruler of Dubai. She was also one of the catalysts for driving the ethos of the Arab Strategy Forum, one of the region's leading platforms that tackles strategic topics of direct impact on the future of the Arab world.

Earlier, H.E. Al Awar acquired extensive technical expertise at Dubai Municipality where she participated in supervising projects handled by the Geographic Information Systems department. She also achieved remarkable success in studying project objectives and recommending best strategies and implementation techniques. Recognised for her outstanding performance and professional commitment, Dubai Municipality nominated her to the 'Best New Employee' category in the Dubai Government Excellence Programme.

Beginning her career as an Information Technology System Analyst at Dubai Aluminium Company (Dubal), one of the world's largest smelters, H.E. Najla Al Awar made an emphatic start by playing a crucial part in developing the company's IT applications.

In addition to her political accomplishments, H.E. Al Awar is known for her pioneering role in social work, relentlessly encouraging U.A.E. national women to participate in the country's progress while serving as a role model herself. She is on the board of Dubai Women's Establishment, a non-profit organization that aims to enhance U.A.E. women's role as a major driving force in the nation's future growth.

Holding a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the U.A.E. University, H.E. Al Awar has attended several training programs at the London Business School.