Nadia Zaal: on firm ground

If you were to meet Nadia Zaal on the beach or in any of Dubai's many malls, you might be forgiven for mistaking her to be a fresh-out-of-college girl who is out to have fun with her friends.

But that would be a hasty conclusion. The truth is this suave, charming Emirati lady holds a top position in a realty company. She is extremely intelligent and totally focused on what she wants in life. Meet Nadia Zaal, the CEO of Zaya, an Abu Dhabi-based realty firm, who is just in her twenties.
Zaal's track record is impressive and impeccable. Her credentials as a leading businesswoman are an example for others to follow.

Zaal delivered her first successful project as CEO of Al Barari in Dubailand and is now busy working on her next at Zaya, another high-end project called Al Nurai island homes.
While Zaal likes to be realistic about the present market scenario, she is very optimistic that the UAE realty market will bounce back soon.

"I absolutely think we will survive. We need not panic. The fundamentals of the property market are very much intact,'' she says.

"Property markets are driven by demand, and demand is driven by people who want to move to Dubai and Abu Dhabi which are great locations. Gradually, the entire world economy is shifting towards Asia. If you are in the service industry, which is not slowing down at all as you can see, both Dubai and Abu Dhabi are important natural bases for this sector.

"People want to back businesses here because of the shift that is happening. I think eventually we will emerge stronger and thrive," she says.

A niche business

Elaborating on her work at Zaya, she says: "It's a very niche business with high networth individuals who don't leverage, so the recession will not affect them. They are the end users and these are very emotional buys for them. These individuals understand the true value of our real estate. They will retain their worth even if there were to be a crash."

Her upbeat attitude is an example of how the UAE has given its women unique opportunities to participate in the nation-building process.

Growing up in Jumeirah

"I grew up in Jumeirah and am very proud of the progress that my country has made. When I look around, I am really impressed by the progress Emirati women have made in this country. They have the highest rates of participation at the highest levels in both the government and private sectors today.

"When I was growing up, it was taboo for women to work outside their homes. The change has happened so rapidly. It has been a change from the top down and we have to thank the Rulers of this country who have led
by example."

Closer home, it is her parents – Zaal Mohammad Zaal and Leslie – who have had a profound impact on her and have influenced her thinking in the formative years.

"My parents have always been very focused and passionate about the things they do in life. My father, who is the chairman of Al Barari, inherited these traits from his father. My mother, who is a dedicated interior designer, completed the picture. My father has had a very significant influence over me. He
is a true entrepreneur who is willing to take high risks. "And he encourages us to do the same,'' she says.

"According to him, money comes and goes, but one mustn't lose the opportunity to experiment [with ideas]. He has inspired me and my siblings to get out of our comfort zones," she says.

Zaal's sister Camellia is a landscape designer while her brother Mohammad looks after the day-to-day operations of Al Barari. Her youngest brother Hazza is studying at a university in Australia.

The family strongly believes in sustainable development and is very passionate about creating homes for people. Like her siblings and her father, she loves to immerse herself in work and it is left to her mother Leslie to try to strike a balance at home.

Zaal, who loves shuttling between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, believes that her family's prosperity is due to the far-sightedness of her grandfather.

"My grandfather, who passed away very early in my life, was the original visionary. I remember my grandmother narrating stories to us about how he used to take the family into the middle of the desert, scout around with a pair of binoculars looking for a good plot of land, and then make the arrangements to buy it. At the time, everyone used to laugh about it. But he had a vision and knew what the value of the land would be in the years to come."

Both projects she works on – Al Barari in Dubai and Al Nurai in Abu Dhabi – enjoy a prestigious position in the realty market. "That's because we have packaged it right. Today they are destinations in themselves," she says with elan.

When Zaal was asked by her father to head a new real estate business called Zaya, not for a moment did she have second thoughts. With the success of Al Barari behind her, she was confident that she had her finger on the pulse of the consumer and that she understood the nuances of the realty world.

"I think the bottomline of every business is the people who are involved with it – employer, employees, shareholders, consumers, etc.

"I think people overcomplicate their personal lives. What I have learned in my day-to-day interaction with people is that life is very simple. It is about human interaction. You have to be honest and straightforward in your dealings. If you are true to yourself and do not look at people only from a business point of view, the rest simply falls into place.

"At Zaya we follow a code of ethics and have a definite corporate culture. To us, human values are very important. There are 45 people in our company and we know each other very well. We are emotionally bound and function as a tight-knit group and I think that makes the difference."

Staying healthy

Zaal believes health and staying calm are very important assets to combat stress in everyday work – a reason she is a firm believer in yoga-based breathing techniques. In fact, all staff at Zaya are encouraged to take part in such breathing courses.

"I think these [breathing techniques] help us understand our emotions and balance everything. In my opinion any business will have a highly charged and intense environment and breathing exercises would help greatly [in managing
our health]."

While age and experience are definite qualifications to head a large organisation, Zaal thinks having taken charge of the reins of her family's realty business at such a young age has been a humbling experience. She has matured a great deal, she says, and the experience has taught her lessons in compassion and forbearance.

"It's a responsibility because at the end of the day you have to make decisions, sometimes in a split second, and I am acutely aware that those decisions can affect the lives of people around me. You create values for those people. I think creation is a beautiful thing. I am blessed that I am able to create one of the most important things in the lives of
people – their home.

"As a CEO you can make a huge impact. Everything I say or do has an impact and I have to be very careful. Sometimes it is difficult to meet people's expectations. To be honest,
I don't think I have completely attained that balance," she confesses.

But what she definitely has as strong traits are determination and discipline which help her tide over the many crises in life and also help her stay in tune with the environment, family and friends.

"I place great emphasis on discipline and on staying focused. Even though I work late hours and have little time for family and friends and know that I am occasionally nearing burnout, I make sure to spend time with the people I love.

"Work is my life but I do recognise that I need to find time for myself. Right now I am happy working at Zaya which is only a year old and I need to dedicate all my time to it."

A typical day

"I am usually at the office, either in Abu Dhabi or Dubai by 8.30. I have a home in both cities and am really a bit of a gypsy as I keep travelling.

"I utilise this time to update myself on the real estate market. After that I spend about an hour checking e-mails and correspondence.

"It is only after this that the real workday begins. Once a week, I visit construction sites.

"When I reach home, I do yoga, meditate, read a lot... I also love to be by the sea as I am a water person," she says.

Since women are homemakers and nurturers, Zaal wonders why there is a dearth of strong women in real estate. "I think there should be more women in the realty business as the home is one of the most important things in any woman's life. Every woman dreams of having her own nest.

I always keep this in mind when I look at a blueprint which is why even though I may be the CEO, I get down to the brass tacks and look at the smallest detail such as reviewing a floor design.

"When it comes to architects, men outnumber women but I am tuned in to the needs of a woman and her needs for her home. The four walls are her cocoon within which she nurtures her loved ones.

"I do not believe in taking on too many things at a time because I look into details and I feel it is not wise to bite off more than I can chew. My projects are all about quality and I cannot afford to let that slide."

As an astute businesswoman what's her advice to others in this field?

"Do your research, speak to people, don't build what you want but build what your client wants.

"People in the construction business usually consult someone who is at his desk all day and has no clue of the needs or dreams of buyers. You need to have a hands-on approach, go out there, ask people what they need, what they prefer, the textures and the colours they want and then come back and convey all that to your team of architects, interior designers, contractors and engineers.

"I think the initial brief is very important. After the design is complete, each one of my staff gets involved in the process of creation. The choice of brands, of consultants, and of the delivery of the end product ... all come together very beautifully. Sometimes not everyone's interest is aligned and
my job is to make sure everyone is on the same page. You might be surprised to know how many companies do not get the basics right."

Besides this general advice, she has a special message for all women of the UAE – seize an opportunity by its collar and go on to achieve the best.

"I think we are living in exciting times. The power equations of the world and between genders are changing. Economically, the UAE is going to be a very exciting and strategic place. The Rulers of our country have created a land of opportunities where you can do whatever you want, provided you are fired by a keen entrepreneurial skill.

"I think women today are living in golden times and all you need is belief and dedication.

"Women are taking up the top and the most coveted positions in the professional field. It all boils down to what you believe in and how focused you are on realising your dreams. If you think positive and are aware of what you want in your life, it will manifest."

Suchitra Bajpai Chaudhary is Senior Feature Writer, Friday