Insight into Arab culture

At its core, Judith Hornok's book Modern Arab Women: The New Generation of the UAE is a celebration of the success of the UAE woman told through the inspiring stories of individual achievers in the fields of business, politics, arts and sports.

It is a bilingual — German and English — collection of the author's interviews with 20 prominent and inspiring individuals such as Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, minister of foreign trade; Nahla Al Rostamani, the country's first female racing driver; and filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja. And it is garnished with portraits of these individuals, which Hornok has captured with her own camera.

Hornok is an Austrian journalist with extensive experience in the Middle East. She also gives lectures internationally on how to carry out business negotiations in the Gulf states and conducts cross-cultural seminars.

Her book is an attempt to build bridges between people of different cultures, and also reflects the growing German fascination with the Gulf, as evidenced by throngs of German tourists in countries such as the UAE and Oman. It also challenges Western perceptions of the status of women in the Middle East in general.

As Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, notes in his foreword, "The women who are profiled in this book are pioneers who command our respect and our admiration. The creativity, passion and yearning for leadership have distinguished these women to become prominent leaders in their communities and on the world stage. They have broken barriers in business, culture and politics so that others may follow — and so that those fields may benefit from a whole new array of initiatives and ideas."

The book is peppered with interesting anecdotes from the interviewees, who seem to be remarkably candid with the author. Shaikha Lubna, for instance, was in Tunisia on November 2, 2004, when she got a call late in the night from Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the present foreign minister.

He told her: "The President of the country and the country want you to be the new minister of economy and planning of the UAE. What do you have to say?" As Shaikha Lubna tells Hornok, "… my answer was, you wouldn't believe it: ‘I have to ask my mother.' And there was silence on the other end of the phone. I think he was shocked."

The UAE was the first Arab country the author visited. Her view of Arabs was coloured by reports in the Western media — about domineering men oppressing women. As she admits, she didn't have "the slightest wish to visit these countries". Yet her views changed once she set foot on UAE soil.

"I [knew] that I made a big mistake then. I judged something that I had never seen or experienced. I trusted the statements and opinions of others. I wasn't critical enough."

She believes that Modern Arab Women is also about the "new generation of men", as without their goodwill and support, the success of the development of these women would not have gained momentum.

At the end of each interview, Hornok has a "Something to Consider" segment. She highlights cultural aspects of doing business in the Arab world, such as the importance of respect. If, for instance, one has to say no, it has be said in a way that does not make the other person lose face.

It is clear that over the years Hornok has developed a good insight into Arab culture. And she passes this on through her book.

Modern Arab Women: The New Generation of the UAE By Judith Hornok, Molden Verlag, 176 pages, £29.90