Dubai: “Time invariably runs out for me,” says Dr Bushra AlBlooshi, as she straddles between her demanding roles as a mother of six and head of research and innovation at Dubai Electronic Security Centre (DESC). The centre operates under Digital Dubai Authority (DDA) which has been tasked to digitise life in Dubai.
But who would know better than Dr Bushra on how goals can be met. “As long as we set our daily and long-term objectives and diligently act towards them, we can achieve anything,” she says.
Rare privilege
Little wonder then that the 1982-born Emirati, who leads Dubai’s cybersecurity strategy, its R&D agenda and policies, is the only Arab representative on the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cybersecurity since 2020, while also having the rare privilege of being a peer reviewer at the World Bank Cloud Computing Group upon invitation.
What’s more, the doctorate holder is the inventor of two patents in memory management and cloud computing, with dreams of seeing her “Made in UAE” devices being gainfully employed in the country and overseas soon.
Dr Bushra, who is very modest for all her achievements, attributes her success to the UAE’s leadership. Her role model is His Highness Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, whose adage “Nothing is impossible” has become her motto.
“Indeed, thanks to the empowerment of the leadership, nothing is impossible. It is a matter of believing in your skills and grabbing the right opportunities,” she explains.
UAE’s strides in cybersecurity
As a case in point, she talks of how global bodies like the World Economic Forum and the World Bank take what officials like her say seriously today because of the UAE’s phenomenal strides in the space of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
“From its 30th position in the Global Cyber Index three years ago, UAE is ranked No.4 today, which is a huge achievement,” says Dr Bushra.
Even at the World Bank Cloud Computing Group, a sitting framework for developed countries, Dubai’s example is cited in terms of best practices for cloud computing and digital services, she adds.
Dr Bushra, who has published many papers and participated in many national and international conferences, is currently a member of several advisory boards and committees globally.
Bushra believes she has come thus far because she keeps challenging herself. She recalled how she passed out with a Bachelor’s degree in software engineering as part of the pioneering batch of students from UAE University’s IT College in 2000. Back in 2010 too, when she was working with a transport entity, she was comfortably placed as IT manager for public transport initiatives but she quit her job to pursue a Masters degree in public administration from MBRSG in collaboration with Harvard University. She followed it up with a second Masters degree on information security from Khalifa University and a PhD in electrical engineering with cloud security.
Importance of upskilling
There has been no looking back since, she says, emphasising on the importance of upskilling. In fact, as part of the DESC’s internal committee for digital skills, her focus is to build a full framework of skills for the digital taskforce in Dubai, besides creating one for universities and schools to upskill talent in keeping with demand.
That is no rhetoric as Dr Bushra goes on to identify the demand. “Digital Dubai commissioned a first of its kind study recently to find out the current and future demand levels and needs for digital skills in Dubai. The Digital Skills Employer Survey canvassed 15,812 ICT employees in 17 different economic activities across 522 establishments,” she says, adding how the initiative helped identify gaps in digital skills with respect to predefined ICT categories.
“Whether you are a student or a parent, whether you are working in IT or not, the larger access to digital skills is very important,” she notes, her every effort aimed at ensuring this happens.
Now, how does Dr Bushra manage all this while being a mother of six? How does she cater to children’s requirements and achieve work-life balance? “I try to do the best I can and encourage my children – five girls and a boy - to do the same. The eldest is in first year university while the youngest is three years old. I tell them to set their own goals and achieve what they truly want.”
She says individual responsibility apart, giving back to the society and the country is a must, irrespective of the field one works in.
For her personally, her work is her passion. “Even in my free time, I end up reading books on cybersecurity and how we can bencher with other countries. It’s always on top of my mind.”
She has a word of caution as a parting shot: “Never believe you will not be hacked. Cyber security is a shared responsibility – if we as individuals are not conscious of that, we may just be the weakest point to a cyber disaster.”
