Reem Al Hashemi, woman of the moment

Minister of State and Dubai World Expo 2020 proponent Reem Al Hashemi is now both a figurehead and a role model.

Thanks, Your Highness Reem Al Hashemi. That was one of the popular Arabic Twitter hashtags that began right after the UAE won the race to host World Expo 2020.

Many Emiratis used social media to express their respect and appreciation to Reem Al Hashemi, the minister of state and managing director of the Dubai World Expo 2020 bid committee, who put Dubai’s case through five rounds of presentations.

She has become the face of Expo 2020, with her multilingualism and remarkable communication skills. She earned the trust and respect of the world and became a role model for many young Emirati women who aspire to give back to this nation.

Her speech on Wednesday, when she said the UAE will “always strive for quality, excellence and respect”, resonated strongly, and for this we should all be thankful.

Of course, the bid was a team effort, and Dubai’s winning team was guided by a strong initial vision from the nation’s leadership and supported by experts and everyday people from across the UAE.