Thursday, May 10, 2012

Breaking Cultural Barriers: Fathia Ahmed


Fathia Ahmed founded Heritage for Henna which started out as a small shop at a hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was a hit with foreign visitors and convinced Mrs. Ahmed that there was a market for henna decoration outside of the region. With sponsorships her business grew to 28 locations throughout the Emirates.

The art of henna has been handed down from generation to generation in Arab culture.  What Mrs. Ahmed has done is turn it into a business that in a way will continue the tradition of henna but at the same time introduce it to new cultures. It becomes a way for others to learn more about Arab culture.

Heritage for Henna has global ambitions so you can be sure it will expose the rest of the world to a form of Arabian heritage while making profit at the same time. The company is also using the franchising model to expand business.

What’s just as amazing as the current success of the business is that Mrs. Ahmed is the CEO of her own company. If women in the Western business world are still demanding for more equality with their male counterpart, you can just imagine the challenges Mrs. Ahmed has been and will be facing.

She comes from a more conservative culture where the expectations of women are vastly different and unequal to men. Nevertheless she has continued to move forward. This in itself is already a stunning achievement for Mrs. Ahmed and an inspiration for all women.

2 comments:

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