Dr. Raja Easa Al Gurg: Empowering Women and Redefining Leadership in the UAE

Dr. Raja Easa Al Gurg is a business trailblazer and very powerful voice for women in the UAE. She is the managing director and vice-chairperson of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, transforming her family business while forging her path as an international business leader. Impact transcending borders and industries, with several distinctions to her credit, including being at the top of the list of ‘100 Power Businesswomen in the Middle East’ published by Forbes Middle East and Forbes’ ‘World’s Most Powerful Women’ for 2020, Dr. Al Gurg has made a mark. A child of Easa Saleh Al Gurg, founder of the ESAG Group, Dr. Raja Easa Al Gurg inherited a legacy of entrepreneurship.

Leadership of Dr Al Gurg truly pushed the family business to new heights and put it at an entirely different level under her tutelage. Under her stewardship, the ESAG Group also furthered its portfolio in partnering major global brands like Siemens, Dunlop, and Unilever. She has enabled the company to gain and maintain a strong foothold even in the face of markets with great competition due to strategic foresight. She is instrumental in the guiding leadership which drives growth, innovation, and sustainability within the group.

Innovator and Women’s advocate in Business Dr. Raja Easa Al Gurg advocates the empowerment of women in business. As the head of the Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC), she has been a self-sought champion for the upliftment of women entrepreneurship across the UAE. Her work revolves around creating opportunities for women to engage fully in business, equipping them with the relevant tools, networks, and support structures necessary for success. Her influence spans far beyond the UAE. In fact, Dr. Al Gurg received much global attention for her work and sat in many boards and committees regarding issues of gender equality and women’s leadership. She was very firm in believing that women could contribute significantly to economic development and wanted to influence many through her work.

The impact of Dr. Raja Easa Al Gurg goes beyond the ESAG Group. She holds key high-profile positions in organizations ranging from Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, National Bank of Fujairah, and Royal Bank of Scotland. As a result of the various leadership positions she held in the said companies, she was able to demonstrate her ability to take on multiple roles while creating impacts in various business environments. Through the mentoring by Dr. Al Gurg, progressive policies, which improve business practices have been observed; business practices have improved, and there has been the promotion of inclusivity. Her work in leadership emphasizes teamwork, innovation, and implementing more effective teams. She has helped develop an environment of excellence and of inclusiveness in her work towards laying the groundwork for a more equitable business environment, not least for women.

She has been ranked by Forbes as the highest most powerful businesswoman in the Middle East, a testament to exceptional contributions on the business landscape of the region as well as her feature in the list of ‘The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women’ of Forbes.

Dr. Al Gurg’s awards go beyond business. She has many philanthropy and social contribution recognitions. She is also an education and healthcare champion and supports various endeavours that develop and uplift communities in the UAE as well as globally.

She continues to lead the ESAG Group, accelerating growth, empowerment of innovation and social responsibility. She believes that businesses carry a lot of power as vehicles for change and has been working fervently towards the vision of ESAG Group as a force for good in the UAE and beyond. Her efforts on empowerment of women in business and leadership will surely influence the future and next generations of female entrepreneurs. Dr. Al Gurg left behind a legacy of only good business practices but also at cultivating a more inclusive and fair society where women are on equal footing with their peers and given equal opportunities to shine.