The New York State Bar Association held a program on March 30 highlighting the experiences of Arab women in the legal profession across the Middle East. The event, titled “Voices of Impact: Arab Leading Women Driving Change in the Arab Middle East,” brought together legal practitioners and judges from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.
The panel aimed to shed light on how women are shaping international law and arbitration in their regions. Moderated by Mohamed Sweify of Hinshaw and Culbertson, who chairs the International Section’s Egypt chapter, participants discussed their diverse career paths and shared advice for women entering law.
Engy Serag, executive director at Orascom Construction in Egypt, described her transition from engineering to law as motivated by a desire to better understand industry claims processes. “I wanted to get the process technically correct, which is where I am right now in our industry in North African construction,” she said.
Judge Aysha Mutaywea of Bahrain spoke about moving from litigation into arbitration after seeking broader opportunities. “I love arbitration because it opened the world for me. I was exposed to so many nationalities, so many laws and experiences. Sometimes opportunities come to you and sometimes you have to create your own,” Mutaywea said. She recounted petitioning for greater female representation at the International Court of Arbitration with fellow panelist Fatima Balfaqeeh; two weeks later she was appointed as an arbitrator before eventually joining Bahrain’s International Commercial Court as a judge.
Balfaqeeh addressed pressures faced during dispute resolution work: “I take my time, step back and look at every situation as an opportunity. Stay true to yourself. Integrity cannot be faked,” she warned.
Dara Sahab of Saudi Arabia discussed leading multicultural teams: “You have to earn trust from everyone in that process,” Sahab said. She emphasized open-mindedness when working with people from different backgrounds.
Panelists also spoke about gender discrimination within their field. Balfaqeeh shared her response when questioned about balancing motherhood with her career: “We will stop talking about gender roles when everyone has the freedom to choose the career they want without judgment or without questioning.”
The session concluded with advice for early-career female attorneys focusing on perseverance, technical excellence, curiosity, integrity, trust-building, and pursuing ambitions without hesitation.
