MUSCAT : The panel, titled ‘Women in Leadership: Shaping Tomorrow,’ brought together some of Oman’s most influential executives: Hanaa Al Hinai (CEO, Liva Insurance), Dr. Sora Al Rowas (CEO & Co-Founder, Al Sorat Consulting), Lamees Al Lawati (CFO, Shell Oman), and Fatma Sultan Bahwan (CCO, ALJABR), with Victoria Cuthbert Al Rawas (Manager & Corporate Communications, Oman Air) expertly moderating.

A key theme emerging from the discussion was the move away from the traditional concept of ‘work-life balance’. Lamees Al Lawati of Shell Oman argued, “Gone are the days when people were obsessed with work life balance – once you integrate both, you feel less guilty.”

This sentiment was echoed by her fellow panellists. Dr. Sora Al Rowas described it as a matter of choices and synergy: “I believe work-life balance is about choices… Make the choices wisely; for it is not about what you do, it is about who is with you.”

Hanaa Al Hinai of Liva Insurance acknowledged the daily challenges of juggling responsibilities, stating that “Every day is a struggle, to be honest. Every day you need to pick something,” while stressing the vital need for support, particularly from family. “My husband is doing his part as a father and vice versa,” she noted.

An encouraging observation was the noticeable shift in male colleagues prioritising family. Hana Al Hinai highlighted this change: “Things are changing. I am hearing a lot more reasons why male colleague will not be available for work after office. I am noticing male colleagues are putting family first. It is good to see that now.”

Fatma Sultan Bahwan highlighted the entrepreneurial drive among young women: “When we give university lectures, around 20% of the students — mostly female — already have side hustles. Women today know what they want much earlier.”

Dr. Rowas expressed a desire to move past “tokenism”: “There is definitely more visibility. There is a shift. I would want to normalise that women belong everywhere – I do not like the tokenism. I would like it to be normal for women to be everywhere – there is no place that women cannot.”

Al Lawati concluded by encouraging women to embrace self-advocacy and confidence, noting, “We do not get to the top by being at the back. We need to be open to ask – men will go up and ask.”

The panel concluded with a consensus that while policies and regulations are developing to support women, internal confidence, family support, and a commitment to integrating, rather than strictly balancing, work and life are the keys to shaping tomorrow’s leadership landscape.

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