The Founder

The career of Professor Rafia Obaid Ghubash, the Founder of The Women’s Museum, has to be seen in the light of both the society in which she was born and the society she aims to educate.

With a strong sense of history and equally strong values, she returned home to the UAE with a PHD in epidemiological psychiatry from London University in 1992, to start her academic career as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, in the newly established School of Medicine of the UAE University in Al Ain.

Along with her academic achievements, which included teaching, research and clinical practice, Professor Ghubash also had administrative experience as she had held a variety of managerial positions.

Her leadership skills had been recognized early, when she held the position of the Vice Dean and then Dean of the Medical School in Al Ain 2001.

She undertook the challenging position of President of a GCC institution, The Arabian Gulf University 2001-2009. During her time in this role, she made efforts to raise the profile of the AGU both internationally, and regionally.

Professor Ghubash has played an important role in the empowerment of women in UAE society, through her role as the President of the Arab Network for Women in Science and Technology and today, through the Women’s Museum.

by Rajab Al Sayed

The Tale of a Museum

Growing up on the shores of the Creek – that great dramatic stretch of water that defines Deira – the original heart of Dubai, Rafia Bint Obaid Ghubash used to sit and watch the dhows that passed by.

Carrying traders and their wares from far-flung lands, she found them fascinating. Colorful and exotic, they showed evidence of other countries, other ways of life and other peoples.

Her mother – a woman whose memory she holds to this day with great esteem and love – nurtured her dreams, encouraging her to learn; to travel and to value all that she had been given by her rich Emirati culture.

Years later, Rafia returned to the shores of her home, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and this time with a new dream– the idea of creating a museum – a house to honor the women of her culture, that would exhibit for the world to see their great knowledge, their talents, their impact and their power– a Women’s Museum in Dubai – the first and only one of its kind in the entire Arab region.

This part of old Dubai where her dreams were born so many years ago is the fruition of that dream and it is with great pride that she presents it to you today so that you may learn of the great women of this land who went before –women who are an intrinsic and important part of her great Emirati culture.

by Dr Hessa Lootah