Galway woman Mairéad Hughes is extremely modest for someone who has achieved so much in her 35 years. At one point, she was not only the sole female manager at her Qatari company, which employs about 3,500 staff, she was the only white person.
The mother of one moved to the Middle East in March 2009, after her husband Gary got a job building Doha’s new international airport.
“We had travelled and worked a lot around the world, but this was our first time in the region,” Hughes says. “We had a six-month-old baby and it was a huge shock to the system.
“I remember leaving my apartment to try and go for a walk with the buggy and the path just stopping dead because of unfinished construction. There was nowhere to go and it was so hot.”
After a year being a full-time mother, Hughes decided to launch herself back into the workforce. With her large bank of international experience, she easily landed a job with the Arabian MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) contracting company, Al Malki. After only six months as an executive business manager, she was promoted to her current position as group business development manager.
So, what is it like working in such a male-dominated industry, in a region that is often perceived as treating women as second-class citizens?
"I was quite cautious for the first year. I never wore skirts and dressed very conservatively, but you relax about that after a while. Doha is quite liberal when compared to places like Saudi Arabia next door. And it has gotten even more relaxed since I moved here four years ago."
Cultural sensitivities
However cultural sensitivities are still a priority for Hughes who works alongside 13 nationalities and has clients ranging from South Korea to South America.
“When I was first introduced to a man at work, I would put out my hand and say ‘Howya’, but now I wait for people to initiate a handshake because not every culture is the same.”
How is the Middle East for working mothers?
“When I accepted the job I told them I had a little boy and asked if I could be in the office until 2pm every day and then work from home. They said no problem. It’s a very family friendly place.”
That flexibility though does come at a price. “There are loads of opportunities here if you are willing to work hard. I often work six days a week and 10-hour days, but it’s worth it. I sometimes joke that’s like the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s.”
It is a good analogy as she feels many Irish people could easily strike gold here.
“The prospects are brilliant and, being educated in Europe is a huge advantage. Technology-wise, Ireland is way ahead. The company is 15 years old but, when I first came, all they had was Excel spreadsheets to work with. I was worried I was going to lose all of my skills.”
It has been the exact opposite though and, if anything, Hughes has helped pull her Qatari employers into 2013.
"When I first arrived, there was no push to market the company or get out and win new business, but I'd like to believe I've tried to change that. I've entered us into industry competitions and we've won several awards, which the bosses were delighted with and hadn't even considered before."
Thoughts of home
Of the thousands of Irish who emigrated after the fall of the Celtic Tiger, many face the constant inner debate of when or if to move home.
Hughes came head-to-head with this dilemma in one bittersweet split second on December 2nd, 2010.
"I went to an event in Doha which aired the live announcement of who would host the 2022 World Cup. As soon as they said Qatar, the place went wild. Outside people were hanging out of cars shouting and cheering, but I just thought 'Uh oh'. On one hand I was excited about all of the fresh work opportunities, but on the other, I knew it meant we wouldn't be moving home for a while."
So what does she think are the biggest sacrifices she is making for her and her family by living in Qatar?
“I think of my son Odhrán all of the time. In one way, he has fantastic exposure to all sorts of cultures. At school he’s learning to speak Arabic, French and Spanish, but on the other hand, he doesn’t know what a buttercup or daisy is.
“I miss nature, vegetation and farm animals from home; you just don’t get that living in the desert.”
