This article is a part of Entrepreneur Middle East’s Special Edition: 50 Visionary Women

Her Excellency Ohood Khalfan Al Roumi is the Minister of State for Government Development and the Future in the United Arab Emirates. This ministerial portfolio was created by the UAE government to advance government development and prepare for future planning for the government of the United Arab Emirates. H.E. Al Roumi is also the Chairwoman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR), the federal entity responsible for the growth and development of UAE federal government human resources. H.E. Al Roumi is Vice Chair of World Governments Summit Organization. She is also a member of the Emirates Competitiveness Council, a board member of the ‘Frontline Heroes Office’, and a member of the board of trustees of the Museum of the Future.

H.E. Al Roumi also oversees the Prime Minister’s Office of UAE and multiple strategic programs and initiatives that come beneath it, such as the development of the UAE Centennial 2071, the coordination and follow up on executing UAE Vision 2021. Her Excellency also oversees UAE government strategy and innovation, government development programs as well as Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Program, Government Performance Management System “Ada’a”, Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre For Government Innovation and the UAE Government Leaders Program. In 2016, H.E. Al Roumi held the position of Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing, the first ministerial position of its kind in the world introduced by the UAE government. The United Nations Foundation appointed H.E. Al Roumi as member of the UN’s Global Entrepreneurship Council (GEC) in 2015, making her the first Arab member to hold that position.

She also made the Young Global Leaders (YGL) list with the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2012. H.E. was also listed among the World’s Greatest Leaders in 2017 by Fortune magazine in recognition of her accomplishments, making her the only Arab figure in the list. Prior to her role at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, H.E. Al Roumi held several leadership positions within the UAE federal government and the Government of Dubai.

She was the Director of Economic Policy at the Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President Prime Minister of UAE Ruler of Dubai, where she led several teams to develop multiple government-driven strategies, such as the Economic Sector Task Force for the Dubai Government’s as well as the Federal Government strategy. She was also the Director of Business Research at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. H.E. Al Roumi holds an Executive Master’s Degree in Business Administration (EMBA) from the University of Sharjah and a Bachelor’s in Economics from the College of Business and Economics, United Arab Emirates University. She is also a graduate from Mohammed Bin Rashid Program for Leadership Development.