Describing her experience in supporting start-ups and entrepreneurs in Qatar, Ms. Aysha Khalifa Al-Romaihi, the eminent Qatari entrepreneur, says, “All we require for success are focus and passion – these are enough for anyone to prosper. Ahead of us, everything is open. It is our obligation to pay back to our country for what we’ve already received. This responsibility is not merely the role of the state but borne by all of us.”
Responsible for numerous pioneering projects in Qatar Development Bank, Al-Romaihi is the project manager of the Scale7, Qatar’s first business incubator specialized in the design and fashion fields.
The eldest of four children, Al-Romaihi is from a traditional Qatari family. Her father served in the military, while her mother worked in the education sector. Born and raised in Doha, she lived in an environment that emphasized discipline and planning, particularly regarding education, sports and commitment to summer activities and camps; factors that helped Al-Romaihi consistently rank among the top students.
Al-Romaihi discusses her family heritage with pride. Her grandfather would describe his sea voyages, months-long business trips spent tracking trade aboard his ships transporting goods between India, Oman and Kuwait. “These are the stories of our ancestors. We lived on one side of the stories, so we knew how men and women worked side by side, and how our grandmothers took over the men’s duties while the men were away at sea”, she says.
“My grandmothers memorized the Qur’an, in addition to their studies. My grandmother, may her soul rest in peace, could recite poems by Imam Al-Shafi’i. She continuously encouraged me to read and learn, and she used to repeat the proverb: “Go, you free girl, and no harm can ever touch you.”
Education was a priority in Al-Romaihi’s family. “All our family members obtained university degrees. In the seventies, my aunt was one of very few young ladies who completed their studies in Beirut.”
Al-Romaihi recalls a thirteen-volume encyclopaedia gifted to her from her uncle. Another treasured memory is her family’s annual visit to the book fair. “I was an avid reader.”
Although her path pointed to teaching, Al-Romaihi had a different dream. Teaching is extremely important but, “from the very beginning, I determined that my career was not in the field of education.”
At her graduation ceremony, family members were astonished to hear her name announced with an Honours degree in International Business Management Al-Romaihi had also neglected to tell her family that she would be giving a speech on behalf of her fellow graduates. “It was a nice surprise for the family”, she says, adding that “my mother did not understand what was happening and, as she saw me heading to the stage, she whispered, ‘Where does she think she’s going?!’”
Launching her professional career in the banking sector, Al-Romaihi says that she “worked in marketing and banking product development as well as in human resources.”
One day, she received a phone call from an “entity specialized in the field of entrepreneurship.” This call redirected her career path. “I don’t even know how they found my resume,” Al-Romaihi says. The callers introduced themselves as the Qatar Business Incubator Centre, an unfamiliar name. “The concept was new to us her in Doha, and I had to look it up to find out more!”
A requirement for the proposed position was that the applicant must have their own business. Al-Romaihi noted that she had not yet run her own project but was confidently informed by the recruiter that “you will soon have your own project; you meet all the requirements for an entrepreneur.” Al-Romaihi says, “During the interview, I asked them, ‘What is the next step for me?’ Their answer: ‘You will create your own future!’”.
That interview changed Al Romaihi’s career path forever, paving the way for her to advance and grow in project and business support. Today, she is considered one of the founders of Qatar Business Incubation Centre, along with several distinguished colleagues.
Referring to the radical changes taking place in Qatar since 1995, Al-Romaihi speaks about the great revival that the country has witnessed across various sectors including education, business, sports and arts. So many growth opportunities are open and new policies are proposed to facilitate and pave the way for development.
“We represent a golden generation that was fortunate to live in prosperity. It’s our turn to offer similar opportunities to future generations. We have learned, worked hard and built our precious country. We didn’t waste resources but worked on our legacy, pursued development, and invested in humans.”
While at university, Al-Romaihi had to make a crucial decision regarding her major, so she took a “time out”. Describing that time, she says, “I dug deeper, exploring and learning more about myself. I was only 21 when I started working, even before obtaining my university degree. I also read many books, including Ghazi Al Gosaibi’s books.” She utilized her time effectively, exploring the fields she was passionate about, and completing courses in protocol, etiquette, languages, business, arts, and fashion. According to Al-Romaihi, “It was a very rich period…one that contributed to the development and formation of my personality and thinking.”
Her latest project is Scale7, the first specialized business incubator to support entrepreneurs in the field of fashion and design. She has invested substantial time and effort into the project, which offers an integrated experience for those seeking to enter and specialize in the field of fashion. “I am proud to be able, through this project, to leave an imprint that contributes to the diversification of Qatar’s economy in general, and to the creative economy in particular. It is nice to invent something, and other people follow. There must always be new blood, to pump energy and enthusiasm into our businesses.”
Recently, Al-Romaihi was selected to join the Qatar Leadership Centre’s Executive Leadership Program. The one-year Program offers the country’s elite executive leaders courses in leadership and entrepreneurship, among others, in cooperation with reputable international universities.
Looking ahead towards the next decade, Al-Romaihi says, “I’ll have a group of companies, one of which will be a VC specialized in investing in start-ups.”
As ambitious and accomplished as she is – and despite her accomplishments and fifteen years of hard work and dedication, Al-Romaihi is greatly honoured to be included among the 100 most influential Qatari women. “I’m certain that, behind the scenes, there are many powerful and influential women who we do not know about… As for me, I don’t feel that I have achieved all that I can yet – I’m still starting!”