A resilient and determined leader whose professional and personal journey has been anything but conventional.
Meet Alyaa Al Wahab, Head of Project Management in the UAE and Qatar.
When Alyaa’s choice to study medicine in the UK faced unexpected issues, she switched to civil engineering on a last-minute whim – running her finger down a list of majors and settling on whichever subject it spontaneously stopped at!
She didn’t know it then, but this marked the start of what would become a successful career as an admired leader in the construction space.
Graduating ahead of her peers with high grades, Alyaa’s determination to get a foot in the industry door led her to accept her first job with no salary. Eager to forge her own way, she refused financial help from relatives, choosing instead to live off savings from a previous teaching assistant job.
Then, a pivotal experience at a startup became a defining moment. “The startup made me,” she recounts, “I learned how to rebound repeatedly from failure, which instilled a powerful resilience in me.”
Navigating the male-dominated field of construction, Alyaa faced initial scepticism in her early career, but emerged as a powerful force known for effective leadership and communication in demanding situations.
Health challenges, including open-heart surgery at the age of 26 and a critical leg tumour post-motherhood, solidified that resilience and her reputation as a fighter.
With everything I’ve been through, I have profound gratitude for life’s small joys, and I’ve learned the importance of self-care and good health; these are lessons I hope to instil in my two young daughters.
As a working parent, Alyaa acknowledges the difficulties of balancing responsibilities but credits RLB’s flexible working approach for enabling her to actively participate in her children’s lives while excelling in her senior-level career – something she says is unique in the industry.
Alyaa’s story is a testament to the strength found in navigating challenges and the power of a supportive network. Her advice to aspiring female leaders echoes her journey: “Don’t take no for an answer, always question things, and never let doubt hold you back.”
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