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Meet the 'data queen' of Dubai

Sara Al Zarooni has made her mark in a male-dominated domain with grace, dignity and determination

Sara Al Zarooni, director of Data Management and Compliance Affairs, Digital Dubai, is a graduate from the first batch of the Dubai Leaders Programme, which was launched in 2020 in partnership with Spain’s IESE University. The prestigious programme, which aims to prepare a new generation of qualified leaders, was designed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Al Zarooni is certainly one of the most precocious Emirati talents of the young nation, who has shown enough spark in her professional career to be a leader to make a deep impact in the cutting-edge innovation that is transforming Dubai at breakneck speed.

Al Zarooni, who was born in Abu Dhabi and grew up in Sharjah, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in management information systems from the University of Sharjah. She graduated in 2007 and within a week joined Tecom Investments under Dubai Holding, a global investment company.

“I never got an opportunity to take a break, as I joined work immediately after completion of my college degree,” said an avuncular Al Zarooni, who has been living in Dubai since 2009.

“My first job gave me an exposure to develop change management skills, which have stood me in good stead in my later career moves. I spent three years setting up processes, formulating policies and, more significantly, learning how to handle change. I got immersed in learning and development. I trained both Emiratis and expatriates and was deeply involved in human capital development between 2007 and 2010,” she reminisced.

Her next professional move was to join Dubai’s power and water utility provider, DEWA (Dubai Electric and Water Authority). She was brought in to oversee business process development that the utility provider needed to streamline its operations.

Her dedication to her work won her laurels, such as most distinguished employee of DEWA in 2013. She was feted and recognised for her great dedication and lasting contribution towards the organisation.

“While working for DEWA, I was accredited as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt expert in business process improvements. I received the coveted certification for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of DEWA’s processes,” she said.

“Besides my professional work, I ran a business between 2011 and 2017. I had set up a photography studio at Mirdif to turn my passion for photography into an alternative vocation. I'd cater to all kinds of events such as wedding ceremonies, children’s birthday parties, etc.,” Al Zarooni said.

“I love everything about photography, meeting new people, getting to know them and capturing their story in a photograph. Being a mother, a daughter, a sister and a friend I know how important it is to capture those special moments in life...The moment I had my first child (Ali) I tended to take a lot of pictures and my love of photography sprung again… “say cheese” photography was born!” she added.

In January 2017, she joined Smart Dubai — the earlier avatar of Digital Dubai — on the insistence of Younus Al Nasser, assistant director general, Digital Dubai.

She leads a team of over 350 digital champions in Dubai, transforming entities to be data-driven organisations. In her current job profile, Al Zarooni has emerged as the data queen of the department, as she presides over meetings in what’s largely perceived to be a male-dominated domain.

A mother of three — Ali (11), Omair (5) and Alia (4) — who rides horses and plays guitar in her spare time, she is determined to pursue her hobbies to excel in life. Horse riding is a stress buster for her. She has learnt several life lessons from horse riding.

“Sometimes it takes weeks or even months to perfect one thing about your riding. You may spend hours and hours thinking you will never get it. But you keep training hard till you succeed in your endeavours,” Al Zarooni said.

She also loves to play Padel and travel across the globe, such as for watching the Northern Lights in Finland and visiting cities such as London, Tokyo, Barcelona, Mumbai and Marrakech — and quiet islands like Zanzibar, the Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius.

It’s a world far removed from that of data and compliance. But she finds time to strike a perfect balance between work and life.