Hawa Bastaki becomes first woman director in DM

Ms. Bastaki became the first woman director in the history of Dubai Municipality.

Ms. Bastaki was also given a promotion to the first grade of the first category with immediate effect in accordance with the Personnel Affairs System of Dubai Emirate of 1992.

Sheikh Hamdan has issued another administrative decision transferring Maryam Ahmed Al Hammadi to the post of Assistant Director of the Administrative Development and Quality Department. She was also given a promotion to the second grade of the first category with immediate effect in accordance with the Personnel Affairs System of Dubai Emirate of 1992.

Thanking Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum for appointing her in the new post, and Qassim Sultan, Director General of Dubai Municipality and Mattar Al Tayer, Deputy Director General and other Assistants to the Director General for recommending he for the post, Ms. Bastaki said the new responsibility is a challenging job.

"It has always been my nature to take up challenging tasks. With the strong support of the Assistant Director of the Department, heads of sections and units and my other colleagues in the department, I will continue to tread the path of challenges to achieve the strategic objectives of the Municipality and accomplish its vision and mission," she said.

Ms. Bastaki said that she doesn't feel any difference between male and female as far as the work is concerned. "Whether male or female, a government employee is an employee. It is the work experience and expertise that matters. Everybody should endeavour for result-oriented work," she said.

Ms. Bastaki, who is also the Chairperson of the Women's Action Team in the civic body, joined the Municipality in 1986 as an engineer in the Construction Quality Control and Research Section. She became Head of Control and Follow Up Office in the section in 1988. In 1997 Bastaki was promoted as Head of Quality Management Section in the Dubai Central Laboratory Department. She was appointed as Assistant Director of Administrative Development and Quality Department and Head of Corporate Strategic Planning in 2000.

Ms. Bastaki took her Masters in Quality Management from the School of Industrial and Manufacturing Science at Cranfield University, England after doing her B Sc in chemical engineering from the Engineering and Petroleum Faculty of Kuwait University.

Ms. Bastaki was a jury member of the King Abdullah Excellence Award in Jordan as well as many other local awards in quality and excellence. She has been involved in the strategic planning and organizational design as well as policy making exercises in the Municipality. Ms. Bastaki has also initiated strategies for Total Quality programmes in the Municipality and developed the first suggestion scheme for the civic body. She has been conducting a number of workshops and presenting papers in various national and international seminars and conferences.

Ms. Bastaki was also the member of the Dubai Financial Market Board and Dubai Quality Group. She has won several awards including Kuwait Foundation Award for the Advancement of Sciences, Sheikh Rashid Award for Scientific Outstanding, Certificate of Excellence at Dubai Municipality level for the Best Government Employee Category of the Dubai Government Excellence Programme and more than 30 appreciation certificates.