Ms. Shaikha Al Nowais

Shaikha Al Nowais is Corporate Vice President of Owner Relationship Management at Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region with hotels across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Türkiye. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, Al Nowais is responsible for strengthening the close working relationships between Rotana and hotel owners by overseeing the effective communication of all the latest developments and initiatives implemented at their properties. In 2023, Al Nowais was appointed board member of the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Chamber. In line with its aim to advance the involvement of female entrepreneurs in society and enhance the role of businesswomen in driving the growth of Abu Dhabi’s private sector, Al Nowais focuses on engaging and supporting businesswomen in the community. This includes organising workshops to assist business owners in keeping abreast of techniques to strengthen and expand their enterprises, spearheading trade exhibitions to spotlight various businesses to respective stakeholders, and connecting businesswomen with communities and organisations that helps further their knowledge and achieve their goals through funding and mentorship. Al Nowais joined Rotana as Director of Internal Audit in May 2011, where she leveraged her considerable knowledge and expertise to maintain consistently high standards and drive improved efficiencies throughout its operations. During her time in this role, she successfully led the internal audit team to ensure that all properties were in full compliance with Rotana’s company policies and procedures, as well as external regulations outlined by UAE Federal Law, the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, and the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. Prior to joining Rotana, Al Nowais honed her financial and analytical skills during a two-and-a-half-year tenure at KPMG, where she was responsible for performing audits of financial statements, developing robust audit plans and strategies, and examining internal controls to assess the efficiency of procedures. Al Nowais is a graduate of Dubai’s Zayed University, where she attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Sciences – Finance in 2006.