Nashwa Al Ruwaini: Changing the World through Dauntless Compassion

Human beings have the power to shape their society by being the change they wish to see. Individuals and society make each other and reflect each other’s mindset. Thus to shape a progressive and evil-free society, the onus lies on us, to serve, mentor and influence as many lives as we can in a lifetime. Leaders and other prominent people, besides enjoying the power that they gain through the love that society showers them with, also have a moral responsibility to share and spread love and kindness.

As the embodiment of kindness, Mother Teresa said, “A life not lived for others, is a life not lived.” And as someone who admires and idolizes her, Nashwa Al Ruwaini, believes that success alone is just not enough. As a well-known media personality in the GCC, she feels that successful people should serve as role models in every step of their journey and empower all those they meet.

This excerpt, about her life and work, helps us understand how she has been standing true to her belief and making a difference

Setting the Stage

It’s not every day that we see a dynamic young woman, all of sixteen, appear on our television screens and make us look forward to her next appearance. Nashwa started her career as the youngest Arab woman anchor while working for Qatar TV. She loved being a TV presenter and pursued the role for several decades. The next opportunity at The Middle East Broadcasting Center, (MBC), saw her producing several shows, in addition to being a Presenter. She worked diligently on setting up MBC into the media powerhouse that it is today.

A few years down the line, she decided to set up Pyramedia Media Production and Consultancy in London and expanded to Cairo, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh. She dedicated a huge portion of her career to establishing Abu Dhabi as a major media hub in the region. Pyramedia provides world class media services across a full spectrum of television/film production, events, public relations, marketing and advertising, making it the only company in the region with such a varied range of media services.

A Diversified Company

Currently, Nashwa serves as the CEO and Board Member of Pyramedia Group which is a group of companies that has under its umbrella:

• Pyramedia-Media Production and Consulting
• Al Joude Advertising and Publicity in the UAE and Saudi Arabia
• Al Joude Investments
• Delma Medical Centre and Spa

She also has her very own charity foundation called Nashwa and a line of jewelry called Nashwa Jewelry. 

The companies Pyramedia and Al Joude Advertising and Publicity produce all types of media and also offer marketing, PR, social media, event management to name a few in the entire GCC region. Delma is a spa and medical center and her charity works across the globe with a special focus on women and children.

In the UAE, Nashwa has produced several award-winning TV programs such as The Millions Poet, The Prince of Poets, The Buzzer, and Al Zaman Al Jameel. She has also produced several historical documentaries on the history of the UAE and namely the late Sheikh Zayed, founder of the UAE. She also worked as a consultant on several Hollywood blockbusters such as Syriana, Kingdom of Heaven, Pirates of the Carribean and Aladdin.

Being the Voice, Not Just an Echo

While hosting her TV shows in England, Egypt and the UAE, Nashwa realized the power that her shows had over the masses. With a desire and realization that her role is not just to succeed professionally but give back to the community, she decided to be the voice of the voiceless. Her shows focused on social issues and Nashwa started to break boundaries and speak up boldly about taboo topics. She recounts, “This attitude to work helped me gain the title of the “Oprah of the Middle East” because I was fearless in the topics that I chose to discuss and because I wanted to ensure that what I was saying on TV made a difference and really affected people’s lives.”

She further shares, “My main goal is to be a voice for the voiceless because my main passion in life is helping others.” A passion, so fierce, needs fuel in the form of motivation. And for motivation,  Nashwa looks up to her own family. She finds her children as the ultimate source of motivation, for whom, she would like to leave behind a legacy that they can take forward. She also states, “I have several role models starting with my mother and grandmother who taught me the meaning of power mixed with kindness and I also aspire to be like Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, known as the Mother of the UAE. She has taken upon her shoulders the welfare of the Emirati women and children and helped empower women to reach heights never reached before.”

One’s Life is Made of Moments

Nashwa has enjoyed success and recognition throughout her remarkable career. We asked her to sum up her favorite moments, to which she said, “I have had several high points in my professional life, such as being able to help people who would call in on my TV shows, or when I launched the Middle East Film Festival which later became the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, or when I celebrated our 10 year anniversary of organizing the semi-final round of the International Emmy Awards. The list is really long.”

Pyramedia boasts of a client list that includes names like Abu Dhabi Airports, Arabtec, Nestle, Mobinil etc. Over the years, the company has been facilitated with many awards such as:

Best Practices by European Society for Quality Research in Brussels

UAE Business Excellence Award-2017 – Worldwide Business Excellence Award

GAMECHANGER OF THE YEAR. From ACQ5 Global Awards 2018 

Miles to Go

Nashwa’s group of companies and businesses speak for themselves. She feels choosing the GCC for her ventures was a great move because there is so much potential in this region and in the UAE, entrepreneurs are provided with all the tools and resources they need to succeed.

On the same note, she shares her advice for the young entrepreneurs saying, “My first piece of advice is don’t be afraid and don’t let there be a ceiling to your dreams and goals.” And as for the numerous opportunities, she is yet to explore, she asserts, “My goals are to see my businesses continue growing and to keep diversifying my portfolio of business.” 

To know more about Pyramedia, visit here