Meethaq Employment Agency: Raising the bar with a thirst for knowledge

CEO Maryam Buti AlMheiri shares her inspiring journey in the private sector and how her skills helped raise Meethaq Employment Agency to its unique status in the UAE's outsource market.

Ever since a young age, Maryam Buti AlMheiri held an innate curiosity for the world of business management. Now with 15 years of experience in her cap, she confidently serves as the CEO of Meethaq Employment Agency, where she weaves in her expertise and passion for the sector and plays a strong role in its operations.

"I have always liked the management field. Funnily enough, I had first registered for the media course in university but after spending one semester in it, I realised that I did not belong there; it did not fit my personality. Then I changed to something I could relate to, which was e-business management," AlMheiri said.

Here, AlMheiri channelled her energy into the course, where she learned to establish an organisation online through a laptop.
"I learned how to design a website, create business, and do HR and marketing strategy, all using a laptop. After I finished this, I did my master's in business administration," she added.

Post-graduation, she embarked on a mission to explore various opportunities where she could take on challenges and test her potential.
"I come from three different work backgrounds. I had a career in government and semi-government environments, and finally settled into the private sector with Meethaq Employment Agency," said AlMheiri.

AlMheiri's first stint was in administration in the semi-government sector, where she said was a stepping stone to her journey. She later moved to a government sector position where she was involved in a variety of roles, including managing the land departments' of Dubai City.
"The opportunities provided me with a platform to grow as an individual alongside my management career, despite some challenges. Soon, the new concept of outsourcing came into the market around 2013 and I wanted to explore that," she said.

As the concept was based in the private sector, it would mean leaving behind the lofty nest of the government sector - a thought family and friends time and again reminded her during her decision-making process. But armed with determination, AlMheiri took on the challenge, made the switch, and has not looked back since then.

With her assistance, Meethaq Employment Agency, a part of Al Ghandi Group and owned by Buti Saeed Al Ghandi, has now established a strong presence in the market, serving as a bridge between skilled individuals and organisations in the public and private sectors - not just in the country and region, but also internationally. The firm assists with the initial recruitment process, designs customised solutions for businesses' objectives, and introduces flexibility in the workforce for staffing requirements.

"In my five years with Meethaq Employment Agency, I have had a great experience in the private sector because of its multicultural nature, the environment, framework, discipline and joint efforts involved in operations," she said.

According to AlMheiri, Meethaq Employment Agency has achieved a number of milestones to date. Besides being unique as an Emirati-run organisation, it caters to a variety of job sectors, with plans to extend its recruitment services to wide-ranging sectors in outsourcing and extend to establish branches globally and locally. The agency also takes pride in client retention, loyalty and trust.

Wisdom for aspiring youth

Believe in yourself and you will be successful. You can do it! When you are planning to pursue something, you need to have a vision and set goals - think about what you want to be and where you would like to go with it.

Learn to improve yourself and accept risks. There are several challenges in life and you cannot win them all, but keep in mind that learning never stops. There is no limit to education and how much knowledge we can gain throughout our lives, so believe in yourself and continue to learn and push ahead. Don't give up, you need to keep trying and like what you do. If you have the right vision, you can implement anywhere you want.

• Supplements