Last week, the big news in the world of technology wasn't some fancy new phone or glasses that let you chat with your friends. The headlines were all about Marissa Mayer, a well-known top executive at Google who has just been appointed the new chief executive of Yahoo.
The appointment makes her one of the most powerful women in the tech industry, and indeed in the corporate world, joining an elite group of female leaders that includes the heads of IBM and HP.
This appointment is about more than Yahoo and Ms Mayer's new business cards: it speaks to the role of women in the technology industry, a role with deep implications for the Arab world.
Ms Mayer is taking over a company approaching the brink. Once an internet leader, Yahoo now faces sinking stock prices and profits, as well as the prospect of significant layoffs. The opportunity is still there for the web giant to make a comeback, but articulating and driving a successful vision forward will be a truly uphill battle.
For Ms Mayer, it may just be one of the easier things she does this year. The new chief executive also recently announced that she is pregnant.
From an Arab perspective, we should not be surprised that women are leading companies like Yahoo, IBM and HP. Across the Arab world, girls are often significantly better students then boys, especially when it comes to science and maths - the tech stuff. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study data show Grade 8 girls score better than boys in maths and science tests across most of our region.
It's no surprise then that women are earning more university degrees as well. Data from Unesco show that in the UAE in 2009, 64 per cent of people who graduated with a tertiary science degree were women. In Saudi Arabia during 2010, the figure was 79 per cent.
From our perspective at the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), we have seen very impressive female performances across our various human capital initiatives. The Al Nokhba internship and scholarship programmes have seen well over 100 women excelling in an industry they have found compatible with their cultural values and career goals.
While women are excellent academic performers, there is a significant opportunity loss as they are simply not able to integrate as well into the region's labour market. In this context, Ms Mayer and those like her represent the raw talent the Arab world is missing out on.
According to 2011 data from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, women account for just 1 per cent of researchers in Saudi Arabia, 19 per cent in Palestine and 22 per cent in Libya. Put another way, in Saudi Arabia, 79 per cent of those receiving science degrees are women, yet only 1 per cent of scientists are women.
The International Labor Organization shows the issue is far deeper than science. Overall female participation in the workforce is just 25 per cent in the Middle East, far short of the global 52 per cent average.
It's not unusual for employers in the Arab Middle East to say they are dissatisfied with education standards in the region, a point of view that garners significant media attention. However, perhaps the real discussion we need to have involves both education and integration.
The Arab world is not only missing out on an opportunity to develop talent, it is losing a significant portion of its education investment. For any nation seeking to build a knowledge economy, this is an important issue to address.
When I look at women like Ms Mayer, I can't help but see opportunity for our region as well. With a proactive approach, one of the many female Al Nokhba interns and scholarship recipients may one day lead a strong technology industry right here at home.
Hanan Harhara is the manager of human capital at the Advanced Technology Investment Company
