Women across the Arab world have been >breaking the glass ceiling in various fields including, but not limited to, >science, >aviation, and >business.
However, it seems as though one Arab businessman isn't keen on women empowerment.
Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer of >Qatar Airways, recently expressed his sexist views during a press conference in Sydney, Australia.
During the meeting, Al Baker said his carrier is "led by a man because it's a very challenging position."
How it all went down:
A reporter from the Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National asked Al Baker about the lack of representation of women in the aviation industry, particularly in the Middle East. His response?
"It's not in Qatar Airways," he said.
"Well, certainly it's being led by a man?" the reporter replied.
"Of course it has to be led by a man because it is a very challenging position," he said, suggesting women don't have the skills to take on top leadership positions.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Al Baker clarified his statement, explaining that he was referring to "one individual."
"I was not referring to the staff in general," he said.
He backed his explanation with facts, mentioning that 33 percent of Qatar Airways staff are women.
"The carrier has female pilots and female senior vice presidents. There's no gender inequality in Qatar Airways," he said.
"It will be my pleasure to have a female CEO candidate I could then develop to become CEO after me," he concluded.
Al Baker made the sexist remarks during the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA.)
During the meeting, IATA announced that Al Baker's role as chairman of the board of governors will be for a duration of one year.