[Editor's Note: This is the third installment in a 4-part weekly series leading up to Emirati Women’s Day.]
The Rewaq Ousha bint Hussein cultural and educational center has been a pillar in UAE society for over 30 years, serving as a beacon of education and knowledge. The institute offers a variety of courses ranging from IT and medical coding to Arabic and Quran, providing high-quality training to thousands from diverse backgrounds. For its founder, Dr. Mouza Obaid Ghubash Al Muhairi, the center is a lasting tribute to the most influential woman in her life — her mother, Ousha bint Hussain bin Nasser Lootah.
“She was a remarkably influential and strong personality,” Dr. Mouza recounted to Khaleej Times. “Our home was always bustling with visitors seeking her counsel on business and personal matters. She was exceptionally knowledgeable, including in politics. During the 1950s Egyptian revolution, she would daily listen to the radio to stay informed about the latest developments. She quietly contributed to many charitable causes and was also a prolific poet. She was incredibly capable.”
Ousha bint Hussain was one of the first women in the UAE to receive formal education and was a pioneer in many respects. She not only absorbed knowledge but also disseminated it among others. Dr. Mouza attributes her mother’s education to her grandparents’ foresight. “My father was a pearl and gold trader who frequently traveled, especially to India,” she explained. “My grandmother was also proficient in reading the Quran, a rarity in her time. They decided my mother, born in 1943, needed formal education and brought a teacher from Saudi Arabia to instruct her in Quran, Arabic, literature, poetry, history, and mathematics.”
Post-marriage, Ousha established her own real estate company, becoming one of the industry’s first female entrepreneurs. “She invited two friends, Sheikha Rafea and Sheikha Sana, to be her partners, and they started their company,” Dr. Mouza shared. “Her friends couldn’t even sign their names, which my mother taught them.”
Formal schooling began in the UAE only after its union in 1971. “At that time, older women also began attending schools in the afternoons to complete their elementary and secondary education,” Dr. Mouza noted.
For Dr. Mouza, her earliest memories include her mother encouraging her and her siblings to study, leading to four of the six siblings becoming PhD holders and holding prominent positions in various sectors. “I pursued a PhD in sociology,” she said. “My siblings specialized in history, psychiatry, and politics. We have also extensively published. I have authored 10 books on social issues, our culture, identity, and Emirati traditions.”
After completing her schooling, Dr. Mouza went to Kuwait for her bachelor’s degree and then to Washington for a year to refine her English. “I then spent seven years in Cairo for my master’s and PhD,” she recounted. “Upon returning to the UAE in 1987, I became a professor at UAE University in Al Ain, teaching social theory and UAE literature for over 30 years.”
Even as children, her mother encouraged them to build a personal library. “Access to books was not easy then,” she said. “Whenever our brothers traveled to Syria or Iraq, they brought back stacks of books which we devoured and shared with others. Our mother motivated us to expand our knowledge in every way possible.”
However, Ousha’s sudden death in 1992 profoundly affected Dr. Mouza. “For weeks, I was inconsolable,” she admitted. “After a month, I decided to channel my grief into honoring my mother’s legacy.” This led to the establishment of the educational institute. “Nothing seemed more fitting as she was always a champion of education,” she said. Since its inception, the center has offered free classes and conducted charitable activities, championing unique campaigns like the ‘Best Mother’ award.
In 2016, the institute received an endowment of over Dh37 million to continue its exemplary work in partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid Global Centre for Endowment Consultancy (MBRGCEC) to promote awareness of supporting UAE culture.
