Women in Outsourcing in Egypt: Boundless Ambitions and Challenges on the Path to the Top

In the rapidly changing world of business, women are no longer merely complementary figures—they have become driving forces behind success and innovation.

In Egypt’s outsourcing sector, strong women are emerging, leading companies, reshaping the industry, and opening new horizons for global expansion.

What challenges do they face? How have they managed to balance ambition with reality? And what advice do they offer to newcomers in this fast-growing industry? In this report, the “Ta3heed” newsletter met with many inspirational figures from the field to review their journeys and reveal the secrets behind their success in one of the most competitive industries.

Salah: “My Advice to Every Working Woman… ‘No One Can Do Everything Alone'”

Rania Salah, CEO of Vodafone Smart Solutions Egypt (VOIS), said her career began 27 years ago at Vodafone—before the company officially launched in the local market.

“I started in customer service, and I consider myself lucky to have joined the company during its early stages, when there were many risks and challenges. Yet, there were also great opportunities for growth and development as the company expanded,” she explained.

My Greatest Support: My Grandmother

“My greatest supporter throughout my life was my grandmother. She was a strong woman who believed that there is no difference between a boy and a girl, and she always encouraged me to give my best in everything.

I also saw her immense support for my mother, a successful working woman, as she provided all the necessary help to balance work and family life. This had a profound impact on me and inspired my career path.”

Regarding her passion for working in the outsourcing field, she noted, “The main reason that drove me to work in this field is my belief in my role in creating job opportunities for young people.

This field not only provides jobs but also enhances Egypt’s global image by delivering high-quality services that showcase the competence and capabilities of Egyptian professionals. For that reason, I always feel proud to be part of an industry that strengthens Egypt’s international standing.”

She added that, like many working women, her greatest challenge was balancing work and family—especially while raising young children.

“I always wondered: Am I giving my children their due? Am I giving my best at work? This was my biggest challenge. Over time, I realized that the solution lies in asking for help when needed.

My advice to every working woman, especially new mothers, is: ‘No one can do everything alone.’ It’s important to identify the areas where you need support—at home or at work—and to ask for help without hesitation.”

Today, most companies recognize the importance of supporting working women by providing flexible work environments that enable a balance between professional and personal life.

In our company, we have many initiatives aimed at empowering women—such as offering on-site daycare facilities to help mothers work with comfort and reassurance.

“In the new year, I aim to achieve even more success on both professional and personal levels, and to continue supporting and empowering young people—especially in the outsourcing sector—in order to create more opportunities and enhance Egypt’s position globally,” she added.

Dwidar: “My Entry into the Field Was by Chance”

Maggy Dwidar, one of Egypt’s outsourcing industry experts, shared that she began her career in customer service in the banking sector.

“By chance, I joined the contact center industry through Xceed, a company established in 2003. From there, I learned a lot about this industry and gained my foundational experience,” she said.

On a personal note, she acknowledged that the support of her family—especially her husband—was crucial. Professionally, she received tremendous backing from her managers and mentors (such as Mohamed Fouad, Ahmed Rafqi, Alaa El Shafie, Magid Taher, and many others) who helped her grow and succeed in the industry.

“As for my reason for joining outsourcing—it was initially by chance, without sufficient knowledge of the industry. Over time, I was attracted to this field because of the diversity of industries and the opportunity to interact with different people.

I found great satisfaction in helping customers solve their problems and in supporting companies to improve their operations and achieve growth.

The challenges I faced were similar to those encountered by many working women, particularly balancing work with personal life.

The key to overcoming these obstacles is patience, time management, and essential family support. There is also the challenge of gender bias at times, but focusing on exceptional performance and clearly demonstrating one’s achievements with confidence can overcome that.”

El-Naggar: “Chance Played a Role in My Entry… I Dream of Establishing a Specialized Recruitment Company”

Noor El-Naggar, Recruitment Officer at Xceed, explained that she began her career as a German-speaking customer service representative at Vodafone in 2017. She later decided to change her career path and move into recruitment in 2019.

“I was responsible for recruiting German-speaking candidates for several accounts affiliated with global Vodafone in Europe. Over time, my role expanded—not only within Egypt but also to include hiring German-speaking talents for Vodafone in Greece,” Noor elaborated.

She added, “I achieved success in my career thanks to God, my family, and my strong desire to change my role from mere customer service to becoming an influential figure in the HR sector within the outsourcing services industry, helping others secure job opportunities.”

Noor affirmed that chance played a major role in her entry into HR management, which sparked her passion and led her to specialize in recruitment. She gained practical experience through hands-on work and earned a specialized diploma in HR management.

“I became responsible for recruitment, employee salaries, developing HR management strategies, measuring employee performance, and many other tasks.

One of the main challenges I faced was recruiting the right person for the right position. I believe this field is particularly suitable for women—as most HR managers in outsourcing companies are women—since the tasks are essentially administrative. I always strived to work hard, overcome professional challenges, and learn from my mistakes to gain more experience in dealing with decision-makers at all levels. A career in HR helps develop personal skills and fosters more open and flexible relationships with managers both locally and globally.”

Noor recalled beginning her career as an HR coordinator at Vodafone for two and a half years before moving on to recruitment roles at Web Help for a global company outside Egypt, then at Wasla—which later became Eizon Experience in 2021.

“I was promoted to senior recruiter in August 2022, then became the German recruiter team leader in April 2023, and in April 2024 I received a good offer to work at Xceed as a recruitment supervisor, where I became responsible for recruitment in German, Greek, and Spanish for a period of six years.”

She advised women in HR to seize every opportunity for grants or specialized training—whether free or paid—to gain practical experience, even if the job does not necessarily require it.

“I aspire to take more courses and workshops, gain new experiences this year, and eventually own a specialized recruitment company in the future.”

Fouad: “I Started at Echo Outsourcing… Career Progression Requires Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone”

Shaimaa Fouad, Head of Winners for Outsourcing and Recruitment Services, stated that she began her career in recruitment and HR in the United Arab Emirates, where the vast Gulf market allows for interaction with diverse nationalities and the selection of the right talents for various positions.
“My husband was my main supporter when I returned to Cairo and joined Echo Outsourcing, which was led at the time by Engineer Alaa Al-Khashen and had a strong reputation in the outsourcing and recruitment industry,” she explained.

She added, “I entered the outsourcing industry through recruitment, aiming to help others find jobs that suit their qualifications and the demands of the work environment. One of the toughest challenges I faced was the difficulty for a woman to quickly secure a position and a reasonable salary that ensures a decent life, compared to men.

Convincing decision-makers of my ability to handle responsibilities was also challenging, but I managed to prove myself.”

Shaimaa believes that passion for career progression comes from stepping out of one’s comfort zone and not staying in the same job for more than three years.

“Develop your skills, pursue diplomas and courses, and working with multiple companies allows you to gain broader experiences and quickly move from one position to another.”

She also noted that women in the sector sometimes face bias regarding their ability to handle responsibilities, with tasks often being assigned to men.

Her advice to women seeking careers in the field was to focus on selecting the most competent candidates without limiting their choices, and for those handling payroll to become proficient in Excel and prepare structured reports to enhance their professionalism.

She also stressed that women working in training within HR departments should maintain close contact with trainees to understand their needs.

Shaimaa expressed her ambition to increase Winners Outsourcing’s workforce to over a thousand employees in the new year, expand its reach, grow the industry, and attract more investors in Egypt—supported by the recent positive news—so that Winners can help create job opportunities for every young man and woman.

Aslan: “My Career Progression Was Fast and Suited My Ambitions”

Rana Aslan, HR Director at IGT Solutions, shared that she began her career in recruitment within outsourcing companies.

She recalled being featured on a television talk show hosted by Razan Maghrabi.

“What attracted me most to this field is that it matches my personality, with its fast pace and rapid developments. I am a fast-moving person who loves rapid progress and enjoys interacting with everyone,” she commented.

Rana noted that the biggest challenges throughout her career were the decisions to lay off employees and dealing with frequent travel abroad.

“My career progression was fast and suited my ambitions—I started as a junior recruiter and then became the Head of all HR Functions.

I urge women who wish to work in this field to learn from their mistakes and develop their professional skills, which in turn positively impacts their family lives.

I aspire to work across the Middle East and gain new HR experiences from other countries in 2025,” she added.

Abdel Aziz: “Support and Encouragement from Those Around You Are Key Factors for Success”

Shaimaa Abdel Aziz, CEO of Joshat 247, explained that her career began in programming, digital media management, and value-added services, where she gained extensive experience.

“In just six years, I became the Head of Digital Media at the Kingdom Group in Saudi Arabia, served as General Manager for iVoice in Egypt and Media Systems in Lebanon—the digital arms of the group. Later, I moved to the MBC Group as the Chief Digital Media Officer.

I then joined Egypt Links as General Manager, and within four years, I expanded the company’s operations to three additional countries, while leading major government digital transformation projects.

I subsequently founded Digital Vision, which played a pivotal role in providing value-added services to mobile telecommunications companies, enhancing its market position.

In 2017, I participated in founding and managing Joshat for Technology Services, specializing in outsourcing and customer service.

With rapid developments in artificial intelligence, Joshat expanded in 2023 to offer advanced AI solutions in customer service, leading to the establishment of Jo AI—a tech branch serving the outsourcing market with innovative AI solutions that meet the aspirations of major companies in the region.”

Abdel Aziz emphasized that family and friends, along with the support of her partner and husband, Engineer Wael Abu Al-Ala, played a major role in her success.

“Continuous support and encouragement were essential in overcoming challenges and moving toward success.

The idea of establishing an outsourcing company came from Engineer Wael Abu Al-Ala, and I saw it as a wonderful opportunity to create new jobs for Egyptian youth, help develop their skills, and drive the Egyptian outsourcing industry toward global markets.

I believe no field is inherently unsuitable for women—every woman has the right and responsibility to choose a field that aligns with her abilities, ambitions, and personal circumstances.

One of the toughest challenges I faced was gaining acceptance in large institutions as a young woman in a leadership role, especially early in my career.

Sometimes there were reservations about a young woman managing, but over time, the results and successes eventually overcame that resistance,” she said.

Rabee: “Outsourcing Services Are Among the Prime Fields for Women’s Employment”

Amani Rabee currently serves as the CEO of Development at ison xperiences for Outsourcing Services. She began her career at Asset for Software—a small startup founded by a group of recent graduates—where she was one of the first team members due to her studies in computer science.

“After working in software development for a while, I moved to the commercial and marketing sector in the late 1990s, and then entered training at the encouragement of the former Minister of Communications, Engineer Atef Helmy, who was the General Manager of Oracle at the time.

Helmy continued to support me, and I later joined the Global Technical Support Center in Smart Village in 2005, which employed around 500 people to provide technical support for global markets from Egypt. In 2013, I moved to work at Vodafone Global for Customer Services, as the opportunity coincided with my vision of supporting young talent,” Rabie recalled.

She described one of her toughest challenges as being promoted to Manager of the Technical Support Center in 2006 after the previous manager left for America.

At that time, she was the youngest candidate, but she secured the role thanks to her experience with different teams and training.

“I believe the outsourcing services field is one of the best job options for women, given its defined responsibilities and working hours.

I advise recent graduates to begin their careers through the outsourcing services gateway and develop their skills during their employment to progress rapidly in the industry.

The outsourcing industry offers rapid and diverse experiences across various sectors. I also stress the importance of mastering a foreign language fluently and developing individual skills, which open up strong opportunities in this field,” she concluded.