Humeira Aidarous Al Hashmi: Busting the “Man’s World Myth”

By Luke King

Humeira Aidarous Al Hashmi, Dubai-based regional manager for Blue Water Shipping, speaks candidly about overcoming barriers and encouraging more women to get involved in the "hardcore, heart of the operations."

From Issue 1, 2026 of Breakbulk Magazine

(6-minute read)

“It hasn’t been easy,” said Humeira Aidarous Al Hashmi, regional general manager for Blue Water Shipping, as she reflected on her two decades in the often male-dominated logistics industry. “In fact, people would fall off the chair when I walked into the room. A woman? An Arab woman? Dressed like that!”

After months of email exchanges discussing solutions and pricing for complex project cargo shipments, clients would often arrive expecting to meet a man — only to be stunned when the woman in in traditional Emirati dress extended her hand.

“My name doesn’t give it away, so a lot of them actually thought I was a man until we met face to face,” Al Hashmi said. “But once you get into the conversation, they immediately connect me with the person who sent the email, with the solution, with the price.”

That ability to win over clients has defined Humeira’s 23-year journey through the world of project logistics in the Middle East. Now heading Blue Water’s regional operations out of Dubai, the 40-something Emirati has built a reputation for delivering results while mentoring the next generation of logistics professionals.

Starting From the Bottom

Humeira’s introduction to project cargo came through TransOceanic, an American family-owned company where she cut her teeth on major projects for engineering, procurement and construction giants like KBR, Foster Wheeler and Fluor.

“I started from the bottom up,” she said. “I went in as a secretary of the SVP, and within a month I was doing operations because we were just winning so much work, and we were short-handed.”

That 13-year tenure with TransOceanic in Dubai, later acquired by Agility, provided intensive training across the region. Al Hashmi moved between different roles and locations, soaking up knowledge from mentors who recognized her potential. But the high-pressure environment eventually took its toll. After leaving Agility, she joined Kanoo Shipping, where she helped transform the regional player from a pure shipping agent into a project forwarder working directly with EPCs.

The experience of building a team from scratch and creating new business opportunities proved invaluable. A subsequent move to CEVA Logistics brought new challenges, including navigating the company’s acquisition by CMA CGM and the chaos of COVID-19. “We were doing great in CEVA, but I felt it was growing too big, too fast,” Al Hashmi said.

When Blue Water Shipping approached her, the opportunity felt like coming full circle. Like TransOceanic, the Danish family-owned company emphasized values over sheer scale — prioritizing people and long-term relationships over aggressive expansion.

“You’re recognized, you’re appreciated, and we love our people and that’s our biggest asset,” she said. The company’s Scandinavian culture, with its emphasis on work-life balance, also resonated. “I’ve realized that the only thing I need outside of work is family.”

Since joining Blue Water in 2023, Al Hashmi has focused on developing the company’s Middle East presence. One ace up her sleeve is Blue Water’s recently-opened warehouse facility in Jebel Ali, featuring 5,000 square meters of covered space and 11,000 square meters of compacted open yard suitable for heavy lift cargo.

“Our project clients tend to require space to stage their cargo if their site’s not ready or the ship’s not coming in for a while,” she explained. “Most of them want a one-stop shop solution.”

Navigating a Man’s World

Being a woman in project logistics has been “colorful,” Al Hashmi acknowledges. Beyond the initial shock of clients expecting a man, she’s faced subtle and not-so-subtle resistance throughout her career.

“I’ve had people literally put bets on how long I’m going to stay in a particular position in different organizations,” she said. The key, Al Hashmi believes, isn’t proving a point but simply being good at the job. “In this industry, you’re learning something new every single day from every single person in the organization — your customer side, your vendors. It’s a never-ending classroom session.”

Al Hashmi believes women bring particular strengths to project logistics. “I just think we’re a bit more organized, a bit more structured. My OCD is very well known in my company,” she joked.

Today, women remain relatively scarce in senior logistics roles across the Middle East, though Al Hashmi sees progress. Foreign women increasingly hold critical positions, bringing diverse perspectives. Among Emirati women, customs and port authorities attract the most talent, but field operations and heavy cargo movements remain predominantly male domains.

“A lot of them think it’s a man’s world — getting down and dirty, crazy hours, no sleep, no work-life balance,” she said. “But we need to change the mindset. The only way we can do it is to encourage more women to get involved in the hardcore, the heart of the operations. I’m telling you, their minds will be blown because this is something you cannot get out of once you’re in it.”

Shifting Market Dynamics

The Middle East project cargo landscape has transformed dramatically since Al Hashmi entered the industry. Two decades ago, American and European EPCs dominated. Today, Chinese, Korean, Indian and Spanish companies have joined the mix, while many traditional Western players have shifted toward project management consultancy and front-end engineering (FEED) work.

“I think having all of this diverse exposure is super important,” she said. “It’s great for trade between economies.”

The shift has brought both opportunities and challenges. More diverse EPCs mean more companies can secure work in a competitive market. But pricing pressures have intensified, squeezing margins for freight forwarders. “Back in the day, you could count the number of project forwarders on one hand,” Humeira noted. “Now it doesn’t matter how many digits you’ve got, you’re going to run out.”

Geopolitical disruptions add another layer of complexity. The Red Sea crisis, tariff wars and trade restrictions force clients to shift procurement patterns, while shipping lines consolidate power through vertical integration, such as buying ports, aircraft and forwarding companies.

“The carriers are controlling the business,” she said. “There is a bit of a monopoly. The true essence of being a project forwarder is somehow being diluted when you see all of this.”

The Saudi Opportunity

Despite challenges, Humeira sees enormous potential, including in Saudi Arabia. “It’s my second home, literally,” she said. “There is so much to do there. Anything you touch can be turned to gold.”

She believes Saudi Arabia’s vast geography, large population and ambitious development plans create project cargo opportunities that will last decades. “Saudi is thirsty for quality-based solutions,” Al Hashmi said.

Blue Water is involved in Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy sector, particularly through its work at the Port of NEOM in Oxagon, the kingdom’s industrial city in the northwest. The forwarder was contracted to support cargo handling capabilities for wind turbine components, leveraging more than 30 years of experience managing wind turbine logistics for offshore projects globally.

Blue Water provided on-ground training to support the port’s talent development program, delivering a two-week training course for 24 staff that covered all aspects of wind logistics, including correct lifting, safety procedures, storage area coordination and layout optimization.

Al Hashmi sees further potential for wind-related work across the region. “The wind conditions are perfect along the west coast of Saudi Arabia, the Jeddah side where we already have NEOM. The hills and valleys mean the wind conditions are very good in Oman, too.”

Developing Local Talent

Back home in Dubai, an Emiratization drive aims to develop local talent while leveraging expatriate experience. Having grown up with limited educational options, Al Hashmi sees today’s abundance of international universities and training programs as transformative for young Emiratis considering private sector careers. “Here the UAE is pushing for more Emirati participation in the private sector.”

Al Hashmi’s management philosophy centers on creating opportunities for others. “Your growth is my legacy,” she tells her team. “I’m very passionate about training people. That will be the greatest legacy that I could ever leave behind.”

Her door stays open regardless of time zones or circumstances. Having started at the bottom herself, she understands the importance of giving respect to newcomers and creating space for them to develop. “It’s alright to make a mistake as long as you get up and move forward,” she said. “Every day could be different. If you can accept that, acceptance is a huge thing in this business.”

Looking ahead, Al Hashmi envisions an industry transformed by infrastructure development like the GCC rail network, which she says will reduce carbon footprints while simplifying cross-border movements. Artificial intelligence and digitization will increasingly reshape operations, from automated warehousing to emissions tracking.

For Blue Water, the focus remains on sustainable growth aligned with company values. With new leadership — Thomas Bek as CEO and Ryan Foley as COO (energy, ports and projects) — the company continues its measured expansion while maintaining its family-business culture.

“We’re not expanding on the scale of some of our other forwarder friends,” Humeira said. “But we’re taking the right steps. We’re maintaining the Blue Water values, making sure our people are taken care of, making sure we take care of our clients.”

As the industry gathers for the 10th anniversary of Breakbulk Middle East in February 2026, Al Hashmi reflected on how the event has evolved over the last decade, and the importance of the region.

“Forget North, South, East, West — the Middle East is the hub. This is the middle of everything and we’re seeing that either your clients are based here, your cargo’s coming out of here, or your cargo’s moving through here. There’s always some touch point having to do with the Middle East.

“Everybody’s growing, everybody’s having fun, and I think that’s how it should be,” she said. “I’m very excited to see where Breakbulk Middle East goes next.”

Meet Humeira Aidarous Al Hashmi at Breakbulk Middle East and watch her full interview with Voices of Breakbulk Middle East, a podcast produced by Luke King’s Project Cargo Professionals.

PHOTO CREDIT: Blue Water Shipping