The 15^th Mela (Middle East leadership Association) Leadership Masterclass begins in Muscat this weekend with attendance by 35 exceptional leaders from across MENA region who will draw inspiration and instruction for explicit business leadership in the current digital era. In today’s fast-paced world, the issue, however, is broader than just digital competence, says, incoming Mela chairperson, Dr Sora al Rawas. “If an organisation fails to empower and invest in its young professionals, they will leave with their ideas and end up disrupting industries,” she cautions in an exclusive interview

The Middle East Leadership Association (Mela), the region’s leading leadership development network, is celebrating 15 years of empowering business leaders with milestone events in Muscat throughout April 2025.

Under the patronage of H H Sayyida Dr Mona al Said, this landmark occasion will bring together over 100 executives, entrepreneurs, and global experts from the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and the US Mela Oman, the network’s largest chapter with nearly 100 top executives, will play a significant role in the celebrations.

The 15th Mela Leadership Masterclass will welcome 35 exceptional leaders from across MENA (Middle East and North Africa) for a transformational 10-day leadership immersion. The Masterclass starts on April 10 with a welcome dinner while the opening ceremony will be held on April 11.

Mela is part of an elite network spanning 47 countries. With over 2,000 members worldwide, this network provides unparalleled access to expertise, resources, and leadership opportunities.

Dr Sora al Rowas, Mela’s incoming chairperson, notes, “Mela’s strong ties with Oman have enriched our network, with the Omani chapter being the largest. We are committed to creating value for our participants, our host country, and our sponsors as we continue strengthening regional and global business connections.”

In a candid interview with Muscat Daily, Dr Sora shares some insights into the role of the Mela Masterclass in moulding professionals to take on leadership roles but stresses that budding leaders must be ambitious yet humble. “If an organisation fails to empower and invest in its young professionals, they will leave with their ideas and end up disrupting industries,” she cautions. Excerpts:

⁠What is the theme of the Mela 15 Masterclass and how different will it be from preceding masterclasses, in terms of format and content?

The purpose of the Masterclass has always been unlocking the personal and professional leadership potential of our participants. Mela is constantly updating and evolving the content and delivery of the Masterclass in furtherance of that goal while addressing the emerging trends and topics in our other programmes throughout the year.

⁠What are the key topics for the Masterclass and have they been tailored to suit the Omani context of leadership?

The key pillars of the programme – and of effective leadership – are understanding self, understanding others, understanding systems, understanding power and authority, and understanding leadership skills. We have found that these pillars apply across cultures and countries – and have been impacted executives from across Oman’s industries for the past 15 years since Mela’s establishment.

One of the greatest strengths of the Mela Network is bringing together a diversity of leaders from across the Middle East representing  various sectors of business, non-profits, government, and civil society, while balancing the representation of male and female representatives. As a result, one of the most powerful elements of our programme comes from peer-to-peer learning that takes place in small, facilitated learning group sessions throughout the 10-day programme. That said, we have extensive representation from our host country, Oman, among our faculty, facilitators, and participants which gives weight to an Omani perspective for the programme.

⁠What are the most essential leadership qualitites in business in the current age and how much weightage should be given to experience against other capabilities?

Early in the Masterclass, we ask participants to think of someone they admire as a leader and to capture what makes that person stand out as an exceptional leader for them. While intelligence, experience, and expertise all matter, it is the character and interpersonal skills that overwhelmingly distinguish the leaders they admire. No matter what role you play or business you think you are in, ultimately you are in the ‘people business’. One can gain experience and hire expertise, but without the interpersonal skills to put those to their best use, they won’t be an effective leader.

⁠Very often leadership is passed on with privilege to seniority in an organisation, thereby more capable younger candidates lose out – comment?

Identifying, developing, and promoting talent is critical. If not, capable young talent will move on to other opportunities or start their own companies and disrupt the organisations that overlooked them. Who loses then?

⁠In the current digital age, young professionals with good computer skills and forward looking vision are often sidelined while senior professionals, who lack modern skills, still hold on to top positions, should this mindset change?

While the full impact of AI is yet to emerge, it has clearly become a competitive edge in terms of productivity both, on the personal and organisational, levels. Digital competency is essential in today’s world. Those who embrace it will flourish and those who don’t will fall behind. We have seen the demise of too many major, high-profile companies over the past decades that were too slow or failed altogether to embrace digital technology. So, either the mindset will change, or the people and organisations they lead will become irrelevant.

That said, the issue is broader than just digital competence. In today’s fast paced, rapidly changing world, adaptability is critical. If an organisation fails to empower and invest in its young professionals, they will leave with their ideas and end up disrupting industries, including those of their former employers.

⁠Often, young graduates from prestigious international universities feel they deserve top management positions, without gaining any experience whatsoever – what is your advice to them?

Competing academically in an elite university classroom is not the same as competing professionally in the business world. As an aside, there are a number of major companies that have made strategic decisions to no longer hire from elite institutions. They find that graduates from recognised colleges and universities outside the elite schools are often equally as smart and competent without the ego. They are eager to learn, able to adapt and fit into the company culture, and quickly contribute to the company’s success. A word of advice: be ambitious, dream big, but stay humble and keep a learner’s mindset.

Mela Masterclass highlights

•        Global Networking – Connecting Omani executives with top business innovators, policymakers, and industry leaders.

•        Leadership in Action – Hands-on learning experiences with real-world applications.

•        Innovative Ideas, Lasting Impact – Meaningful discussions that inspire growth and long-term professional development.