In 1999, Sheikha Lubna was awarded the coveted"Distinguished Government Employee Award" and was later appointed as the head of"Tejari," the Middle East's premier electronic business-to-business mar- ketplace at its launch in 2000. The firm, now one of Dubai World's most successful units, has franchises across the Middle East. Prior to managing Tejari, Sheikha Lubna was the senior manager of the Information Systems Department at the Dubai Ports Authority(DPA) and Jebel Ali Free Zone, a position she held for more than seven years. She was appointed to her first ministerial post in November 2004, becoming Minister of Economy and Planning, before taking the Minister of Foreign Trade