Businesswoman Latifa Eid stepped into matrimony at an age so tender, it would be unimaginable to most women today. “I had lost my mother and my father was ailing,” she explains. “I was living with my aunt, working and studying at the same time. When my father-in-law to-be, a kind and educated gentleman, promised me a good life and education, I saw it as my chance.”
She completed high school and graduated from a university in the US, where her then husband was a student. Over a decade and their first-born later, they moved to the UK, where she pursued a Master’s in beauty therapy and cosmetology. “I also took certificate courses in specialised practices like peeling and lasers, in France and Germany.” The couple eventually decided to return to Bahrain, by which time they had three boys.
Wanting the freedom and challenge of her own business, Latifa was the first Bahraini lady to open a beauty salon and fitness spa, Futoon, at a time when there were a limited number of salons in Bahrain. Passionate about the business of beauty, she established Futoon International School of Beauty and Art in Riffa in 2001, set on global standards to teach Bahrainis international beauty practices. “I wanted to make Bahrain known as the beauty destination of the GCC, and I worked hard towards it. Through the media, I spread the awareness that beauty is not just about makeup, but about one’s skin, hair and overall health.
“In the initial years itself, the school successfully graduated 300 ladies. I was happy to see the energy and initiative that young women of the country displayed. My aim was, and still is, to make Bahraini women and men leaders in this field.”
Life has thrown a number of spokes into her professional and personal wheel but she has never backed down on her dreams. “Although we are no longer together, I am grateful to the support my ex-husband has given me in the past, also to my friends and well-wishers. I am immensely thankful to the wise leadership of Bahrain, especially HRH The Prime Minister, who works tirelessly for his countrymen, and the wonderful Shaikha Sabeeka, wife of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women, who has seen to the welfare of Bahraini women.”
When asked how she juggled her studies, business and family life, she says: “The truth is, you cannot be perfect at everything. I did my best to be a good mother, although mothers often feel guilty of not doing enough for their kids. I began with nothing – no education or money. I worked hard to get where I am. Raising three boys was definitely not easy, but today they are doing well in life. Of course, I must share the credit with their father as well.”
The proud Bahraini contested the last elections as a way to give back to her country. “Although I did not win, I got the opportunity to listen to and help others, which I have continued to do through regular majlises,” she says.
Looking back on her life, she feels that destiny has played a huge part, along with a dream for a better future. “I did odd jobs to get by in the early days in the States, living on bread and chickpea kebabs. We ate little and worked more. Even in the UK, with our kids, we roughed it out. Becoming a mother made me stronger than ever.
“Sometimes it feels like starting all over again. But success is rising up after a fall. I have no regrets, as life has made me what I am today.” And so, Latifa continues to live a fulfilled life, surrounded only by happy memories, the unconditional love of her children and the friends she has made for life.
