As a psychiatrist, former university president and advocate for Arab women in science, Rafia Ghubash is one of the United Arab Emiratesmost influential women. But her latest project is possibly her most ambitious yet: creating the Middle East's first museum dedicated to the achievements of women. The museum, Bait al Banaat, or House of Women, in Dubai was officially opened at the end of 2012 by Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, showcasing the contribution of women to the country's history. Women here were empowered a long time ago, but have n't had a chance to tell our story, said Ghubash. Do n't think because we are covered we are not empowered. Women here were not in the media, but they were economically engaged and running businesses. The museum is the culmination of five yearswork for Ghubash, who financed the museum with $3 million of her own money. For me it was a full-time job but I had 20 volunteers of all nationalities working with me in their free time. It was nice to have people with different backgrounds involved, she said. In searching for a home for the museum, Ghubash turned down a free site in Dubai's official heritage district for an old house in the historic Gold Souk neighborhood she grew up in. I was looking for a place to build and I came across a very old house that I remember from childhood, she said. It used to be called Bait al