Chamber Insider Blog

Thank you to Maria Saab from Amazon for being a spotlight for Arab American Heritage Month! 

Where were you born and raised, and if it was someplace else, when and why did you come to Loudoun?

I was born in the suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, and immigrated to the United States in 1989 with my parents and younger sister.  We first landed in Florida, but moved to northern Virginia in the early 90’s, which is where I was raised.  My Loudoun story starts with my dad, who owned a Texaco gas station right on East Market Street for most of the 90s.  We’d make the 40-minute drive from Tysons Corner to Leesburg to spend the day with Dad to “work” with him (aka play pretend cashier).  I have fond memories of that time and feel like I got to witness Loudoun’s growth from primarily rural to suburban as I grew as well.

Tell us about your business/nonprofit and how long you’ve been in your industry.

Amazon Web Services is Amazon’s cloud computing business. AWS began just over 18 years ago when we realized the back-end technology we had developed for Amazon.com was something that could really impact how traditional IT was offered.  Our business is comprised of our physical infrastructure business and cloud computing services which together help support millions of active customers worldwide.  What many people don’t realize is that they are utilizing AWS every day—whether that is by streaming on Netflix, watching the PGA or NFL, banking online, storing family photos, leveraging Zoom, shopping on Amazon, or conducting online learning.  So much of how society interacts with technology is through the cloud.

I am considered a long-time Amazonian—I’ll celebrate my 8th job anniversary this year! I have been a government relations and public policy professional for the past 11 years, and I am a lawyer by license and background.  I found my way to Amazon, and more specifically, Amazon Web Services, in 2016. I have had many lives here at AWS and had the pleasure of working in DC, Virginia, Seattle, and Nashville supporting many segments of our portfolio—whether global, regional, national, and now state and local.

How did you get into this line of work?

I have always been interested in the public policy space, but can’t say that I always knew I would be working specifically for a tech company.  I was an International Studies major at Virginia Tech and then went to law school at George Mason University.  Like many Arab Americans, I dreamt of landing a career that would help me to foster change in the Middle East region, so I thought perhaps I’d become a human rights attorney.  The path was a little more arduous than I anticipated, and with student loan payments ahead, I applied for DC-based jobs as a stopgap until I could get to where I wanted to be.  After a stint at a think tank that led me to my first policy job at a consulting firm, I applied to a role at Amazon on their public policy team and have been here ever since.

Have you had any special mentors or inspirations that guided your career?

There hasn’t been anyone specific who I can say has shaped my career, but I draw a lot of inspiration from the people around me.  Whether it’s a parent, sibling, friend, or colleague—I feel lucky to be surrounded by people who have really interesting jobs or who take bold risks, and these have left a mark on me.  I am genuinely curious about people and love to learn about their lives, their jobs, their struggles, and their joys—and I think it’s in these conversations that I get nuggets of information or inspiration I apply to my own career trajectory and professional style.

What is the best part of your job and why?

The best part of my job is sharing the stories about how Amazon and AWS are impacting lives.  Cloud computing, in particular, is really enabling remarkable experiences and capabilities. Although AWS has been around for 18 years, we really are just at the beginnings of the innovations and change we might see in our generation through the use of technology like cloud.  I also really enjoy my colleagues.  Amazon employs some of the smartest people in their various fields of expertise.  I feel proud to be part of this group of people and get to work alongside them every day.

What is it like doing business in Loudoun/Northern Virginia?

It’s a privilege doing business in this region, both because it is where I grew up and also because of what it means to Amazon and AWS.  Loudoun County is home to AWS’s first data centers, and it is such an important part of our own story.  Beyond our physical infrastructure investments, we invest significantly in community programs and partnerships to show both our appreciation and dedication to Loudoun.

What does Arab American Heritage Month mean to you?

It means a great deal! While our food is typically celebrated (which, of course, it’s delicious!), many Americans have minimal exposure to our community beyond the wars and conflicts of the past few decades.  Arab Americans have been making significant contributions to American society and the US economy for generations. Plus we are a diverse bunch! Many people don’t realize that the Arab community and the Arab American community are really made up of many ethnic, religious, political, and social groups.  I am grateful for the opportunity to showcase those achievements and to embrace a moment to be proud of my dual culture!

Favorite things to do when you are not working?

When I am not working, I love to exercise, read, try new restaurants, and travel.  I’ve picked up tennis this year and I am currently running a 100-day streak on Duolingo. My family began a small Lebanese gourmet foods business, Soil, which is all produced and imported from our family’s farm in northern Lebanon.  It’s been fun dabbling in the small business space and interacting with people through the tastes of home!