Doha (UNA/QNA) – The seventh Gulf Businesswomen Forum kicked off yesterday evening under the theme “Entrepreneurship and Investment Sustainability,” in the presence of Her Excellency Ms. Buthaina bint Ali Al Jaber Al Nuaimi, Minister of Social Development and Family in the State of Qatar.
The forum is organized by the Federation of Gulf Chambers in cooperation with the Qatar Chamber, and with the support of the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.
Ms. Ibtihaj Al-Ahmadani, Board Member of the Qatar Chamber and Chairperson of the Qatari Businesswomen Forum, said that Doha’s hosting of this forum embodies the State of Qatar’s interest in women and its keenness to empower them and enhance their presence as an active partner in economic and social development.
She explained that this forum emphasizes the importance of sustainable investment, which has become a practical approach adopted by Gulf businesswomen, through initiatives that combine economic growth and social responsibility, in line with the national development visions of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. It also comes as a continuation of the journey of supporting and empowering Gulf women in the fields of economics and entrepreneurship, and is a leading platform for exchanging experiences and building commercial and investment partnerships among businesswomen.
For his part, His Excellency Sheikh Faisal Abdullah Al-Rawas, Chairman of the Federation of Gulf Chambers, expressed in his speech his deep belief in the role of Gulf women as an active partner in the economic and social development process in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, noting that the convening of the seventh edition of the Gulf Businesswomen’s Forum under the slogan “Entrepreneurship and Investment Sustainability” comes at a pivotal stage, in which the Gulf economies are witnessing qualitative transformations towards diversifying sources of income, strengthening the knowledge economy, and supporting innovation and sustainability, in clear agreement with the objectives of the GCC countries’ visions.
He added that Gulf businesswomen have emerged as influential leaders in diverse fields such as banking, technology, real estate and financial services, and today they top the lists of the most powerful businesswomen in the region. This forum is a suitable opportunity to enhance networking opportunities, create strategic partnerships and exchange experiences with female entrepreneurs with outstanding experiences.
In her speech, Ms. Dina Abdulrahman Al-Mudaires, Director General of the General Administration for Project Management at the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, affirmed that cooperation in the commercial field between the GCC countries is a fundamental pillar of joint Gulf action.
She pointed out that recent statistics show a qualitative shift in the progress of women's empowerment, as the percentage of female employees in the government sector at the level of the GCC countries has reached more than 40 percent of the total number of employees, and in the private sector the percentage of female employees is more than 38 percent.
She added that at the level of members of academic bodies, the percentage of women’s empowerment reached 41 percent, and women occupy approximately 49 percent of senior jobs in the government sector and 31 percent of senior management positions in the Gulf private sector. The percentage of women who hold ambassadorial positions in the diplomatic corps reaches 41 percent in some GCC countries.
During the opening session of the forum, the “Gulf Businesswomen Platform” was launched, which is one of the qualitative initiatives of the Federation of Gulf Chambers, which aims to connect businesswomen in the GCC countries within a unified interactive system that contributes to the exchange of experiences and the expansion of the base of Gulf women’s investments, in addition to creating new partnership opportunities based on the concepts of the green economy and sustainability.
The launch of the platform represents a strategic step towards empowering Gulf women in the private sector, by providing an integrated digital environment that promotes communication and cooperation among female entrepreneurs, and enables them to expand their presence on the regional and global investment map.
The opening session of the forum also featured a review of the success stories of three Gulf businesswomen, as Ms. Hessa Al-Sulaiti from Qatar, Ms. Badriya Al-Mulla from the UAE, and Ms. Lujaina Haider from Oman shared their stories of entering the business world and the successes they each achieved in this field.
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