DBWC Receives Women Delegation from Saudia Arabia

Top officials of Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC), a Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry initiative, received a women delegation from the women’s department of the various Saudi chambers working under the Saudi Federation of Chambers of Commerce, at the Chamber premises.Her Excellency Raja Al Gurg, President, Dubai Business Women Council, welcomed the Saudi women’s delegation headed by Ms Khloud S. Al Tamimi, Acting General Manager – Ladies Department, Saudi Federation of Chambers of Commerce in Riyadh, and her accompanying delegation comprising of heads of ladies departments from different Saudi chambers. The meeting was also attended by a number of Dubai business women and representative of the Hamburg Office in Dubai.

In her welcome speech, H.E. Al Gurg paid tributes to the contribution of GCC women to the vibrant business and investment environment of the region as she said that the Emirati business women have achieved a lot under the wise leadership of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and have become important partners in the economic development of the country. “This visit reflects a mutual desire to build bridges and establish a strategic partnership between the two sides, share experiences and information while strengthening cooperation ties and to work jointly in common areas of interest,” said H.E. Al Gurg while also lauding the contribution of Saudi women to their country’s economy.?Highlighting the role of the Dubai Business Women Council, H.E. Al Gurg informed the delegation that the Council’s objective is to empower the role of UAE businesswomen in developing their economic, social and cultural status in life. It works to foster equal opportunity in the world of commerce through designing programmes and policies to give businesswomen the right opportunities so that they develop their own business enterprises, she said.

H.E. Al Gurg further stated that since its establishment in 2002 under the umbrella of Dubai Chamber, the Council has been working to improve the work environment for businesswomen across the Emirate while leveraging their competitiveness through series of initiatives, policies and programmes designed to support them throughout the process of initiating their businesses in the public or private sector enterprises. She invited the delegation to attend the MENA Businesswomen’s Network (BWN), on April 12 and 13 in Dubai under the theme “Unleashing the Economic Potential of Women in the MENA Region”.

H.E. Al Gurg further stressed that the Council is a founding member of the forum and is hosting its inaugural event. Regional and global delegates will be attending the inaugural BWN Forum which provides an excellent networking opportunity for businesswomen in the region to share experiences and hands-on skills to promote their businesses, she said. In her presentation, H.E. Al Gurg emphasized on the instrumental role played by UAE businesswomen as there are currently 3,760 businesswomen in Dubai, 66% work in the public sector, 30% hold decision-making positions in the public sector, 22.5% are in the Federal National Council while women investments in various sectors amount to AED 12.4 billion, she revealed. On her part, Ms Khloud S. Al Tamimi stressed on the importance of the visit which she said provided an opportunity to build stronger ties and expand the areas of cooperation between the two sides in the long run. She also took the opportunity to laud the role of Dubai Business Women Council in cultivating a new generation of successful businesswomen in the region.

Other members of the delegation from Riyadh, Yanbu, Madinah and Sharqiya shared their experiences with the attendees as regards to their successful business ventures and efforts to achieve positive results in recent years, as well as their contribution to the economic development of Saudi women. Meanwhile, members of the Dubai Business Women Council also apprised the delegates with their experiences and investment facilities available in Dubai, as the two sides agreed to coordinate efforts for the exchange of information on investment opportunities in both countries.