Under the directives of the “Mother of the Emirates”… the General Women’s Union launches councils for Emirati women entrepreneurs in friendly countries

Under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, “Mother of the Emirates”, President of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, the General Women’s Union announced the launch of Emirati Women Entrepreneurship Councils in friendly countries, in a qualitative initiative that is considered a platform for representation and economic and development empowerment for women entrepreneurs, concerned with enhancing cooperation and partnership between the United Arab Emirates and friendly countries in the fields of entrepreneurship, investment, and development programs for women.

Each council operates under a joint presidency between the two sides, under the supervision of the General Women’s Union, and in coordination with the UAE embassies in the country concerned, and the relevant official and economic authorities, in a way that reflects the vision of “Mother of the Emirates 50:50” in building an effective global network of pioneering women, and enhancing the presence of Emirati women in the global economy.

The councils aim to enhance bilateral economic and development cooperation between the UAE and friendly countries in the fields of women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship, and to expand opportunities for women’s participation in the international economy through joint investment partnerships and initiatives and contribute to achieving sustainable development goals related to gender equality, decent work and economic growth, industry and innovation, and building international partnerships, in addition to highlighting the Emirati experience and its partners as two pioneering models in women’s empowerment and sustainable development.

The councils focus on supporting cultural and economic communication between women in the UAE and friendly countries and promoting a sustainable cross-border business environment, thus consolidating the position of Emirati women as an effective development partner at the international level.

The councils of Emirati women entrepreneurs in friendly countries carry out a number of vital tasks, including activating institutional cooperation channels between official, economic and academic bodies in the United Arab Emirates and friendly countries in a way that serves women’s economic empowerment programs, identifying priority areas for cooperation and developing joint action plans to implement practical initiatives, in addition to launching virtual and field platforms for communication and coordination between women entrepreneurs and supporting institutions, as well as organizing joint conferences, exhibitions and forums to promote women’s projects and exchange economic experiences, and preparing joint analytical studies and reports on indicators of women’s economic empowerment and development. Entrepreneurship, participating in international and regional events that highlight efforts to support women, following up on the implementation of memorandums of understanding and ensuring the achievement of tangible results, and submitting development recommendations to the General Women’s Union and the relevant official bodies.

The General Women’s Union announced the launch of the first council within this initiative in the People’s Republic of China, through a training program entitled “Emirati Women Entrepreneurs: Exploring the Business Environment in China”, in coordination with the UAE Embassy in the friendly People’s Republic of China.

This cooperation represents the first applied experience of the councils’ work on the ground. The program extends for two weeks, starting from the beginning of this November, and includes four major Chinese cities, including the capital, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Yiwu.

The program targets an elite group of Emirati female entrepreneurs, through an integrated experience to learn about the Chinese economic environment, with a focus on e-commerce, digital transformation, innovation, and management of small and medium enterprises, in addition to cultural and knowledge exchange through field visits to international companies and major trade exhibitions such as Alibaba, ByteDance, GD, and Amazon, in addition to joint workshops with Chinese academic and economic institutions.

Noura Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of the General Women’s Union, confirmed that the councils of Emirati women entrepreneurs in friendly countries represent one of the qualitative initiatives launched by the union under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, “Mother of the Emirates”, to enhance the presence of Emirati women on the international scene through sustainable institutional platforms, noting that these councils were designed to be a bridge linking Emirati women entrepreneurs with their counterparts in different countries, which contributes to the exchange of experiences, the development of joint projects, and the creation of an economic environment. Supporting innovation and women’s empowerment across borders.

She added that launching cooperation with China constitutes a practical model in building global women’s networks capable of influencing and making positive change.

For her part, Amna Al Hammadi, Deputy Ambassador of the UAE to the People’s Republic of China, stressed the importance of this qualitative initiative, which comes as a translation of the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, “Mother of the Emirates”, President of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, to enhance the presence of Emirati women in international forums, noting that the launch of Emirati women’s entrepreneurs councils in friendly countries embodies the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership in building bridges of cooperation. Partnership with various countries represents a strategic step towards enhancing the economic and developmental role of Emirati women at the regional and international levels.

In turn, Engineer Ghalia Ali Al Mannai, Head of Strategic and Development Affairs at the General Women’s Union, said that the councils of Emirati women entrepreneurs in friendly countries represent a global platform for economic and cultural communication between the Emirates and countries of the world, and seek to empower women through institutional work and the exchange of knowledge and opportunities.

She added that the establishment of the UAE-Chinese Council comes in the context of the General Women’s Union’s plan to expand the network of these councils globally, opening new horizons for trade and investment cooperation, and enabling women entrepreneurs to build qualitative partnerships based on innovation and sustainable development.

With this approach, the General Women’s Union, headed by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, “Mother of the Emirates”, continues its journey in empowering Emirati women locally and internationally, stressing that the new councils represent a strategic step towards a global economy in which Emirati women actively participate in creating sustainable development.