DBWC launches 4th cycle of Mentorship Programme

The Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC) has launched the 4th cycle of its Mentorship Programme.

Around 100 members took part in the previous 3 cycles of the highly acclaimed programme, which aims to provide the participants with valuable expertise, support and guidance.

Those who are interested to sign up for the programme can apply online through the DBWC website here ; the application deadline is 28 October 2021.

This will be followed by a selection pairing process conducted by the steering committee to ensure that the mentees are paired with the right mentors throughout the tenure of the six-month program.

The launch took place on October 11,2021 at Dubai Chamber, in the presence of members, partners and invited guests of the council.

The event featured opening remarks by Her Excellency Dr. Raja Al Gurg, President of the DBWC, who underlined the importance of the programme in boosting the skills of businesswomen and entrepreneurs and the role of continuous development of skills in dealing with the evolving changes in the business landscape.   

Al Gurg said: "The Mentorship Programme has greatly contributed to training and enhancing the personal and professional skills of 100 female entrepreneurs. Our goal was, and still is, future proofing businesses, supporting business women through skill development, which is one of the most important investment ever."

She added: "The 4th edition of the programme coincides with the Year of Fifty and the Projects of the Fifty launched by our wise leadership, which reflects the forward-looking vision of the future. It also coincides with the mega international event, Expo 2020 Dubai, which stresses on the importance of the program in supporting businesswomen in the coming stage."

Featuring a distinct group of experienced men and women mentors, the mentorship programme offers the best hands-on and professional training to enhance the experiences and competitiveness of the participants in the business environment.

This reflects the strenuous efforts made by the DBWC to strengthen the skills and capacities of its members, especially in light of the current challenges imposed by the pandemic and the tough competition that the labor market is witnessing.

Nadine Halabi, Business Development Manager, DBWC, said: "In order to make the program comprehensive, integrated, and unique, it was developed in accordance with the best international training practices, taking into account the basic and required skills in the post-Covid-19."

A customized training plan will be set up according to the professional needs and requirements of each mentee. This includes personalized one on one mentoring to help improve the skills of the participants.

Halabi reiterated the DBWC's commitment to providing its members with all the tools and platforms for success in the business environment, while helping them understand and tackle future challenges.

She added that the program represents a successful model of fruitful partnerships among the various organizations of the business community to spur innovation and encourage professional success.

Halabi invited the Council members to join the program to take advantage of its comprehensiveness and rich content over the course of six months. 

The list of companies that took part in the program and provided mentoring services for the participants include representatives from Visa and the French Business Council in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, Siemens, JPMorgan Chase, Damac Properties, Amazon Web Services, Edelman Middle East, Nestlé, Expo 2020 Dubai, and many more.

Members of the steering committee include Nadine Halabi, Business Development Manager of DBWC, Hanane Arif, Vice President and Director of Communication and CSR and Business Development Officer at Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking Middle East, Nazha Osseiran, managing partner of Chipmunk General Trading, Nisrine El Lababidi, founder of the Harf Noon Design Studio, and Salma Sakhnini, Founder and Managing Director of ICON Investment Consultants.

During the event, a video for the previous mentees and mentors from the previous cycles was screened, during which they shared their testimonials about their involvement in the programme.  

Established in 2002, under the umbrella of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the DBWC is the UAE’s leading platform for the personal and professional development of businesswomen in the Emirate of Dubai. Since its establishment, the Council has dedicated its efforts to encourage women to play an active role in building the country and stimulating sustainable development.

To view photo gallery of the the event visit www.dbwc.ae/gallery/photo_gallery