The UAE Inter-Business Women Council Forum

Monday November 13^th ,2023

The first edition of the UAE Inter-Business Women Councils Forum was a phenomenal success! Themed 'How to Thrive in a Sustainable Economy,' it explored crucial topics, from Financial Literacy, Tech & AI in Business, and Upcoming Trends & New Business Opportunities. The Forum was hosted by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and featured a powerful collaboration between the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council, Dubai Businesswomen Council, Sharjah Businesswomen Council and the CCI France UAE Women Empowerment Committee Initiative.

The event was a testament to the fact that partnerships are the cornerstone of great achievements. Together, we amplify our strengths, navigate challenges, and create a foundation for success. The UAE Inter-Businesswomen Councils Forum achieved outstanding and productive success in terms of results, achieving goals, and the volume of participation and interaction within the UAE businesswomen community.

The Forum witnessed significant participation from businesswomen and official figures, including Her Excellency Asma Al Fahim, Chairwoman of the Abu Dhabi Business Women Council; Sheikha Hind bint Majid Al Qasimi, Chairwoman of Sharjah Business Women Council; Françoise Niemtchinow, Honorary President of CCI France UAE Women Empowerment Committee; Nadine Halabi, Director of Business Development at Dubai Business Women Council; and Ahmed Al Naqbi, CEO of Emirates Development Bank. They each delivered captivating keynote speeches, showcasing their diverse expertise and enriching the event with valuable insights.

The Forum was an exceptional platform, bringing together businesswomen from various parts of the UAE and providing opportunities to cooperate and exchange expertise and experiences. It offered a comprehensive overview of the business system and the infrastructure of the sector, in addition to providing a space to enable businesswomen in the Emirate of the UAE to achieve their goals and aspirations and enhance their effective presence in various business sectors.

The Forum included three valuable thought-provoking panels, which shed light on a number of important topics related to the main theme of the Forum, “How to Thrive in a Sustainable Economy,” where expert speakers discussed three main topics: financial literacy, technology and AI applications in various business sectors, and new trends and opportunities for entrepreneurs and companies.

The first panel discussion, addressing financial literacy, featured Haleema Al Owais, CEO of Sultan bin Ali Al Owais Real Estate; AlYaziya Bin Omeir, Business Development Director at AlBarakah Holding; Shaker Zainal, Chief Business Officer at Emirates Development Bank; and Claire Micheletti, Founder & Joint Managing Director of Cosmopole Consultancy. It was moderated by Salma Sakhnini, CEO of Icon Investment Consultants.

The second panel on technology and AI in business was attended by Valerie Hawley, Director of Corporate Partnerships at the Sorbonne Center for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI); Naima Al-Falasi, Senior VP of Portfolio Strategy at Mubadala; and Yasmin Al Enazi, Ambassador of Women in AI (WAI) UAE Community, and moderated by Ann Boothello, Co-founder of Exponential Individuals (EXL).

The third panel, reviewing upcoming trends and new business opportunities, welcomed by Dr. Majida AlAzazi, founder and Chairwoman of M Glory Holding; Jarjana Abdel Rahman, co-founder and CEO of Wild Fabric; and Stephanie Bretonnier, founder and CEO of WE IMPACT.WORLD. It was moderated by Daniela Rossi, Founder of Unlimited Podcast Platform.

The UAE Inter-Businesswomen Councils Forum will become an annual event hosted by the various businesswomen’s councils in the UAE, providing a platform that brings together women entrepreneurs, offering them the opportunity to communicate, cooperate, and exchange experiences and knowledge. Additionally, it will provide specialized insights, highlight business sector trends, and identify challenges, and find innovative solutions to address them, which contributes to enabling them to enhance the growth of their businesses and support their projects.