Dubai SME supports women’s summit aimed to promote empowerment and entrepreneurship
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20-November-2016
Dubai SME, the agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai mandated to develop the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, will extend its support to the 3rd edition of the Arab Women in Leadership & Business Summit, which will be held in Dubai 21-22 November 2016, as official partners of the event. Through supporting the event, Dubai SME aims to further expand its outreach in the SME segment as well as reinforce its commitment to empowering budding entrepreneurs and women leaders in line with its SME 2021 plan, which is linked to the Dubai 2021 Plan.
The Summit in its two previous editions had attracted 400 attendees from more than 20 countries including 60 senior speakers and over 80 media partners. Dubai SME has been an official partner of the Summit since the inaugural edition along with the Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC), and the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce.
"Dubai SME has not only launched varied initiatives for SME development but also exclusive programs for the professional development of women. It is due to these initiatives and the encouragement of leadership in Dubai and the UAE that a more modern entrepreneurial spirit is seen developing among the younger, well-educated women professionals. Dubai SME also collaborates with global organizations to provide Emirati women professionals with a wider scope for growth," remarked Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO of Dubai SME.
Al Janahi added that Dubai SME is supporting the Arab Women in Leadership & Business Summit to help create an ecosystem for equity investment in SMEs, especially the ones led by women, by involving all key players in improving investor capabilities and advocating a supportive regulatory framework. Earlier this year, Dubai SME unveiled a report on the State of SME Equity Investment to bring SME investment into focus and also launched a Dubai Ventures Network to facilitate investments in SMEs.
The Arab Women in Leadership & Business Summit aims at inspiring women to seek the highest levels of professional development by providing them with information, strategies, insights and perspectives on leadership and development. The two-day Summit is packed with powerful sessions, panel discussions, networking groups, and interactive Q&A concourses. The discussions would have a specific focus on the financial, legal, political and entrepreneurial empowerment of women.
The Summit will bring together a distinguished line up of speakers and panellists including some of the 50 Most Powerful Arab Women in the Forbes list. Some of the speakers include: Excellency Dr. Maryam Matar, M.D, Ph.D, Chairman & Founder, UAE Genetic Diseases Association; Dr. Major. Amna Al Baloushi, chairperson, Emirates Women Police Association (EWPA), Ministry of the Interior; Sandra J. Evers-Manly, Vice President, Global Corporate Responsibility Northrop Grumman Corporation; Mariam Al Afridi, Director - Government Communications, Dubai - Department of Economic Development; Sara M. Al Shorouqi, Executive Director, Group communications, Emirates Defense Industries Company; Jumanah Anter, Senior Vice President, Global Communications, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard; Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, Director of Health Regulation, Dubai Health Authority; Walid A. Abukhaled, Chief Executive, Middle East, Northrop Grumman Corporation; Souad Al Hosani, President, Nexus Business Services; Ambareen Musa, Founder and CEO, Souqalmal.com
The event is powered by Hewlett-Packard and the sponsors include Mastercard, Northrop Grumman and The Manchester Business School. The event also includes participation from key organizations like the Dubai Airports, General Civil Aviation Authority, Dolphin Energy, Meyer-Reumann, SLC, Emirates Foundation, First Gulf bank, ADNIC, DHL, Gulf Air, Adidas, Accor Hotels among others.
The Summit and the objectives are well-aligned with Dubai SME's commitment to encouraging female entrepreneurs for the betterment of the community. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report, the number of self-employed women in the UAE is set to rise remarkably with 80% of Emirati females inclined to start a business. The Summit is also seen as an enabler of the Dubai SME goal of promoting innovation and leadership across all segments of the SME sector.