Dubai, UAE, July 11, 2018:  The Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC), the UAE’s leading platform for the personal and professional development of women in the Emirate of Dubai, disclosed that its total membership has increased by 28.3% during the first half of the year. The council added 167 new members during this period, which brings the total number of DBWC members up to 758. The increase in membership reflects the growing desire of the emirate’s business women to benefit from the initiatives and services that the council organizes, and highlights the important role that the council plays in supporting business women and in enhancing their competitiveness in the country’s labour market.

The council announced that it had organized 31 workshops and seminars during the first half of the year. 900 participants took part in the council’s workshops and seminars during this time, which represents a growth rate of 2.2% when compared to the first quarter of 2017.

The council further revealed that it held 3 more workshops during the same period in 2017 than in 2018, which indicates the high quality and the careful selection of this year’s workshops and seminars that were organized according to the needs of the council’s members.

The Dubai Business Women Council marked the “Year of Zayed” by launching the DBWC mentorship programme, which is an initiative that gives working women the skills and expertise that they need to excel and innovate. The programme formed strategic partnerships with a variety of local and international leading companies, in addition to experts that work in various sectors, to benefit women by offering free consultations that helps them to apply the best practices in their specialties.

The programme attracted the participation of 18 members of the council, all of whom are business women that represent various sectors, such as tourism, hospitality, trade, consulting, healthcare, education and the media. The programme also features the participation of 16 mentors that represent multinational companies such as JP Morgan, Société Générale, Naseba, ICON plc, and Expo 2020 Dubai among others. The participation of these prominent mentors reflects the importance of this initiative in equipping business women with the best knowledge and expertise that helps them succeed in their workplace.

Dr. Raja Al Gurg, President of the Dubai Business Women Council, stressed that the council has succeeded in cementing its status as one of the most prominent bodies for supporting working women in society. She remarked that the council’s strategic plans aim to instil the latest skills and practices into its members, which includes innovation, entrepreneurship, and effective communication skills, in order to help build business women that have the expertise to keep up with the latest developments in the business community.

Al Gurg pointed out that the council has succeeded during the first half of the year in attracting new members, developing partnerships with new strategic partners that help improve the skills of its members, and organizing workshops and seminars on various innovative topics that fall in line with the vision of the wise leadership and the goals they have set for the private sector.

Al Gurg praised the support that both the emirate’s business community and working women have received from the wise leadership, which includes the latest initiatives and decisions that were announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, that aim to stimulate the economy, increase the competitiveness of the private sector and reduce the costs of doing business. She stated that these initiatives will have a positive effect on empowering women to excel and innovate in their work and investments.

The seminars that the council organized during the first half of the year included topics such as Blockchain Technology, Cryptocurrencies, the use of social media, protection from cyber-attacks, increasing awareness on intellectual property, and benefiting from legal advice. The council’s workshops during the same period focused on meeting the needs of patrons and investors, and raising awareness on the application of VAT and its impact on businesses, in addition to assisting members in finding and employing their own distinctive writing voices and using their writing skills to improve their professional performance.

The council’s activities also reviewed other important topics such as the use of digital marketing in promoting businesses, and using innovation to achieve the goals of the members’ institutions. Another workshop included discussions on the leadership qualities of successful business women, and how to complement personal goals with institutional goals. Other workshops provided skill building techniques around the areas of drafting legal documents, the importance of balancing both personal and professional lives of a businesswoman, and identifying important public speaking skills that have a large impact on creating successful professional relationships.

The council received 4 different international delegations that represented prominent female business leaders from different parts of the world during the first half of the year. The Board Members of the Council and the foreign delegations discussed ways and methods to enhance the role of business women in the private sector, and to form partnerships that benefit all sides. They also exchanged expertise and discussed common experiences that business women have in the workplace.