“The present development being witnessed by the UAE would require the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council (ADBWC) to streamline its responsibility towards taking part in this homeland’s renaissance and progress, as well as in its economy. It is an ever-growing responsibility as part of the expanding role of the private sector in the socio-economic development process in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,” HE Eng. Fatima Obeid Al Jaber, Chairperson of the ADBWC Executive Board (EB) said, noting, in a speech she delivered at the outset of the proceedings of the Businesswomen Annual Forum held in the city of Al Ain in the presence of more than 100 businesswomen and women-entrepreneurs from Abu Dhabi, that “In view of the growing interest in boosting the UAE women’s role in Abu Dhabi’s economic life, the number of businesswomen based in the emirate went up to 4624 ones late last year. Likewise, the number of Mubdi’ah Programme licence-holders rose in the same year to hit 1386 licences”.
Mrs. Al Jaber extended the utmost thanks and most sublime gratitude to HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women Union (GWU), Supreme Chairperson of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and Honorary Chairperson of the ADBWC, for the confidence attached by Her Highness to the ADBWC EB’s Chairperson and members, for her non-stop support and follow-up of the ADBWC’s initiatives, plans and projects, as well as for her keenness to provide all forms of support and back-up to make such plans, initiatives and projects a success.
This event encompassing illustrious names in the field of economic action in Abu Dhabi and the UAE is a key gesture towards the enhancement of women nationals’ role in the march of an all-out economic development in our country. It is also a chance for bolstering and documenting the process of networking amongst businesswomen and women-entrepreneurs in the UAE, she pointed out, underlining the ADBWC’s continuous assumption of its leading role in Abu Dhabi so as to back up and support the emirate’s businesswomen, briefing them on the best practices in the business sector and providing all that which would help their projects succeed.
“The ADBWC is currently developing an action plan composed of several initiatives intended to both create businesswomen-related economic awareness and laying down a mechanism for networking with them Abu Dhabi-wide. The council is similarly going to implement regular and periodic plans on organizing awareness campaigns and training, developmental courses for the purpose of enabling women-nationals set up business, economic and services projects, not to mention providing consultancy and administrative, technical and promotional support to such projects on local and external markets,” Mrs. Al Jaber stated, saying that “Thanks to the limitless support by both President HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and General HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, as well as to the on-going follow-up and care on the part of HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, GWU Chairwoman and Honorary Chairperson of the ADBWC, the council has since its inception shouldered the responsibility of looking after UAE businesswomen based in Abu Dhabi through bringing their role to bear on the entire UAE’s economic development movement coupled with applying itself to addressing the problems and difficulties being encountered and faced by the march of businesswomen-nationals, particularly those desirous of engaging in business and services activities and willing to have an access to the field of free, self-employed business in the emirate”.
As part of efforts being exerted by it to reinforce communication and expand co-operation amongst businesswomen and women-entrepreneurs in Abu Dhabi, the ADBWC is going over the forthcoming period to open its branches in all areas of Abu Dhabi with a view to serve UAE women wherever they exist. One such branch is going to be inaugurated in the Western Region with an aim of providing all forms of support to UAE women in such areas and to bolster their economic role, she explained.
The council’s Al Ain-based branch is likewise going to be reactivated, would render the best services to women-nationals and help support their projects.
Moreover, a detailed presentation was given on the ADBWC, its plans, objectives and services being offered to UAE businesswomen and ladies in Abu Dhabi. Also displayed was a presentation on successful experience of projects set up by Abu Dhabi’s businesswomen and women-entrepreneurs with the objective of both making common benefit of such experience and having expertise exchanged amongst women-entrepreneurs in the emirate.
In the presence of the ADBWC EB’s members, Mrs. Al Jaber inaugurated an exhibition on “Ebda''at” by UAE women -owners of the Mubdi’ah Programme Licence from the council. Furthermore, she was briefed upon the exhibition’s stands and their contents of commodities and products related to women-nationals who are holders of the Mubdi’ah Licence.
The council is determined to provide every support and back-up to Mubdi’ah ladies, especially in field of marketing and promoting their projects’ products and commodities in a manner that would help such projects succeed, achieve relevant desired objectives of supporting women-nationals’ economic role in Abu Dhabi and enhance their contribution to the emirate’s economic development process, Mrs. Al Jaber emphasized.