Emirates NBD and Promise of a Generation convene Emirates NBD e7 Girls Summit to encourage women's participation in socially-driven initiatives

Dubai, UAE -April 13, 2015

"The Emirates NBD e7 Girls Summit, a first in the Middle East, is an excellent initiative which I could not be more supportive of. The 35 selected participants give me a lot of confidence and inspiration for the next line of female leaders," says Lubna Qassim, Executive Vice President, Group General Counsel and Group Secretary Emirates NBD, as she addressed an audience of over 200 attendees, encompassing prominent government officials and community leaders, at the inaugural session for the Emirates NBD e7 Girls Summit (9 - 11 April, 2015).

The Emirates NBD e7 Girls Summit brought together 35 female participants - five from each of the seven Emirates, both Emiratis and expatriates, endowing them with the tools to support their commitment to long-term community initiatives. Each participant was matched with a prominent female leader or mentor to develop their projects over the course of the next year. The three-day event incorporated training workshops, including financial literacy, design-thinking, health and wellness as well as one-on-one meetings with mentors.

At the panel session on the first day of the Summit, the UAE Vision Dialogue, prominent speakers included Aisha Abdulla Miran, Assistant Secretary General, The Executive Council, Government of Dubai; Najla Al Midfa, Founder of Khayarat; and Caroline Faraj, CNN Arabic Digital Services Director and CNN Dubai Chief Operations Director who shed light on the important role women should play in the UAE. They also urged the participants to think about how they can make a positive impact in their communities through social entrepreneurship and innovation, in line with the UAE's long-term vision and strategic objectives.

Promise of a Generation Co-Founder and e7 Visionary, Adela Acevedo Sarna, said, "We are truly delighted to see the vision for the next generation of UAE female leaders come to life. We are excited to have our wider community discuss how we can work together to make a positive impact in our communities in line with the UAE's vision and strategic objectives."

Najla Al Midfa, Founder of Khayarat, a career development platform inspiring Emirati graduates to develop their full potential said, "It is our responsibility to give back to the community which has given us so much. I want the e7 participants to never underestimate their capabilities. I am so proud to be affiliated with this wonderful initiative. I only wish this would have existed when I was their age."

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About Promise of a Generation:
Established in 2008, Promise of a Generation (POAG) is the accidental majlis--a platform for discussion and action, which facilitates a candid exchange of ideas, experiences and concerns in order to fulfill the promise of our generation to improve our world. POAG has been fostering community dialogue in the UAE with panel discussions, international trips and other community-driven activities.  For more information, please visit www.poag.ae/e7/.

About Emirates NBD
Emirates NBD is a leading banking Group in the region.  As at 31st December 2014, total assets were AED 363 billion, (equivalent to USD 98.8). The Group has a leading retail banking franchise in the UAE, with more than 215 branches and over 889 ATMs and CDMs in the UAE and overseas.  It is a major player in the UAE corporate and retail banking arena and has strong Islamic banking, Global Markets & Treasury, Investment Banking, Private Banking, Asset Management and Brokerage operations. 

The Group has operations in the UAE, Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, the United Kingdom and representative offices in India, China and Indonesia.

The Group is an active participant and supporter of the UAE's main development initiatives and of the various educational, environmental, cultural, charity and community welfare establishments.

Press Contact:
Tehzeeb Ahmed
e7 Communication Chair
tehzeeb@buzzybee.me
Tel: 050 624 5582

For further information, please contact:
Ajith Henry
Communications - Group Marketing, Emirates NBD
Tel: 971-4-3874421
Mob: 971 55 6612391
Email: AjithH@emiratesnbd.com

Tricia Rego
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller; Dubai, UAE
Tel: 971-4-4507600
Fax: 971-4-4358040
Email: tricia.rego@bm.com

© Press Release 2015