Dubai Women Establishment to Host Third Arab Women Leadership Forum in November

Two-day forum to focus on issues and opportunities surrounding the role of women in the boardroom

Dubai, UAE, 29 September 2012 - Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) will host the third edition of its flagship Arab Women Leadership Forum on November 19^th - 20^th at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai.

The two-day forum will focus on issues and opportunities surrounding the role of women in the boardroom under the theme "Board Leadership & the Case for Diversity." The annual forum is a key event within DWE's agenda of activities and initiatives aimed at promoting the professional development and career advancement of women in the UAE.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and led by Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, UAE; the Arab Women Leadership Forum will feature national and internationally-recognized speakers and accomplished women role models, as well as serve as a high-level networking platform for conference attendees.

Commenting on what this year's Arab Women Leadership Forum hopes to achieve, Mona Al Marri, Chairperson of DWE Board said: "Real economic progress depends on an enlightened and inclusive approach that recognizes the essential role women play in the professional sphere. Our goal at DWE continues to focus on encouraging a shift in approaches and policies that are more gender-inclusive while simultaneously working to highlight and tackle those issues that impede women's progression to positions of leadership."

She added: "While there are several inspiring examples of women leaders in the Middle East, their prominence and success masks the reality that there is still a lot more to be done and we hope forums such as these offer real and conclusive pathways for women to progress to positions of seniority in regional boardrooms - through skill-development, mentoring and networking opportunities."

The third edition of the Forum, which is supported by Hawkamah, the Institute for Corporate Governance and Mudara - The Institute of Directors, will see an elite group of women leaders from around the region deliberate on topics related to Board Leadership & the Case for Diversity. Over the course of two days, the speakers will also share practical ideas to stimulate the participation of women in the region's male-dominated boardrooms in addition to discussing plans to shape positive corporate governance practices in the Middle East.

The Arab Women Leadership Forum is one of many initiatives established by Dubai Women Establishment for the benefit of women with the active participation of private and public sector organizations. It aims to ensure that Emirati women pursue an aggressive growth agenda that positively impacts the UAE economy, and that of the overall Gulf region.

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Dubai Women Establishment:
Dubai Women Establishment is a statutory body of the Government of Dubai as per its founding decree, which encourages and facilitates the active participation of Emirati women in the economy and society; capitalizing on its own knowledge to advise legislators on policies that are more conducive to Emirati women in the workplace and their role in the family; influencing networks and society to create a positive perception of participating Emirati women, and delivering services in Dubai which address the multi-faceted needs of women, to pursue an active lifestyle and sustained economic participation.

For further information, please contact:
Samar Al Marri
DWE
Tel: +971 4 4504562
Email: Samar.AlMarri@dwe.gov.ae

Walid Majzoub
TRACCS
Tel: 04-3672530
Fax: 04-3672531
Email: walid.majzoub@traccs.net
TRACCS 24/7 Media Hotline: +97150 944 8389