StartAD Honours Emirati Women Visionaries In Its Third Edition Under Sheikha Fatima's Patronage

Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, startAD hosted an event to honour female entrepreneurs from the Emirati Women Achievers initiative. This year, 32 Emirati visionaries were recognised for their contributions to the UAE’s sustainability in various sectors.

The event saw notable attendees including Dr. Maitha Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State; Martina Strong, US Ambassador to the UAE; Rima Al Mokarrab, Chair of Tamkeen and NYU Trustee; Haifa Al Kaylani OBE, President and Founder of the Arab International Women's Forum; Dr. Arlie Petters, Provost of NYUAD; and Nihal Shaikh, Assistant Director of Strategic Projects at startAD.

Dr. Maitha Salem Al Shamsi delivered a keynote address on behalf of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak. She stated, "Women are an integral part of the human resources that we rely on to build our nation. Women account for half of the market, comprise the majority of talents, and makeup half of consumer purchasing decisions. Hence, economic empowerment has become a prerequisite for achieving economic growth, with gender balance being one of its most important requirements."

She further added that under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other prominent leaders, the UAE places significant importance on women's economic empowerment.

During the event, startAD introduced the Impact Hub for Emirati Women Achievers. This initiative aligns with the National Strategy for the Empowerment of Emirati Women and builds on foundations laid by startAD in 2022. The Hub offers long-term support for Emirati women in business and innovation.

The Impact Hub aims to equip members with skills and resources to drive UAE’s global leadership in cultural, social, and economic spheres. It includes tracks like Ambassadorship for advancing women leaders in various sectors and Bootcamps focused on scaling local businesses globally.

Support from Leadership

Praising women's achievements in various fields, Dr. Maitha said, "I express my pride in women's accomplishments at the economic, social, and environmental levels, in advanced technologies and sciences, as well as in energy, clean energy, and space sectors among many other fields. Emirati women have proven their success, sincerity, and perseverance in serving our nation."

Rima Al Mokarrab commented on this support by saying that UAE's wise leadership has always recognised women as pivotal contributors to national prosperity across diverse fields such as business and technology.

A Comprehensive Approach

Nihal Shaikh highlighted that Emirati women are making significant strides across multiple sectors including space research and artificial intelligence. "The Hub will take a 360-degree approach to upskilling ambitious entrepreneurs and innovators with skills necessary for progress," she said.

The Impact Hub also includes a Conscious Investor Fellowship track aimed at training investors in funding emerging technologies with social impact. Additionally, it features networking events to foster collaboration among professionals.

"We are immensely grateful to H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak for her guidance," said Rima Al Mokarrab. "The Impact Hub for Emirati Women Achievers amplifies this determination." She added that this initiative represents a crucial step towards building an ecosystem where innovation among Emirati women is actively realised.

This year's edition recognised 32 new visionaries who join 73 previous innovators excelling in government, corporate sectors and startups.

With inputs from WAM