emirates7 - Under the directives of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the “Mother of the Nation”, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood (SCMC), and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, the General Women’s Union announced the launch of Emirati women entrepreneurs councils in friendly countries.
The initiative serves as an innovative platform for representation, empowerment, and economic development for Emirati businesswomen, aimed at enhancing cooperation and partnership between the UAE and friendly nations in entrepreneurship, investment, and women’s development programmes.
Each council operates under joint leadership, supervised by the GWU in coordination with UAE embassies in host countries and relevant official and economic entities. The initiative aligns with the “Mother of Nation 50:50 Vision”, which seeks to build an active global network of women leaders and strengthen the international economic presence of Emirati women.
The councils aim to promote bilateral economic and developmental cooperation between the UAE and partner countries in women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship, while expanding women’s participation in the global economy through joint investment initiatives. They also contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to gender equality, decent work and economic growth, innovation and industry, and global partnerships, while highlighting the UAE’s leading model in women’s empowerment and sustainable development.
The councils will focus on supporting cultural and economic exchange between Emirati women and their international counterparts, fostering cross-border business sustainability, and reinforcing the UAE woman’s role as an active development partner globally.
Their core functions include activating institutional cooperation channels between official, economic, and academic entities in the UAE and friendly nations to serve women’s economic empowerment; identifying priority areas for collaboration; developing joint action plans; and launching virtual and physical networking platforms for entrepreneurs and supporting institutions.
The councils will also organise joint conferences, exhibitions, and forums to promote women-led projects and exchange economic expertise, in addition to preparing analytical reports on women’s economic empowerment indicators, participating in international events, and following up on memoranda of understanding to ensure tangible outcomes.
The GWU announced the launch of the first council under this initiative in the People’s Republic of China through a training programme titled “Emirati Women Entrepreneurs: Exploring the Business Landscape in China”, organised in coordination with the UAE Embassy in Beijing.
The collaboration marks the first practical implementation of the councils’ objectives, with the two-week programme beginning in early November across four major Chinese cities: Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Yiwu.
The programme targets a group of Emirati businesswomen, offering an immersive experience to explore China’s economic environment, with a focus on e-commerce, digital transformation, innovation, and small and medium enterprise management. It also features cultural and knowledge exchange through field visits to major companies and trade exhibitions, including Alibaba, ByteDance, JD.com, and Amazon, alongside workshops with Chinese academic and economic institutions.
Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the General Women’s Union, said that the Emirati women entrepreneurs councils in friendly countries are among the landmark initiatives launched under the directives of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak to strengthen Emirati women’s global presence through sustainable institutional platforms.
She noted that the councils are designed to bridge Emirati women entrepreneurs with their counterparts abroad, facilitating knowledge exchange, joint project development, and cross-border innovation, adding that the collaboration with China represents a practical model for building global women’s networks capable of driving positive change and influence.
Amina Al Hamadi, Deputy Ambassador of the UAE to the People’s Republic of China, highlighted the initiative’s importance as a translation of Sheikha Fatima’s vision to expand Emirati women’s representation in international forums. She noted that launching the councils embodies the UAE’s leadership vision to build bridges of cooperation and partnership with nations worldwide and strengthen the role of Emirati women in economic and developmental fields regionally and globally.
Ghalia Ali Al Mannai, Head of the Strategic and Development Affairs at the GWU, said that the councils form a global platform for economic and cultural exchange between the UAE and the world, aiming to empower women through institutional collaboration and shared opportunities.
She added that the UAE-China council marks a step in expanding this international network to open new prospects for trade and investment cooperation and enable Emirati entrepreneurs to build innovative, sustainable partnerships.
Under the leadership of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the General Women’s Union continues its mission to empower Emirati women locally and internationally, reaffirming that the councils represent a strategic step towards a global economy in which Emirati women play an active role in shaping sustainable development.
The initiative serves as an innovative platform for representation, empowerment, and economic development for Emirati businesswomen, aimed at enhancing cooperation and partnership between the UAE and friendly nations in entrepreneurship, investment, and women’s development programmes.
Each council operates under joint leadership, supervised by the GWU in coordination with UAE embassies in host countries and relevant official and economic entities. The initiative aligns with the “Mother of Nation 50:50 Vision”, which seeks to build an active global network of women leaders and strengthen the international economic presence of Emirati women.
The councils aim to promote bilateral economic and developmental cooperation between the UAE and partner countries in women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship, while expanding women’s participation in the global economy through joint investment initiatives. They also contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to gender equality, decent work and economic growth, innovation and industry, and global partnerships, while highlighting the UAE’s leading model in women’s empowerment and sustainable development.
The councils will focus on supporting cultural and economic exchange between Emirati women and their international counterparts, fostering cross-border business sustainability, and reinforcing the UAE woman’s role as an active development partner globally.
Their core functions include activating institutional cooperation channels between official, economic, and academic entities in the UAE and friendly nations to serve women’s economic empowerment; identifying priority areas for collaboration; developing joint action plans; and launching virtual and physical networking platforms for entrepreneurs and supporting institutions.
The councils will also organise joint conferences, exhibitions, and forums to promote women-led projects and exchange economic expertise, in addition to preparing analytical reports on women’s economic empowerment indicators, participating in international events, and following up on memoranda of understanding to ensure tangible outcomes.
The GWU announced the launch of the first council under this initiative in the People’s Republic of China through a training programme titled “Emirati Women Entrepreneurs: Exploring the Business Landscape in China”, organised in coordination with the UAE Embassy in Beijing.
The collaboration marks the first practical implementation of the councils’ objectives, with the two-week programme beginning in early November across four major Chinese cities: Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Yiwu.
The programme targets a group of Emirati businesswomen, offering an immersive experience to explore China’s economic environment, with a focus on e-commerce, digital transformation, innovation, and small and medium enterprise management. It also features cultural and knowledge exchange through field visits to major companies and trade exhibitions, including Alibaba, ByteDance, JD.com, and Amazon, alongside workshops with Chinese academic and economic institutions.
Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the General Women’s Union, said that the Emirati women entrepreneurs councils in friendly countries are among the landmark initiatives launched under the directives of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak to strengthen Emirati women’s global presence through sustainable institutional platforms.
She noted that the councils are designed to bridge Emirati women entrepreneurs with their counterparts abroad, facilitating knowledge exchange, joint project development, and cross-border innovation, adding that the collaboration with China represents a practical model for building global women’s networks capable of driving positive change and influence.
Amina Al Hamadi, Deputy Ambassador of the UAE to the People’s Republic of China, highlighted the initiative’s importance as a translation of Sheikha Fatima’s vision to expand Emirati women’s representation in international forums. She noted that launching the councils embodies the UAE’s leadership vision to build bridges of cooperation and partnership with nations worldwide and strengthen the role of Emirati women in economic and developmental fields regionally and globally.
Ghalia Ali Al Mannai, Head of the Strategic and Development Affairs at the GWU, said that the councils form a global platform for economic and cultural exchange between the UAE and the world, aiming to empower women through institutional collaboration and shared opportunities.
She added that the UAE-China council marks a step in expanding this international network to open new prospects for trade and investment cooperation and enable Emirati entrepreneurs to build innovative, sustainable partnerships.
Under the leadership of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the General Women’s Union continues its mission to empower Emirati women locally and internationally, reaffirming that the councils represent a strategic step towards a global economy in which Emirati women play an active role in shaping sustainable development.