25,000 Emirati women entrepreneurs own 50,000 trade licences

25,000 Emirati women entrepreneurs own 50,000 trade licences

SHARJAH - A recent survey conducted by NAMA Women Advancement, in partnership with UN Women, found that 77.6 percent of women-owned businesses (WOB) in the UAE are led by those under the age of 40.

Of the 1,000 female business owners who took part in the survey, 48.8 percent are CEOs and 61.4 percent are sole proprietors, a clear indicator that Emirati entrepreneurs, particularly young women, are making significant contributions to the GDP in emerging economic sectors.

This survey was a part of the report “Women-Owned Businesses in the United Arab Emirates: A Golden Opportunity”, published by NAMA Women Advancement in partnership with The Economic Empowerment Section of the UN Women, which addressed the realities and prospects of Emirati women's contributions to the UAE’s comprehensive development, enhancing the sustainability of economic sectors and diversifying sources of national income.

The report lauded the UAE’s sustainable and resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem, pointing out the massive strides the UAE has undertaken to ensure gender parity through a series of legal, policy and institutional measures over the past decade, including the simplification of access to finance.

The UAE was ranked top in the world in the 2021/2022 Global Entrepreneurship Mentorship (GEM) report in terms of countries that allow for