Women blaze a trail in UAE entrepreneurial scene

Women blaze a trail in UAE entrepreneurial scene

25,000 Emirati women entrepreneurs own 50,000 trade licences valued at Dh60 billion in 2021

Significant women-focused initiatives for SMEs and home-based activities gave access to thousands of women entrepreneurs to set up their businesses. - File photo

By WAM Published: Thu 22 Dec 2022, 3:18 PM

An astounding 77.6 per cent of women-owned businesses n the UAE are led by those under the age of 40, recent data showed.

The data was revealed during a survey conducted by NAMA Women Advancement, in partnership with UN Women. Of the 1,000 female business owners who took part in the survey, 48.8 per cent are CEOs and 61.4 per cent 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