Students, experts examine obstacles to female entrepreneurship

From left to right: Peter Menche, GIZ Representative; Thomas Birringer, KAS Regional Representative; Azza Al Qubaisi, Jewellery designer; Dr. Maitha Al Shamsi, State Minister; Shorooq Al Zaabi, Head of Development and Future Studies at the Department of Economic Development. (Photo by Ayesha Almazroui)

By Ayesha Almazroui
Zayed University journalism student

Abu Dhabi – To learn how to start their way to the world of entrepreneurship, a number of female Emirati students participated in the “Females as Entrepreneurs” workshop on Oct. 6 at the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research in Abu Dhabi.

H.E. Dr. Maitha Al Shamsi, State Minister, said in her speech at the opening of the workshop that the UAE tops 14 Arab countries in reducing the gender gap and ranked 25 in empowering women worldwide.

“This is a great achievement that must be the focus of attention for Emirati women who have put their feet in the ladder of work and success,” she said.

Shorooq Al Zaabi, Head of Development Indicators and Future Studies at the Department of Economic Development, said that the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has the highest level of employment of Emirati women among the GCC countries.

“The obstacles facing women leading businesses in the UAE are constantly updated but definitely not vanished,” she said. “We organized this workshop to identify those obstacles and help to overcome them.

She emphasized the commitment of UAE government to empower Emirati women in the early stages of their career. This commitment translates into using their entrepreneur skills to satisfy the demand of the country.

Recent statistics showed that young Emirati women made up to 47 percent of all graduates from private universities in the UAE. However, only 20.3 percent of the national work force are females, she said.

The well-known jewellery designer, Azza Al Qubaisi, shared her success story and how she tackled the challenges that faced her as an entrepreneur.

At first, people did not take her seriously and saw her profession in jewellery designing as insignificant. This, however, pushed her to work even harder.

“We should use people’s negativity as a motivation to prove ourselves and reach our goals,” she said. “Creativity and innovation are the basis of everything.”

The Females as Entrepreneurs workshop discussed four aspects of the issue: social empowerment of women, skill training, funding of female entrepreneurs, and related legal issues.

German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) co-organized the workshop with the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi.

Entrepreneur conference examines challenges for UAE women

Lateefa Al Darei
Zayed University journalism student

ABU DHABI – Inspiring young females to start their own business with stories of Emirati female entrepreneurs was the main goal of workshop held on Oct. 6 in the UAE capital.

Azza Al Qubaisi, a jewelry designer and the owner of the brand “Arjmst,” told the audience of Emirati college students and others how she struggled to prove herself as an entrepreneur.

Al Qubaisi said that people told her that jewellery designing would not benefit the UAE, yet she tried to prove them wrong.

“Creativity and innovation is essential in everything,” she said. “And Abu Dhabi, the capital of culture and art, value these kind of creativities.

Al Qubaisi stressed the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity since the country is providing many.

The Konrad Adenhauer Stiftung (KAS) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) organized the workshop, “Females as Entrepreneurs,” which also featured a roundtable discussion of difficulties that female entrepreneurs can face in the UAE.

Muneera, 22, student at Aljazeera Institute for science and technology in Abu Dhabi, sees no obstacles except the families.

“The only obstacle that might come is from the family itself,” Muneera said. “Because the government is always supporting women at the workplace.”

Shurooq Al Zaabi, Head of Development Indicators and Future Studies Division, focused her speech on how women in the ancient Islamic world were engaging in business beside men, and how the role of women has grown in the UAE.

“The female (entrepreneurs) in the UAE have the highest rate within GCC countries,” Al Zaabi said.

H.E. Dr. Maitha Al Shamsi, Minister of State and chairwoman of the Marriage Fund, acknowledged the support and the contributions of H.H. El Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak from the very beginning of the union.

“H.H. El Sheikha Fatima was the one who started supporting and providing opportunities for women in the UAE,” Al Shamsi said.

Al Shamsi said she never planed to acquire her current position. She did her best in all of her previous jobs without aiming for a promotion.

“Success is not about being in the leadership positions, but in all areas,” she said. “We are not working for ourselves, work is a responsibility we will be asked about in front of God.”

Al Shamsi stressed the importance of raising a good generation, since they are the future of the UAE.

“Women, in the first instance, are the builders of generations,” she said. “Her first success is to build a successful generation.”

Being a working mother is one of the obstacles preventing a lot of females from becoming entrepreneurs. Therefore, we have to have the spirit and time management to be capable to succeed, she said.

Regarding to the great examples of successful entrepreneurs women in the UAE, H.E. Nikolai von Schoepff, the German ambassador in the UAE, said he is convinced that women in the UAE will overcome their obstacles.

After visiting certain schools and colleges of the UAE, we were impressed with the quality of education and the high standards you are addressing, he said.

It has been two years since the GIZ came to the UAE, and the first workshop they organized last year focused on bringing experts as guest speakers.

Thomas Birringer, Regional Representative with KAS, said the workshop will not be the last event.

“We are going to continue,” he said.

The organizers invited senior students from different collages to benefit from successful female entrepreneurs. Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development came to discuss the requirements for financial support to the students.