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Dubai Women’s Enterprise (DWE) on Tuesday announced the agenda for the Global Women’s Forum to be held at Madinat Jumeirah on November 26-27, Dubai Media Office said in a statement.

The forum, which will host participants from approximately 65 countries over two days, will include more than 130 sessions led by more than 250 influential speakers, more than 25 ministers from different countries and representatives from international organizations, as well as leading youth figures and distinguished entrepreneurs.

A press conference was held at the Dubai Government Media Office to announce the programme, speaker line-up and global and local partners. The event included speeches by Mona Ghanem Al Marri, President and General Manager of Dubai Women’s Organization, and Naeema Ahli, Executive Director of the organization.

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Among the participants were Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the UAE Gender Balance Council (UAE GBC), Chairman of Dubai Women’s Enterprise (DWE), wife of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister. and President of the Presidential Court.

“The UAE is committed to supporting international efforts to empower women through effective global partnerships.” he said.

“The Forum serves as a global platform for constructive dialogue focused on best practices that help strengthen the influential role of women,” he added.

He also highlighted that the UAE’s forward-thinking leadership has positioned the country among the world leaders in gender balance and women’s empowerment indices, lifting the UAE to first place regionally and seventh place globally in the 2024 Gender Equality Index published by the United Nations. Development Program (UNDP).

Keynote speakers for the upcoming forum include President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife Emine Erdoğan, Uzbekistan Vice President Saida Mirziyoyeva, Pakistan’s First Lady and Member of the National Assembly Asifa Bhutto Zardari.

Speakers include Saqr Ghobash, President of the Federal National Council of the UAE, Osman Dion, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, and Safaa El-Kouly, World Bank Director for Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.

Also on the forum’s agenda are former First Lady of Iceland, Eliza Reid; Irene Fellin, Special Representative of the NATO Secretary General for Women, Peace and Security; Camille Vasquez, lawyer of American actor Johnny Depp; and global movie star Aishwarya Rai.

Three main topics will be discussed in this year’s edition. The first of these is “Economy of the Future, Societies of the Future”. This column will examine the expected role of women in driving economic development and their contribution to the construction of developed societies.

The focus will be on best practices and supporting legislation for women in this field, as well as improved policies that meet future demands. The aim is to provide sufficient space for women to participate effectively and enable them to use their skills professionally in various sectors.

Secondly, the forum will discuss “Joint Efforts, Shared Responsibilities” to focus on improving cooperation in the support and empowerment of women both within individual countries and internationally. This includes sharing insights, best practices and successful experiences, and promoting international cooperation to create clear frameworks to increase women’s participation in inclusive and sustainable global development.

Finally, the sessions will discuss “Effective Technology, Impressive Innovations” and emphasize that the forum focuses on technology as a fundamental and important element in shaping the future. The discussions will focus on the enormous potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the transformative technologies it brings that are rapidly reshaping the world.

Key topics will include digital transformation, artificial intelligence, blockchain, Internet of Things, fintech, digitalization of healthcare, entrepreneurship, and leveraging technology to support clean and sustainable energy solutions.

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