UAE-UK Business Council supports The 100,000 Women Programme
The UAE-UK Business Council hosted its 20th Plenary Meeting on Friday 21 October, in Abu Dhabi.
The event was co-hosted by Minister of State Ahmed Al Sayegh and Lord Udny-Lister and marked the first anniversary of the bilateral agreement between the UAE-UK Partnership for the Future and the Sovereign Investment Partnership.
The landmark agreement aims to tackle a number of global challenges by strengthening the economic relationship in areas such as renewable energy, technology, education and healthcare.
In coordination with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, the Business Council announced its intention to invite more UAE-based business leaders to mentor women entrepreneurs in the least developed countries.
Lord Udny-Lister commented: “Our bilateral trade and investment relationship is becoming increasingly diverse, and new opportunities for collaboration are emerging in sectors that are rich in technology and innovation.
“The role of the UAE-UK Business Council is to develop and share knowledge on these trends so that the great potential unleashed by The Partnership for the Future and the Sovereign Investment Partnership can be realised”.
Supporting women entrepreneurs in low and middle-income areas
Through a keynote speech at the Plenary, Lady Cherie Blair announced that the new partnership focuses on the 100,000 Women Programme, which supports and encourages women in low and middle-income areas to start their entrepreneurial journey.
“There has never been a more critical time to invest in women entrepreneurs, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the distance still left to travel to meet our global goals for gender equality,” Lady Cherie Blair said.
“Through this new partnership, the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women is looking forward to recruiting more fantastic mentors and supporters from the UAE to enable our programmes to reach even more women entrepreneurs in low- and middle-income countries.
By calling on philanthropists, businesses and organisations, the 100,000 Women Programme aims to close the entrepreneurial gender gap that impacts women across the world.
To do so, the foundation provides women with skills, resources and networking opportunities to access the entrepreneurial space, while carving more equal opportunities.
The foundation has already secured more than 100 business leaders in the UAE.
“The relationship between the UAE and the UK continues to go from strength to strength,” said Mansoor Abulhoul, UAE’s ambassador to the UK.
“By unlocking further economic opportunities together, we will be able to future-proof our societies and address the world’s most pressing challenges.
“The UAE-UK Business Council plays a key role in strengthening the crucially important business and investment ties between our societies to pursue our shared vision.”
