“WE Empower Summit”: The U.S. to the UAE Mission’s first ever summit.

“WE Empower Summit”: The U.S. to the UAE Mission’s first ever summit.

2024 Regional Summit for Women’s Economic Empowerment: AED 165 Million in Revenue from 41 Women-Owned Businesses in the UAE

Forty-one projects in the UAE, owned and managed by more than 45% Emirati women entrepreneurs, have generated over 165 million AED (45 million USD) in revenue over the past four years, from 2020 to 2024.

The U.S. Mission to the UAE revealed that its “Academy for Women Entrepreneurs” has helped 72 women—both Emiratis and residents—manage and significantly increase their business revenues after attending a seven-month training program.

Daleya Uddin, Head of Public Affairs at the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, said, “For the first time, the U.S. Mission to the UAE’s Academy launched the ‘2024 Regional Summit for Women’s Economic Empowerment’ (WE Empower), which aims to support women entrepreneurs in the UAE and the businesses they own.”

Speaking at the summit, she added, “Since the initiative began in early 2020, we’ve been helping women entrepreneurs in the UAE who have had their businesses for at least two years. We offer workshops over a seven-month period to assist them in selecting projects that primarily support sustainability.”

New Projects

Uddin noted that the success rate of businesses supported by the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi exceeds 95%, with a focus on startups. These businesses have created around 524 new jobs, and 12 more women-led projects will be announced by the end of the year.

The summit, which has taken place over three days in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai, concludes today. It gathered over 300 participants, including women entrepreneurs, policymakers, CEOs, startups, and chambers of commerce from the UAE, the region, and beyond.