UAE leads the way in empowering Arab women, says international advocate

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The UAE is leading the way in opening doors for women across the Arab world, according to a prominent advocate for female economic empowerment who is considering making the…

The UAE is leading the way in opening doors for women across the Arab world, according to a prominent advocate for female economic empowerment who is considering making the country her permanent home.

Haifa Al Kaylani, founder and president of the Arab International Women’s Forum, said the UAE’s commitment to supporting women and young people had made it a model for the wider region, where millions of women still face barriers to employment and economic opportunities.

Speaking to The National as her organisation marks its 25th anniversary, Ms Al Kaylani said the UAE’s international outlook and multicultural society reflected her own vision of an Arab world that embraces its place in the global community.

She described herself as “proud to be an Arab with three roots: Palestinian, Lebanese of Palestinian roots, and Jordanian by marriage”.

“But above all, the whole Arab world is in my heart,” she said. “And I’m also a global citizen.”

The Arab International Women’s Forum, which Ms Al Kaylani founded in London in 2001, focuses on women’s leadership and economic participation and young people’s role in social and economic development. Its name reflects its aim of supporting women across the 22 Arab countries while connecting the region with the wider world.

“We are not an Arab region that is on an island by ourselves. We are part and parcel, and an important part and parcel of the global community,” said Ms Al Kaylani, who was awarded an OBE in 2024 for services to women, young people and cultural relations.

The UAE has impressed her with its efforts to empower women and young people, she said. The forum has signed memorandums of understanding with the platform WiSER (Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy) at Masdar, NYU Abu Dhabi and Al Ain University. Its partnership with NYU Abu Dhabi supports the Emirati Women Achievers Initiative, while it works with Al Ain University’s centre for women’s entrepreneurship.

Four Emirati women leaders have served on the…

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