UAE: Emirati women own over 128,000 businesses in SME sector, minister says

The number of commercial licences issued to UAE female nationals grew by 23 per cent from January to August 26 across various sectors

Top Stories

UAE announces 2-month grace period for residence visa violators

UAE announces fee refund for tax service charges from August 1

Paid parking in Dubai: Residents face up to Dh4,000 extra yearly costs when new rates kick in

File Photo

Published: Tue 27 Aug 2024, 4:13 PM

Last updated: Tue 27 Aug 2024, 5:44 PM

On the eve of Emirati Women's Day, the Ministry of Economy announced that the number of commercial licences issued to UAE female nationals grew by 23 per cent from January to August 26 across various sectors.

“Emirati women today constitute a major part of the economic work in the UAE, as the total number of commercial licences owned by Emirati women in the country reached 135,171 licences until August 26, an increase of 23 per cent compared to 109,871 licences by the end of 2023," said Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy.

"These cover various economic activities including tourism, air transport, information technology, financial services, insurance, creative activities and insurance,” Al Marri added.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

“We are proud of what Emirati women have achieved as they have been able to write inspiring success stories in various fields and specialisations, making them the focus of everyone's attention and admiration for their capabilities, competencies and skills that confirm that they are an important element in any work they do,” said Al Marri.

He pointed out that the UAE is positioned 7th globally and first regionally in the Gender Equality Index issued by the United Nations Development Programme.

Over 128,400 SMEs owned by Emirati women

Alia bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, said Emirati women constitute an important economic force with more than 128,412 small and medium-sized companies owned by them and about 135,171 projects owned by Emirati businesswomen in the country.

She noted that the UAE is keen to establish a forward-looking approach to empower Emirati women in various political, economic, social and cultural sectors.

“National efforts are continuing to work on launching more supportive programmes and projects to motivate Emirati businesswomen to engage in the fields and activities of entrepreneurship, and small and medium enterprises,” said Al Mazrouei.

Mouza Obaid Al Nasri, executive director for the SME sector at the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), said the department allocated much effort to support Emirati women and enhance their role within the emirate’s economic ecosystem.

“This is reflected in the continuous increase in the number of commercial licences issued to Emirati women in Abu Dhabi, reaching 27,331 licences in the first half of 2024, an increase of 23 per cent compared to 2023,” said Al Nasri.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said 1,938 female employees are working in all divisions of the entity.

“This includes 836 female employees in the engineering and technical sector, and many female employees in leadership positions. Around 1,147 female employees occupy supervisory positions. Emirati female employees constitute 84.57 per cent of the total female workforce,” added Al Tayer.

83% of UAE residents inspired by Emirati women

Meanwhile, a new survey covering 1,000 UAE residents released on Tuesday revealed that 83 per cent of UAE them are inspired by the achievements of Emirati women over the past five years.

Released by Volkswagen Abu Dhabi and conducted by YouGov, around 76 per cent of respondents believe that Emirati women have become more prominent in leading government positions since 2019, with 80 per cent agreeing that they will play a key role in driving the UAE’s economic progress over the next decade and beyond.

The study found that Emirati women’s presence has been most noticeable in the healthcare sector at 57 per cent, followed by government (54 per cent), arts and culture (38 per cent), science and research (34 per cent), and entrepreneurship (32 per cent).

ALSO READ: