Doha: The seventh Gulf Businesswomen's Forum, organized by the Federation of GCC Chambers (FGCCC) in cooperation with the Qatar Chamber (QC) and with the support of the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), concluded Thursday. The event was held under the theme "Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Investment".
According to Qatar News Agency, the forum's final statement, issued after two days of discussions, called for encouraging Gulf women to enter promising economic sectors, promoting digital transformation and the adoption of modern technologies in women's business projects, and empowering them to utilize smart solutions to enhance efficiency and competitiveness. The statement also emphasized the need to increase the participation of Gulf women in non-traditional sectors such as technology, renewable energy, creative industries, and financial technology through specialized training and development programs.
The statement recommended activating the "Gulf Businesswomen's Platform," launched during the forum, to serve as a unified Gulf database for communication and the exchange of investment opportunities among businesswomen. It further recommended supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) led by Gulf women through joint financing and training initiatives.
Assistant Secretary-General of the FGCCC, Noura Al Salem, affirmed the Federation's commitment to following up on the implementation of the forum's outcomes and recommendations in coordination with relevant authorities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This aims to support the Gulf women's entrepreneurship ecosystem and enhance its contribution to sustainable economic development.
The second day of the forum featured three working sessions and showcased further success stories of Gulf businesswomen and entrepreneurs. Board Member of QC and Chairperson of the Qatari Businesswomen's Forum, Ibtihaj Al Ahmadani, and several heads of participating delegations were in attendance. The first session, "Gulf Businesswomen and Sustainable Investment," explored the contribution of Gulf businesswomen to the knowledge economy, the challenges facing non-traditional investments, and the role of modern technologies in developing women's projects.
The second session, "Women Entrepreneurs in the Gulf: From Tradition to Innovation," discussed the role of education and training in empowering Gulf women to engage in modern investments, the future of investments for businesswomen in the Gulf within the framework of Vision 2030, the sectors most attractive to businesswomen in the Gulf, and the non-traditional sectors that have become a new destination for Gulf businesswomen.
The third session, "Role of Arbitration in Enhancing the Gulf Women's Business Environment," addressed several topics, including the role of arbitration in protecting the investments of Gulf businesswomen, fair and transparent contracts as a guarantee for the success of Gulf businesswomen's investments, and resolving commercial disputes through arbitration.