His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (Nafis), attended the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council and the UAE Gender Balance Council. This event took place during the UAE Government Annual Meetings 2024 in Abu Dhabi.

The agreement was signed by His Excellency Ghannam Butti Al Mazrouei, Secretary General of Nafis, and Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council. The agreement aims to enhance collaboration and coordination between the two entities to support Emirati women’s participation in the private sector through joint initiatives and programs.

On this occasion, Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, expressed her pride in the signing of this agreement. She emphasized its role in achieving the leadership’s vision of empowering Emirati women in all fields. She noted that the agreement represents a significant step in increasing the representation of Emirati women in leadership positions within the private sector, which is a key partner in achieving national objectives, including sustainable economic and social development.

Her Highness praised Nafis’ achievements over the past three years in enhancing the performance of Emirati human resources, encouraging their integration into the private sector, and driving sustainable economic development in the UAE. She added that the agreement would further support these efforts, especially in empowering women in this critical sector, which serves as an essential pillar of the national economy.

Her Highness highlighted the UAE’s unique global partnership model between the government and private sectors, built on transparency and a shared vision for addressing current and future challenges. She mentioned the “Pledge to Accelerate Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” launched in collaboration with the Private Sector Advisory Council two years ago. This initiative has seen numerous national and global companies in various fields voluntarily commit to increasing the representation of women in senior and middle management positions to at least 30% by 2025.

Promoting Gender Diversity

His Excellency Ghannam Butti Al Mazrouei, Secretary General of Nafis, underscored the importance of enhancing Emirati women’s participation in leadership roles within the private sector. He emphasized that this agreement supports one of Nafis’ key goals: increasing Emiratisation in the private sector.

“We are proud of this partnership with the UAE Gender Balance Council, which aims to promote gender diversity and empower women in leadership positions. We will work to enhance the participation of private sector companies in the pledge to accelerate Goal 5 of the SDGs. This initiative is the first of its kind globally within the private sector and reflects a unique partnership between the government and private sectors to achieve national objectives,” Al Mazrouei said.

He further noted that the agreement would highlight the efforts of companies contributing to empowering Emirati women and showcase their achievements in the private sector. It will also feature success stories that inspire further contributions by Emirati women to the sustainable development of the national economy.

Her Excellency Mona Al Marri expressed her gratitude to Nafis for supporting the UAE Gender Balance Council’s goals of increasing Emirati women’s participation in the private sector, particularly in leadership and decision-making roles. She noted the positive impact of gender-balanced leadership on business growth and highlighted the agreement’s role in launching a dedicated pathway to enhance Emirati women’s participation in leadership positions within the private sector under the “Pledge to Accelerate Goal 5” initiative.

Al Marri also announced plans to develop joint initiatives and programs to encourage more companies to join the pledge and recognize outstanding performance through the Nafis Award based on the highest standards.

She added that the UAE Gender Balance Council would intensify its efforts to increase Emirati women’s participation within targeted organizations under the Nafis Leadership Program. The council will collaborate with national and international companies participating in the pledge, raise awareness about this pioneering program, and share data and studies on gender balance in the private sector to develop effective strategies that support national goals for Emiratisation and sustainable development.

Fourth Gender Balance Council Meeting

On the sidelines of the UAE Government Annual Meetings, the UAE Gender Balance Council held its fourth meeting of 2024, chaired by Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri. The meeting reviewed the council’s achievements and initiatives during the third quarter of the year and discussed upcoming projects to enhance gender balance across all sectors in the UAE and strengthen global partnerships.

The meeting was attended by members, including His Excellency Younis Haji Al Khouri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance; Her Excellency Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of the General Women’s Union; His Excellency Khaled Abdullah Balhoul, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; His Excellency Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy; His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Nuaimi, International Relations Advisor at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation; Her Excellency Alreem Abdullah Al Falasi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood; Her Excellency Hanan Mansour Ahli, Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre; Her Excellency Huda Al Hashemi, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs; and Her Excellency Hessa Tahlak, Assistant Undersecretary for Social Development at the Ministry of Community Development, alongside Her Excellency Moza Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of the Council.