10,000 Female Entrepreneurs in UAE and Wider Region

In a bid to boost female entrepreneurs in the UAE and wider Mena region, the US social media network Facebook is launching #SheMeansBusiness (SMBs) to train thousands women entrepreneurs on how to leverage their online presence for their businesses.

In Mena, SMBs is partnering organisations in the UAE and Egypt to train 10,000 women in one year, Facebook said. In the UAE, it is working with Sheraa Sharjah and Emirates Foundation.

In Egypt, Ahead of the Curve will take the lead in building a team of partners to reach women across the country. Through a coalition of partners, SMBs will run a series of workshops, training sessions and online resources to arm women entrepreneurs with the knowledge, connections, skills and technology required to build and grow their business online," the US firm said.

"At Emirates Foundation we believe in a focused model of philanthropy where impact can be maximised through effective and long-term partnerships," said Clare Woodcraft-Scott, the chief executive of the foundation. "This is part of the promise we bring to our nation’s development and the value proposition we offer our partners. This is particularly visible through our Kafa’at Programme where the investment in creating a social entrepreneurship culture is coming to life and maturing into a successful model that is contributing directly to the development of a knowledge-based economy. Investment in young entrepreneurs, technology, research and incubation of budding ideas through our private sector partnerships will without doubt expedite the transformation of our economy into a model of sustainable growth and development.

She said Emirates Foundation would work with SMBs and facebook to strengthen the existing foundations of female entrepreneurship.

Najla Al-Midfa, the general manager of Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), added: "Now, more than ever, the entrepreneurial dream is becoming an empowering reality for women in the region. Tools like Facebook and Instagram are now the cornerstones in building new start-ups, and with this partnership and a coalition of organisations, Sheraa will continuously work throughout the year towards venture creation."