Ro'Ya Leaders' Symposium unite business councils to align on women empowerment

Renowned women entrepreneurs share inspiration to encourage fellow enthusiasts to participate in the Ro’Ya initiative

Dubai, UAE, 25 February 2014 - The Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC), the official representative organization for business women, both professionals and entrepreneurs, in the Emirate of Dubai, hosted the first Ro’Ya Leaders’ Symposium at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, today, with the objective of sharing inspiration and motivation in order to create an alliance of Ro’Ya Leaders who will proactively encourage women to participate in the Ro’Ya initiative and to further empower women to become productive members of the society and economy.

The symposium was attended by female leaders from various business councils that are based in the UAE and the respective board members and members of the DBWC. Prominent ladies in business attended the morning event and shared their perspectives on the role of women in the business world during the networking sessions.

Commenting on the symposium, Mrs. Raja Easa Al Gurg, President, DBWC, said: “Today marks a very special day for the DBWC as we unite the prominent female figures that play a pivotal role in the UAE’s society and moreover, its economy. We have called for an alliance of Ro’Ya Leaders at this auspicious occasion as we have acknowledged the importance of the DBWC, and our partner business councils’, responsibility to be the catalysts of women empowerment and to be the guiding foundation for every women to reach their own full potential.”

“Innovative initiatives, like Ro’Ya, provide women with a platform where their inspiring, intellectual and noteworthy voices can be heard and Dubai has become the ideal city to make a lifelong dream become a reality thanks to its thriving economy, efficient Government structures and the support networks offered by various institutes and councils. This is the right time for every woman to live her dream and with our strong alliances, we assure them of the strongest support networks that will see them reach their ultimate goals,” added Mrs. Al Gurg.

The symposium, which was moderated by Shereen Mitwalli, renowned presenter and founder & CEO of an expansive female community in the Middle East region known as 'The Female Network', hosted female entrepreneurs, who have become extremely successful in their own businesses, on a panel discussion to share their own real life experiences of being a successful business owner in Dubai. The panelists, including: Loulou Al Khazin, Founder of Nabbesh.com; Salam Saadeh, Co-founder of UrbanBuz; and Janine Bensouda, CEO Bensouda Consultancy, expressed their intimate stories which led them to their successes and addressed the importance of belonging to a network that provides effective support and guidance through every step of your growth.

Ro’Ya is a result of a recently announced collaboration between DBWC and MasterCard that builds on the efforts of both organizations to mobilize and encourage women to participate in the economic sector by realizing their entrepreneurial ventures. The aim of the program is to provide coaching and mentorship to aspiring female entrepreneurs looking to establish new businesses.

Through Ro’Ya, aspiring and existing female entrepreneurs who are either citizens or residents of the UAE will be encouraged to submit their business proposals through a dedicated microsite on www.dbwc.ae. Entries should represent concepts that are in the idea development phase but which have not been implemented yet. The submissions will then undergo exhaustive screening by a joint panel of experts from DBWC and MasterCard along with selected independent judges. The gala event, taking place in November this year, will be the finale of the initiative where shortlisted candidates will present their ideas in order to determine the top three female entrepreneurs who will receive a cash prize of USD 50,000, USD 30,000 and USD 20,000, respectively, to be used towards start-up costs. In addition, five candidates will also receive USD 5,000 each as notable mentions.

“Submissions for Ro’Ya close on 30 March and we encourage all women to bring forward their ideas and business plans. We understand that it is extremely tough to put a complete plan together hence the reason we will host a series of professional training sessions post the closing date during which applicants can attend and learn how to fine-tune their plan, business offering and financial projections. We have strategically outlined the Ro’Ya initiative in this way in order to help women achieve their dreams, through a great support network provided by the DBWC and MasterCard,” concluded Mrs. Al Gurg.

Applicants can look forward to exclusive in-depth training sessions that will be hosted by experienced professionals from MasterCard and various industry experts through the DBWC. The sessions will cover elements like: business plan fundamentals, creating a unique customer value proposition, how to define your operating module, doing business in the UAE, including PR and Marketing in your operations and how to take care of your business’ future.

To learn more about Ro’Ya or the DBWC, visit www.dbwc.ae. Submissions to participate in the program will be accepted until March 30, 2014.