The Abu Dhabi Business Women Council (ADBWC) announced yesterday the launch of an integrated, innovative business incubator, an umbrella that will provide sponsorship, support and assistance for creative and innovative initiatives and projects in areas of science, technology and services.

'The new incubator aims to empower Emirati women to unlock their innovative potential and skills and transform them into feasible, premium productive and services projects and provide an integrated package of services including technical support, mentoring and counselling for raising growth rates of projects and increase their economic efficiency and feasibility,' Mariam Mohamed Al Rumaithi, Executive Board Chairperson of ADBWC, said while unveiling the new initiative during the first forum for businesswomen, female entrepreneurs and innovators in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

She added that the incubator would also help generate new job opportunities for Emirati women entrepreneurs and investors in the private sector. Other objectives of the incubator, she explained, include the provision of guidance and counselling, preparation of project feasibility studies, creation of an innovation-driven environment, and introduction of novel methods for delivery of services, in addition to development of the economy, sharpening business competitiveness, development of young entrepreneur's skills, and adoption of innovative projects.

Al Rumaithi then presented a comprehensive overview of the ADBWC's five-year strategic plan (2015-2019), which she said was based on the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. The strategic plan features 25 projects and 44 indices for measuring performance and will be implemented through seven programmes, she added. The plan, she noted, analyses the current reality of Emirati women in the private sector labour market and challenges facing their abilities to play their social and economic role and identifies social and economic enablers offered by state institutions.

She revealed that 5,552 businesswomen and women entrepreneurs were registered with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, of them 3,512 were Emirati women and 1,873 were non-Emiratis.

Mohammed Ayat Wa Ali, Moroccan Ambassador to the UAE, Wael Al Sayed Mohammed Gad, Egyptian Ambassador to UAE, Nicole Bendtner, Luxembourg Ambassador to UAE, Riitta Swan, Ambassador of Finland to the UAE, and a number of under-secretaries and heads of government departments in Abu Dhabi as well as more than 300 businesswomen and women entrepreneurs, attended the event.
Source: WAM