Governing the Future: Emirati Women, Statecraft, and the New Social Contract
UAE’s leadership has undergone a remarkable change. Women now lead nine ministerial portfolios in vital areas such as climate change, advanced technology, and international cooperation. Emirati women have emerged as influential leaders in the nation’s governance structure, not just as participants. Their expertise spans leadership, technical, and strategic roles, with tens of thousands serving in federal and government sectors.
The nation’s commitment to women’s empowerment shows in their growing influence. They hold key positions in the Federal National Council, take on ministerial duties, and lead influential committees. This shift in UAE’s leadership structure stems from a vision that values different points of view. The numbers tell an impressive story—over 23,000 Emirati women run businesses worth more than AED 50 billion. These leaders bring exceptional qualifications to the table, with advanced degrees from prestigious global institutions that enable them to shape policy-making and governance effectively.
Emirati Women in Statecraft: A New Era of Leadership
Image Source: Arabian Business
The UAE places women at the heart of national decision-making. Their governance model draws strength from a variety of viewpoints. The Federal National Council (FNC) demonstrates this commitment with women holding 50% of seats. This achievement makes the UAE one of the first countries worldwide to reach gender parity in parliamentary representation.
Representation in the UAE Cabinet and FNC
Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi made history in 2015 as the first woman to chair a parliamentary institution in the Arab world as President of the FNC. Her groundbreaking appointment built on another milestone from 2006 when she became the first elected female to the FNC.
The UAE Cabinet now has 26% women who lead crucial portfolios in international cooperation, advanced sciences, and education. Women’s influence reaches far beyond these numbers. They make up 66% of public sector employees, and hold 30% of leadership positions.
Roles in policy-making and national strategy
Decision-makers across government and private sectors follow the National Policy for Empowerment of Emirati Women 2023-2031. This comprehensive framework, launched under the theme “We Collaborate for Tomorrow,” guides the creation of supportive family structures. It helps integrate women into the labor market and develops future skills.
The UAE Gender Balance Council, eight years old, reviews legislation and programs to achieve workplace gender balance. This approach smoothly combines women’s points of view into all governance aspects.
Impact on inclusive governance and diplomacy
UAE diplomacy shows strong female representation with women making up 42.5% of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs workforce. Nine female ambassadors and one consul-general serve in the diplomatic corps. This has strengthened the country’s global diplomatic presence.
Her Excellency Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh blazed a trail in 2013 as the UAE’s first female Permanent Representative to the UN. She achieved another first in 2017 as the first Arab female president to lead the UN Women Executive Board.
Strategic inclusion of women in statecraft has made the UAE the first country in the Arab world to close its gender gaps according to the Global Gender Gap Index. This success comes from gender parity at the parliamentary level, particularly in the political empowerment sub-index.
Driving Innovation and Economic Growth
Image Source: Entrepreneur
Emirati women are altering the economic map through their groundbreaking business ventures and executive leadership. Female business leaders’ influence keeps growing as they bring new ideas to many sectors.
Entrepreneurship in emerging sectors
In the last few years, female entrepreneurship has surged. Women received more than 44,000 trade licenses between 2018 and 2022, and Emirati entrepreneurs made up 58% of this number. Women now own one in every ten private sector companies in the UAE. Their economic contribution is a big deal as it means that 23,000 Emirati businesswomen run projects worth more than AED 50 billion.
Abu Dhabi’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomed 2,875 Emirati businesswomen in the first half of 2025. Mobdea licenses for creative and home-based businesses led the way with 47% of new memberships. Tajer Abu Dhabi licenses for e-commerce ventures made up 30%. These numbers show women’s growing power in the digital world and creative industries.
Leadership in corporate and financial institutions
Women continue to rise to key positions in the financial sector. UAE leads the GCC region with women holding 14.8% of board seats as of April 2025. The banking sector saw a milestone when Hana Al Rostamani became First Abu Dhabi Bank’s first female CEO. She now leads the UAE’s largest bank with assets over AED 1.1 trillion.
Research shows that companies with more women managers see 35% better return on equity. On top of that, female leaders have different priorities – 64% focus on workforce development while only 24% of male leaders do the same.
Participation in UAE leadership programs for innovation
The UAE has launched specialized development initiatives to build on this progress. The Dubai Women Establishment runs several targeted programs. These include ShEntrepreneur for business development and the Innovative Leaders Program, which partners with Hult Ashridge International Business School. This eight-day program helps women prepare for future innovation through hands-on learning and networking with global tech leaders.
The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs UAE has helped 25,000 women entrepreneurs worldwide. UAE participants have generated USD 42 million in revenue, raised USD 9.2 million in funding, and created 524 jobs over four years. These well-laid-out programs reflect UAE leadership’s vision to make women key drivers of economic change and innovation.
Education and Empowerment as Catalysts
Educational advancement helps Emirati women build their professional success. The UAE has created strong pathways to leadership positions in many sectors through investments in higher education and mentorship.
Scholarships and international academic exposure
The Fatima bint Hazza Academic Scholarship Fund gives Emirati women the ability to pursue higher education with Panthéon-Assas University Paris II. Ten distinguished women currently receive support in specializations like education, banking, and international relations. The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation offers complete scholarships for both undergraduate and master’s degrees. These cover university fees, health insurance, housing, and monthly stipends. The Ministry of Education awards scholarships to UAE nationals who maintain “very good” academic standing, with high-performing students getting priority.
Leadership development and mentorship networks
Dubai Women Establishment’s YES! Mentorship Program, in partnership with Nordic Embassies, has brought together 53 female Emirati employees from government and private sectors across two editions. The SheLeads Program for Future Female Leaders launched in 2025 gathered 25 mid-level female leaders from 13 entities to develop key leadership skills. The Women Leadership Exchange Program, which started in 2012, helps share knowledge about sustainable leadership techniques through executive programs and specialized case studies.
Bridging the gender gap in STEM and research
Emirati women make up 61% of STEM graduates in the UAE, which is higher than the Arab world average. The Women in Tech Scholarship targets applicants for Masters programs in Data Science or Software Engineering to close gender gaps in technology fields. Emirates Global Aluminum’s Ershaad mentorship program encourages female UAE students to build careers in industry, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The New Social Contract: Vision and Responsibility
Image Source: Consultancy-me.com
The UAE’s advancement centers on a groundbreaking social contract that positions women as architects of national progress, not just beneficiaries. This framework builds on four connected pillars.
UAE leadership vision for gender equity
The UAE’s integrated approach to gender balance has elevated it to 7th globally in the UNDP Gender Inequality Index 2024. The vision comes to life through the Gender Balance Council, which reviews legislation to reduce workplace gaps. The country has updated 75% of federal laws to protect equality.
Sustainability and climate leadership roles
UAE women now lead climate governance initiatives. This leadership shows in the COP28 team structure—where women made up two-thirds of management and negotiations teams. Masdar’s WiSER platform strengthens women as sustainable change leaders through strategic collaborations.
Youth mentorship and intergenerational empowerment
The “Generations Communication” program helps transfer knowledge between age groups. Senior experts share their wisdom through lectures that connect cultural traditions. The Federal Youth Authority links young citizens to every government branch. Federal entities must include Emiratis under 30 on their boards.
Global partnerships and soft power diplomacy
The UAE has directed AED 8.63 billion to women-focused global projects (2017-2022). This commitment has made the UAE one of UN Women’s top ten donors worldwide. These investments have pushed the UAE to 10th place in the 2023 Global Soft Power Index.
UAE’s modern history shows remarkable changes in how women participate in governance, business, and society. Women have stepped beyond their traditional roles in the last decade and now hold vital decision-making positions in federal institutions. Their active involvement in the Federal National Council and ministerial portfolios has without doubt made the nation’s governance stronger through fresh viewpoints and new ideas.
Numbers tell a compelling story about women-led businesses that generate billions for the national economy. Companies with more women in senior positions show better returns, which proves how female executives and entrepreneurs bring unique leadership qualities that boost organizational success.
Education remains the life-blood of this amazing journey. UAE’s focus on academic excellence, especially in STEM fields, has given a generation of women the skills they need to lead in technology and scientific areas. Mentorship programs have helped speed up women’s career growth in both public and private sectors.
Other nations can learn valuable lessons from the UAE model. Gender equity must be a vital part of national growth, not just an afterthought. Women need proper support through laws, education, and economic chances to participate meaningfully. They should shape progress rather than just benefit from it.
This new relationship between the state and its female citizens has brought great rewards to the UAE. The country now enjoys better diplomatic standing, diverse economic growth, and technological progress. UAE’s higher rankings in global gender equality measures show more than just better numbers – they reveal a complete rethinking of women’s roles in building their nation’s future.
