In the presence of Nordic countries ambassadors at the Swedish Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai,

Mona Al Marri: Building global partnerships to exchange knowledge and experiences is a reflection of the UAE’s vision and its commitment to enhance the vital contribution of talented women

Liselott Andersson: It was an important collaboration between Nordic business executives and several ambitious young Emirati women

Shamsa Saleh: The graduates got a unique work experience and received direct guidance from highly qualified Scandinavian leaders

 

Dubai, 25 October 2021: Dubai Women Establishment celebrated the graduation of 30 young Emirati professionals from the ‘YES!’ mentorship programme in the Swedish Pavilion, at Expo 2020 Dubai. The programme was launched under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and President of Dubai Women Establishment, and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, in collaboration with Nordic embassies in the UAE. The collaboration was the result of a shared vision that women's active participation in the workforce is crucial for sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development.

The ‘YES!’ mentorship programme ran for one year and witnessed the participation of several leading mentors and mentees from the private and public sectors. 

The graduation ceremony held at the Swedish Pavilion marked the conclusion of the programme which was launched in October 2020. The ceremony kicked off with an opening speech by the Swedish Ambassador to the UAE, Her Excellency Liselott Andersson followed by opening remarks from Her Excellency Mona Al Marri, Chairperson of the Board of Dubai Women Establishment. Dubai Women Establishment also held a panel discussion with the graduates to discuss their experience, and then honoured them with certificates.

The graduation ceremony was attended by Her Excellency Shamsa Saleh, CEO of Dubai Women Establishment; Her Excellency Liselott Andersson, Swedish Ambassador to the UAE; Her Excellency Mariana Nessila, Ambassador of the Republic of Finland to the UAE; His Excellency Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, Ambassador of Denmark to the UAE; His Excellency Sten Arne Rosnes, Ambassador of Norway to the UAE as well as a number of representatives from Nordic embassies.

 

Global Partnerships

During her speech, Her Excellency Mona Al Marri congratulated the graduates saying: “It gives me great pleasure to witness the commitment and enthusiasm of so many young Emirati women who aspire to build and advance their careers with full confidence and determination. I hope this mentorship programme has equipped our participants with knowledge and expertise that will enable them to excel in leadership roles and pave the way for future female leaders in the economy of tomorrow.”

Her Excellency also thanked the Nordic embassies in the UAE for their valuable support to young female Emirati professionals, as part of ongoing efforts to foster the next generation of women leaders. She also praised the UAE and Sweden’s strong relationship in different areas, and their shared belief that women’s active participation in the workforce is crucial for sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development.

Guidance and development

Her Excellency Liselott Andersson, Swedish Ambassador to the UAE expressed her happiness with the completion of the programme and said: “We are very pleased that the programme has concluded successfully. Through mentorship and knowledge-exchange with senior Nordic business executives, we witnessed the graduation of promising Emirati career women who are paving the way for the next generation of empowered women.”

Remarkable boost

Her Excellency Shamsa Saleh said that the launch of the second edition of the mentorship programme is testimony to the growing number of Emirati female leaders looking to develop their professional skills and leadership competencies. The mentees got a unique work experience and received direct guidance from highly qualified and professional Scandinavian leaders.

She added that the Dubai Women Establishment consistently seeks to promote excellence for the development and enhancement of Emirati women’s role in society, providing them with essential leadership skills for proactive engagement in the workplace and society. And said: “I am proud of the achievements of our mentees. All of young female participants demonstrated strong commitment and enthusiasm to learn, and I wish them all the success.”

The ‘YES’ mentorship programme is the result of a memorandum of understanding between the Dubai Women Establishment and Nordic Embassies in the UAE. The MoU was signed at the Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2020 to support young female professionals with knowledge-exchange and networking opportunities.

Guidance and Excellence

Mentors included a number of distinguished leaders: Anna-Karin Rosen, CEO of Saab Ltd; Maya Moukbel, Head of Ericsson Innovation Hub in UAE; Ulrika Hedlund, Founder and Business Productivity at Storyals; Pauline Madani, Managing Director and Owner of Nordic Homeworx; Michele Carlsson, Managing Director - Nasdaq Middle East and Africa; Marie-Louise Ek, Senior Director at Pepsico; Madeleine Rosenberg, CFO at Scania Middle East FZE; Jens Lorens Poulsen, Founder and CEO at The Marcura Group; Jens Nordahl Ravnbol, CEO and Founder at Mercurius International; Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen, General Manager at ASM Global; Ghada Othman Finland Specialist in Leading Growth and Profitability and President of INSEAD Women in Business Club in the UAE; Ulla-Maija Simola, Head of Mobile Networks Business at Nokia; Harri Heikkilä, Head of HR at Borealis Group; Elise Tarvainen, COO at Isku International;Hege Bekkedal, Head of HR at DNV GL; Janecke Aarnaes, Founding Head of School at Dwight School Dubai and Dr. Tilde Rosmer, Assistant Professor at Zayed University.

 

Graduates included 30 female professionals from the private and public sectors: Shaikha Al Marri from the Community Development Authority; Hessa Al Zaffin from the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority; Eng. Noora Houkal from Dubai Municipality; Shurooq Al Balooshi from Dubai Media Incorporated; Jawaher Alshemmri from Dubai Women Establishment, Khadija Abdulla from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority; Basmah  Alzahmi from Dubai Women Establishment; Ghaya Al Medfaa from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority; Raghas Alansaari from the Roads and Transport Authority; Alya Aljarwan from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority; Zainab Yousuf from Dubai Airports; Rabab Ghaith from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, Du; Moaza Bin Abid from Dubai Chamber; Maryam AlAwadhi from Dubai Future Foundation Maryam  Khansaheb from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority; Eman Al Qemzi from Dubai Holding; Sara Al Alalili from the Government of Dubai Media Office; Ayesha Bin Kalli  from the Government of Dubai Media Office; Ayesha Valliani-Robertson from UAE Gender Balance Council, Al Anood AlShehhi from Dubai Women Establishment; Asma Alshamsi from Dubai Women Establishment Hamda Al Marri from Dubai Land; Ayesha Bin Tamim from Dubai Police; Salama Almutawa from Arab Media Group; Ayat AlSalmi from the UAE Gender Balance Council; Hend AL Hawi from the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority; Amal Al Janaahi      from Dubai Customs; Iman AlJanahi from Dubai Holding; Noora Al Marzooqi from Dubai Women Establishment and Dr. Mai Al Marri from Dubai Health Authority