Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Women must now be represented on the boards of private joint-stock companies, according to a new decision from the Ministry of Economy. At least one seat must be allocated for women after the end of the term of the current boards of these firms. This new decision will be implemented starting from January 2025. This decision aims to increase the participation and representation of women on the boards of directors of private joint-stock companies. UAE is among the leading countries in gender equality. In 2018, the late President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan instructed authorities to reserve 50 percent of the seats in the Federal National Council for Women. Men and women in the country also receive equal pay for the same work. In recent years, women in the UAE have been increasingly active in commercial and business sectors. Women business owners represent 10% of the country's total private sector. The country also holds the highest number of women on Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen in 2023 and the second highest in 2024 with 14 Emirati women on the list. The Minister of Economy, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, stated that the decision would further support the UAE's vision of promoting gender balance. FLE/Expat Media
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