The UAE Women’s Forum 2026 opened today in Jumeirah, bringing together government ministers, senior officials and private sector leaders for the second edition of the event organized by the Dubai Women Establishment. The forum, held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, forms the centerpiece of Dubai’s official activities for Emirati Women’s Day.
The opening session, hosted by the Dubai Women Establishment, featured remarks from Naima Ahli, Executive Director of the foundation, and outlined the forum’s agenda of seven main sessions and six practical workshops. According to organizers, the programme highlights policy, institutional practice and private-sector initiatives that showcase the role of Emirati women across sectors.
UAE Women’s Forum 2026: Agenda and Participation
The UAE Women’s Forum 2026 agenda spans plenary discussions, sectoral panels and workshops designed to translate policy into measurable outcomes. Furthermore, the event features ministers, heads of government departments, semi-government entities and private-sector executives as keynote speakers and panelists, organizers said.
Sessions focus on workforce participation, leadership pipelines, innovation and entrepreneurship, and public-sector reforms that support gender-inclusive outcomes. Additionally, workshops will explore replicable institutional practices and capacity-building tools that can accelerate Emirati women empowerment in both public and private workplaces.
Framing the Theme: “Stronger and Better”
The forum’s theme, rendered in English as “Stronger and Better,” is intended as a forward-looking framework rather than a retrospective slogan, Naima Ahli said in her opening remarks. She emphasized that the progress of Emirati women represents a national trajectory in which legislation, policy and institutional design produce tangible opportunities.
Moreover, officials framed the theme around iterative ambition: being stronger means continuing to raise the bar on representation and capacity, while being better requires asking what new contributions Emirati women can make to tomorrow’s economy and society. The Emirates Gender Balance Council has repeatedly cited such multi-level approaches as central to sustained gains, according to council statements.
Policy Context and Institutional Momentum
The forum situates its discussions within recent national policies that promote gender balance and workforce inclusion. Therefore, speakers will examine how legislation becomes operational through public institutions and partnerships with the private sector, a process that Dubai Women Establishment officials described as central to the Emirati model of empowerment.
In practice, that means assessing recruitment and retention policies, leadership development programs, and sector-specific barriers that remain in fields such as advanced technology, finance and public administration. Meanwhile, organizers said the workshops will offer case studies and toolkits to help institutions convert high-level commitments into measurable targets.
Cross-sector Collaboration
Panels at the forum will spotlight collaboration between government agencies, state-owned enterprises and private companies. According to program notes, representatives from each sector will share recent initiatives, challenges and lessons learned in creating positions of influence for Emirati women.
Additionally, the forum will highlight private-sector pledges and public reporting frameworks designed to monitor progress. These elements are presented as complementary to national targets promoted by the Emirates Gender Balance Council and other coordinating bodies.
Emirati Women Empowerment in Practice
One focus of the event is translating aspiration into practice across education, entrepreneurship and leadership development. The forum will review programs that support female entrepreneurs, mentorship networks for emerging leaders and sector-specific training aimed at increasing technical competencies.
Furthermore, participants will evaluate how institutional incentives and public procurement strategies can create demand for women-led firms. Organizers noted that measuring outcomes—such as promotion rates, business survivability and sectoral representation—remains a priority for ongoing policy refinement.
What the Forum Aims to Produce
Organizers expect the forum to generate a set of actionable recommendations for government bodies and private employers, along with a series of pilot commitments from participating institutions. In addition, the event aims to document best practices that other emirates and regional partners can adapt, Dubai Women Establishment officials said.
Therefore, the output is framed as both immediately useful—through workshops that provide toolkits—and strategic, by informing future iterations of national initiatives in support of Emirati women empowerment. The forum also functions as a platform for public recognition of achievements, which stakeholders argue helps sustain momentum across sectors.
Looking Ahead: Follow-up and Next Steps
Following the forum, attendees will be expected to translate dialogue into implementation through institutional action plans and public commitments to timelines and metrics. Officials signaled that follow-up reporting and coordination through the Dubai Women Establishment and related councils will track progress over the coming year.
Readers should watch for published recommendations and any new policy announcements or private-sector pledges in the months after the forum. Furthermore, next year’s edition is likely to build on pilot projects launched this year, offering an opportunity to assess early results and refine approaches to long-term gender balance goals.
