Cairo: Under the close follow-up of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), the UAE, represented by the GWU, participated in a high-level meeting of permanent representatives to the League of Arab States to discuss the official launch plan of the "The Arab Observatory for Women's Economic Development".
According to Emirates News Agency, the meeting took place at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in the Arab Republic of Egypt, as part of the follow-up on the implementation of the resolution issued during the 33rd session of the Arab League Council at the Arab Summit level in 2024, regarding the adoption of the initiative proposed by the UAE on the establishment of the Arab Observatory for Women's Economic Development.
The UAE delegation to the meeting was headed by Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the General Women's Union, with the participation of Ghalia Ali Al Mannai, Head of the Strategic and Development Affairs Committee at the General Women's Union. The meeting was attended by Ambassador Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Social Affairs Sector at the League of Arab States, Mariam Al Kaabi, UAE Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt and Permanent Representative to the League, along with several ambassadors of Arab countries.
This meeting forms part of the efforts to support joint Arab action and enhance the role of women in achieving sustainable development, with the League of Arab States working, alongside active participation from member states, on activating regional mechanisms that support women's economic empowerment. The initiative reflects a collective commitment to enhancing women's roles in the Arab economy through transformative initiatives that address structural challenges and establish sustainable systems to increase women's participation in development pathways. This aligns with the Arab Development Agenda (2023-2028) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh explained that the initiative reflects the ambitious vision of the UAE in supporting women's leadership and boosting their economic contributions through the establishment of a comprehensive regional system that expands opportunities for growth and economic empowerment of women across the Arab world.
Noura Al Suwaidi stated that the UAE's unwavering commitment to support and strengthen joint Arab action, which serves as a foundation for achieving integration and sustainable development in the Arab world, has driven the country to launch a pioneering regional project: the "Arab Observatory for Women's Economic Development". ''This initiative aims to bring about a transformational shift in the status of Arab women by establishing the first integrated platform that brings together all relevant stakeholders across Arab countries to support the growth of women's businesses and economic participation,'' she added.
For her part, Ghalia Ali Al Mannai presented the ambitious vision and strategic objectives of the Arab Observatory for Women's Economic Development during the meeting, presenting future expansion plans and sustainability plans to enhance the Observatory's role regionally.