SLP students participate in Third Arab Women Leadership Forum

Students from the Student Leadership Program (SLP) at the AUS Office of Student Affairs recently participated in the Third Arab Women Leadership Forum. The event was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and led by Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment. 

The forum delivered the first-of-its-kind content for an audience of over 700 prominent women leaders, in recognition of their significance to the Arab and global community. Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) hosted the third edition of the leadership forum as one of its many initiatives established for the benefit of women, with active participation from private and public sector organizations. The forum aimed to ensure that Emirati women pursue a growth agenda that will positively affect the UAE economy and the overall Gulf region. It featured national and internationally recognized speakers and accomplished female role models, and provided a networking opportunity for the highly motivated conference attendees.

The forum focused on issues and opportunities surrounding the role of women in the boardroom under the theme "Board Leadership and the Case for Diversity." Over the course of two days, the speakers shared practical ideas to stimulate the participation of women in the region's male-dominated boardrooms in addition to discussing plans to shape positive corporate governance practices in the Middle East.

"The Arab Women Leadership Forum was a great experience for me. Being an expat, it opened my eyes towards the misconception of Arab women and it showed how brave and talented Arab women leaders are. As this event comes after every two years, I feel blessed being part of it," said Rihab Badshah, junior student with majoring in management information systems. 

"Our students' participation in the Third Arab Women Leadership Forum was part of the SLP Women's Leadership and Enrichment Program. The program is designed for female students and aims to enhance their leadership skills and encourages them to positively contribute to their communities. The forum offered students an ideal platform to discuss various topics related to women and encouraged their participation in various industries. The forum was also a superb opportunity for our female students to network and exchange views with a dynamic group of senior businesswomen from around the world and successful leaders of public and private firms, including business owners, entrepreneurs, corporate officers and nonprofit executives," said Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.