Emirati women entrepreneurs are forging ahead in building strong businesses. A recent Mastercard study supports this claim. The study has found that women women's entrepreneurial ambition across the UAE has been growing exponentially over the past few years. Of the total respondents, nearly 84 percent of women said that they are considering starting their own businesses. This statistic points towards a rise in Emirati women’s entrepreneurial ambition while also signalling towards a wider shift in cultural and social norms where women’s ambition is being seen in positive light.
Data from corporate services firm, Sovereign, concluded that in 2025, women form 18 percent of all entrepreneurs in the UAE.
Another factor contributing to this growth is the UAE government’s targeted initiatives that are strengthening women’s entrepreneurial vision. The Ministry of Economy's Investment Readiness Acceleration Programme, in partnership with the European Women Association, is equipping female founders with investor-ready skills. Regionally, programs like She Wins Arabia, backed by the International Finance Corporation and ADGM, provide mentorship, funding pathways, and international exposure. Beyond accelerators, policy interventions are also reshaping the landscape.
New regulations mandating at least one female on the board of joint-stock companies, have also been boosting women’s presence in leadership roles.
It’s a great time to be a female entrepreneur, business leader and professional in the UAE. This sentiment is echoed in the success stories of varied business leaders who are currently ruling their industries. The current edition of WER magazine spotlights a few such names.
One of the featured leaders is Sarah Hashwani. She is the co founder of Rubber Plastech, UAE. She is known for incorporating environmentally friendly innovation with a business and community development approach focused on the triple bottom line. She started her charity work as a child and at the age of 20 she took a leadership role of the family foundation.
Featured in an in-depth conversation, we get to know more about Sarah and her success journey in the magazine’s current edition.
Read on and do let us know your thoughts.
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