Business leaders from regional and global organisations gathered at SAP’s Dubai headquarters for the first Employee Resource Group Summit in the Middle East and North Africa, co-led by the SAP UAE Business Women’s Network and the ERG Leader Summit.
The event brought together diversity and inclusion professionals, ERG leaders, and executives from across industries to explore how employee networks can accelerate innovation and shape more inclusive, high-performing workplaces.
ERGs are employee-led groups that advance inclusion and belonging within organisations. Originating in the US during the civil rights movement, they have evolved globally into business enablers that connect people with shared goals and experiences. The Dubai summit, themed “Think Big. Act Small. Beyond the Cupcakes,” encouraged participants to move beyond symbolic gestures and focus instead on measurable outcomes that align with business strategy.
"Employee Resource Groups are strategic partners collaborating to drive cultural and commercial impact,” Sheryl Miller, chief executive of the ERG Leader Summit and a speaker at the event, said.
"By equipping ERG leaders with frameworks and metrics to measure success, we can ensure their passion translates into progress that is visible, valued, and sustained.”
Meena Confait, global co-chairwoman of SAP’s Business Women’s Network, said inclusion has become a core part of how modern organisations strengthen performance.
“The conversations at this summit focused on how ERG leaders can anchor their work in evidence, build accountability, and link inclusion to day-to-day decision-making.”
Representation and meaningful inclusion of people of determination were key to the conversation. Shuruk Elwarrak, founder and chief executive of Enabled, said: “Creating accessible and equitable workplaces is not a side initiative — it’s essential to how we build sustainable, competitive economies. The conversations at this summit showed that inclusion done right is not only about fairness but about business strength.”
From the corporate sector, Sheriza Bazari, diversity, integration and belonging lead at Etihad Airways, said that the discussions resonated strongly with the airline’s own priorities.
“At Etihad, our employee communities – Women of Etihad, Youth of Etihad, and the coming People of Determination network – are moving from passion to impact. This summit reinforced the need for clear metrics, leadership accountability, and purpose that connects across generations.”
SAP BWN’s Meena Confait said the summit reflected a growing regional appetite for structured collaboration between organisations committed to inclusion. She believes stronger co-operation between private companies and public-sector institutions will be essential for building ERG models that deliver measurable business impact, helping workplaces across the Gulf link belonging with innovation and long-term performance.
