The directory allows customers to discover businesses in the UAE owned and run by women. Getty
The directory allows customers to discover businesses in the UAE owned and run by women. Getty
The directory allows customers to discover businesses in the UAE owned and run by women. Getty
The directory allows customers to discover businesses in the UAE owned and run by women. Getty

Directory launched for women-founded businesses in the UAE


Deepthi Nair
  • English
  • Arabic

A new business directory listing female-founded businesses in the UAE has been launched to offer more exposure to women-run companies.

The platform, created by Female Fusion, a professional community for female entrepreneurs, makes it easy for potential customers to discover verified and legal businesses in the UAE and support their growth, the company said on Tuesday.

“Irrespective of the positive outcomes women-owned businesses bring to the country’s economy, [they] are still not getting an equal share of contracts and business,” Jen Blandos, chief executive of Female Fusion, said.

Women-owned businesses are still not getting an equal share of contracts and business
Jen Blandos,
chief executive of Female Fusion

“This verified business directory will help women-owned businesses find support among like-minded women as well as new clients to expand, evolve and achieve their dreams.

“Organisations that are committed to supporting female-founded businesses can find a variety of service providers, such as auditors, lawyers, architects, photographers and more on the directory.”

Start-ups founded by women in the Middle East and North Africa raised $34.6 million in 2021, only 1.2 per cent of the region’s total venture capital funding, according to data from Wamda. All-male founders, meanwhile, raised $2.6 billion across 526 deals or 91.5 per cent of the total last year, the data showed.

It will take 135.6 years to close the gender gap worldwide if the current trajectory in the growth of female entrepreneurs continues, according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2021.

The UAE ranked among the top five “most improved” countries for making progress on gender parity last year, the report found.

Half of all small and medium enterprises in the UAE are women-owned, while 48 per cent of women business owners are also the sole owners of their companies, according to the Ministry of Economy.

The Female Fusion directory will list businesses where female founders hold a share of 51 per cent or more, as well as companies that are led by women, it said. The community currently has more than 20,000 members.

“Small businesses can find it hard to get reach and awareness,” Ms Blandos said. “The business directory allows members to showcase their expertise on a verified platform and their potential customers know that the business they are engaging with is licensed.”

The business directory lists companies in more than 1,500 categories, ranging from pet services and personal coaching to legal entities and more.

It offers two types of listings — premium and basic. Paid members of Female Fusion are eligible for a premium listing in the directory at no extra cost. For non-members, a premium listing costs Dh158 ($43) per month or Dh1,575 per year.

The premium listing allows businesses to highlight their specialities through channels such as video, social media and product photos, Female Fusion said.

The basic listing is free except for a Dh100 annual fee for trade licence verification.

Business owners must submit their trade licences annually to Female Fusion to initiate the verification process and to confirm that they are licensed, the company said.

T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures

Tuesday, October 29

Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE

Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman

Wednesday, October 30

Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one

Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two

Thursday, October 31

Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four

Friday, November 1

Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one

Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two

Saturday, November 2

Third-place playoff, 2.10pm

Final, 7.30pm

SCHEDULE

Thursday, December 6
08.00-15.00 Technical scrutineering
15.00-17.00 Extra free practice

Friday, December 7
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 1
15.30 BRM F1 qualifying

Saturday, December 8
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 2
15.30 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi

FA Cup fifth round draw

Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal 

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Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

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Available: Now

The specs
Engine: 3.6 V6

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Torque: 353Nm

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On sale: now 

Company%C2%A0profile
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  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

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Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

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ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final

UAE Team Emirates

Valerio Conti (ITA)
Alessandro Covi (ITA)
Joe Dombrowski (USA)
Davide Formolo (ITA)
Fernando Gaviria (COL)
Sebastian Molano (COL)
Maximiliano Richeze (ARG)
Diego Ulissi (ITAS)

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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ELIO

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Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
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Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Sole survivors
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  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

While you're here
Updated: April 12, 2022, 3:45 PM`