The UAE is leading the way in opening doors for women across the Arab world, according to a prominent advocate for female economic empowerment who is considering making the country her permanent home.
Haifa Al Kaylani, founder and president of the Arab International Women’s Forum, said the UAE’s commitment to supporting women and young people had made it a model for the wider region, where millions of women still face barriers to employment and economic opportunities.
Speaking to The National as her organisation marks its 25th anniversary, Ms Al Kaylani said the UAE’s international outlook and multicultural society reflected her own vision of an Arab world that embraces its place in the global community.
She described herself as “proud to be an Arab with three roots: Palestinian, Lebanese of Palestinian roots, and Jordanian by marriage”.
“But above all, the whole Arab world is in my heart,” she said. “And I’m also a global citizen.”
The Arab International Women’s Forum, which Ms Al Kaylani founded in London in 2001, focuses on women’s leadership and economic participation and young people’s role in social and economic development. Its name reflects its aim of supporting women across the 22 Arab countries while connecting the region with the wider world.
“We are not an Arab region that is on an island by ourselves. We are part and parcel, and an important part and parcel of the global community,” said Ms Al Kaylani, who was awarded an OBE in 2024 for services to women, young people and cultural relations.
The UAE has impressed her with its efforts to empower women and young people, she said. The forum has signed memorandums of understanding with the platform WiSER (Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy) at Masdar, NYU Abu Dhabi and Al Ain University. Its partnership with NYU Abu Dhabi supports the Emirati Women Achievers Initiative, while it works with Al Ain University’s centre for women’s entrepreneurship.
Four Emirati women leaders have served on the forum’s board since it was founded. One of its founding board members was Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, who later became the UAE’s first woman minister.
“Every day there is a new story that is impressive. Often it is first of its kind, and I am proud to be able to be a witness to that,” she said.
The forum’s work has shifted from speaking about “windows of opportunity” for women at its founding to “doors wide open for women” today, she said, although progress varies between countries.
Her argument for women’s participation is grounded in economics. “I’m a development economist. I’m not a feminist,” Ms Al Kaylani said. “If you don’t use half your resources, you cannot succeed in any business, in any activity,” she said. “The economy is what it’s all about.”
The private sector is central to job creation, she said. Women should be supported as partners with men in the economy and society, as well as in family life. “It is a partnership. I firmly believe that when women prosper, families and communities also prosper.”
Better than the West
Across the Arab region, progress varies. Its 22 countries have diverse cultures and circumstances, and social and cultural barriers still limit women’s roles in some societies, she said.
Ms Al Kaylani said the proportion of young Arab women excelling in science, technology, engineering and maths exceeded the equivalent figures in Europe. But women’s education did not always translate into jobs. She called for closer links between universities and employers.
“We need stronger ties between academia and industry,” she said. “Students should gain work experience and vocational training alongside their studies. You cannot learn that from books only. You need to be in the office to learn that.
“The human capital is the Arab region’s richest resource and all policies and strategies must adopt a human centred agenda.”
The need for opportunities is especially clear in Gaza, where Ms Al Kaylani said the work of helping people recover from the war had barely begun.
“It is a shame on humanity to be watching on our screens the acute suffering of the people of Gaza, with the terrible flooding of their tents. The people of Gaza need to be helped as soon as possible,” she said.
Ms Al Kaylani also highlighted women’s work in rural communities. Women often spend long hours farming before returning home to care for their families, she said. The rural sector is vital to food security, while climate change and water scarcity put added pressure.
“We cannot afford to waste water … We are amongst the world’s most water-stressed regions,” she said.
Ms Al Kaylani said conflict was the region’s greatest obstacle to economic growth. “We need peace. This is number one. We can’t afford conflict.
“Money runs away, investments run away from areas of conflict,” she said. She encourages investors to come to the region because she believes in its economic strength and natural resources.
“All the Arab region is rich in resources,” she said. “We need to be given the peace of mind to get on with cultivating our resources, empowering our resources, and building for a prosperous future.”
Artificial intelligence and data centres bring opportunities but also raise questions about energy and water use, she said. “With every opportunity, there do come some challenges, so how to get the balance right is the issue. The journey continues.”
