Some of the most powerful women leaders from the Mena region, the US and Europe will be at the inaugural Mena Businesswomen’s Network Forum being organised by Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC) from April 12 to 13.

The first-ever annual gathering of the members of the Mena BWN will see participants take part in a series of workshops, interactive sessions, panel discussions, and plenary sessions.

The event is being held under the patronage of Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade.

Commenting on the event, DBWC president Raja Al Gurg said, 'The forum will cover a wide range of topics that are relevant to our continuing efforts to empower women across the region.'

'We have invited some of the most successful businesswomen from the Mena and other parts of the world to share their experiences and ideas and talk about the opportunities that are making the region a genuinely exciting place for women entrepreneurs and business in general,' she remarked.

'The workshops, interactive sessions and panel discussions are designed to motivate and inspire the delegates, while also providing a dedicated platform that caters to the specific networking needs of businesswomen in the region,' she added.

The forum will host an exclusive round table meeting and Q&A session to be attended by the most powerful women in the region, including Arabian Business and Fortune Most Powerful Women/Vital Voices Global Ambassadors. DBWC will also facilitate at least 25 workshops.

'One of the forum's key objectives is to enable women by providing specific, hands-on skills necessary to grow their enterprises,' said Mena Businesswomen's Network president Afnan Al Zayani.

'In developed markets, women-owned firms are growing at more than double the rate of all other companies. But women throughout the Middle East still face numerous challenges in starting and growing their own businesses,' Al Zayani stated.

'One of our key sessions is on access to capital, and we're bringing some outstanding speakers onboard from the World Bank, PwC, Riyada Enterprise Development, Tenmou and Standard Chartered to talk about real solutions,' she added.

With the theme 'Unleashing the Economic Potential of Women in the Mena Region,' the forum will focus on mentoring, leveraging technology, and social media and innovative ways to overcome the challenges of accessing capital and entering new markets.

Participants will also tackle issues of brand development, increasing media coverage and be able to pitch their business ideas.

The forum will conclude with a roundtable discussion between some of the region's most prominent businesswomen, including several of Arabian Business' lists of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the Arab World.-TradeArabia News Service