Women play leading role in UAE economic growth: Dubai Customs

Director General of Dubai Customs, Ahmed Mahboob Musabih highlighted the leading role women play in the social and economic development in the UAE.

“The UAE women’s journey in the advancement of the nations has turned into an example to follow due to the great leaps they made in the past and the present,” said Musabih in the virtual discussion session that brought together the Director General with Raja Al Gurg, an Emirati businesswoman, and a number of female employees in the department.

The event was organised by the Women’s Committee at Dubai Customs as part of the initiatives to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the Emirati Women’s Day, which is observed annually on 28th August.

It was launched in 2015 by Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF). This year’s theme is ‘Women: Ambitions & Inspiration for the Next 50 Years’.

The participants discussed the biography book of Raja Al Gurg; the leading UAE businesswoman.

Musabih congratulated all female employees in the Department on the occasion and said; “Celebrating the UAE women’s achievements embodies the wise vision of our leadership and our belief of the pivotal role women can play in the development journey in the next 50 years. It is also to show our commitment of providing a positive work environment for our female employees to help them further develop their skills and competencies.

On her part, Mariam Khalifa Al-Shamsi, Head of the Women’s Committee at Dubai Customs said: “Celebrating the UAE Women’s Day gives us a push and inspiration consolidating our faith in our importance and role as women in the UAE. It reflects what this day means to us and how much the UAE has achieved in gender equality. Our deepest thanks and appreciation to Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, the Mother of the UAE, for her unlimited support to women in all walks of life, and to our wise leadership for empowering women and helping them in all fields.” Along the same line, Eman Tahir, Vice Chairwoman of the Women’s Committee at Dubai Customs said: “There are a number of solid policies and strategies in place in Dubai Customs that have helped empower female employees in different roles. The Department has launched many initiatives to support and consolidate women’s role.”

Al Gurg is the first Emirati woman to have written her biography. In the discussion session, she talked about her experience, study and life, and her journey as a female entrepreneur, the difficulties she faced in that journey, and the main factors of success in a business including punctuality and discipline.