The Board Summit titled “Pathways to Gender-Balanced Boards”, one-of-its-kind virtual event with an open invitation to all board members and CEOs of organisations listed on the ADX and DFM, will be convened by Aurora50 from the 25th – 26th August 2020.
The Summit will act as a platform to further enhance the UAE as a global leader towards achieving the United Nations SDG 5 (gender equality) and will showcase the progress and achievements in driving board-level gender-balance, whilst enabling discussions pertaining on how to increase female representation on boards.
During the summit, several notable keynote speeches will be made by prominent speakers from Ministers, board of directors and subject matter experts. The two-day event is expected to announce new partnerships with local and international organisations to help advance the gender equality agenda upon the completion of the event.
In addition to the confirmed event speakers, The Board Summit will also include Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Dr. Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Board Director at Emaar Development PJSC, and Mishal Kanoo, Chairman of the Kanoo Group.
Speaking on the importance of initiatives focused on gender-equality, Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Co-founder of Aurora50, a social enterprise that is enabling groundbreaking solutions to global problems, by connecting stakeholders to work together, commented, “In celebration of Emirati Women’s Day on 28th August, The Board Summit has been carefully curated to foster productive dialogue to accelerate gender-balance at board level, and is a showcase of the UAE’s historical and long-term commitment towards ensuring that women are represented at the highest levels of public and private sector organisations.”
She added, “Securing gender-balance across all sectors is a priority for the UAE on a local level, and we’re seeing positive changes in this regard. Events like The Board Summit create pathways for organisations to understand and implement best practices to appoint women onto their boards. Furthermore, initiatives like 20 For 2020, Aurora50’s flagship project, are securing local and global partners, such as ADNOC, who share the same impetus to advance gender equality. Through activities and initiatives such as these, we will inevitably see a paradigm shift in global markets across important sectors such as oil and gas and finance, amongst other thriving sectors.
“In the face of a global pandemic, it’s now more important than ever to optimise the performance of global entities by ensuring that their boards operate with a diverse mindset from a wider pool of talent. The first step in achieving this is by creating a pathway for skilled women to operate at the highest levels. I encourage those that are currently in board positions to participate in the Summit and help shape the future of boards, built on a strong foundation of diversity and aptitude.”
UAE Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Securities and Commodities Authority, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, said, “Gender equity is an inherent aspect of increasing the UAE’s global competitiveness and much progress has been achieved on this, as evidenced by the many initiatives towards enhancing the participation of women across government and business. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more important to expedite the development of women to assume leadership and board directorships to ensure good corporate governance and economic sustainability. Organisations such as Aurora50 are commendable for their efforts towards supporting this goal, and it is my pleasure to be speaking at The Board Summit – an event that is sure to stimulate discourse on enhancing women’s representation at the board-level.”
In keeping with the event theme, Al Marri’s keynote address will discuss the role that leadership, regulation and governance structures can play in ensuring diversity and inclusivity in board composition.
