Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) has successfully concluded the second edition of its Innovative Leaders Program, hosted in collaboration with the distinguished Ashridge-Hult International Business School in the UK. 6 female prominent Emirati leaders have completed the program, which was developed to support the UAE’s vision of fostering a culture of innovation across the country, by helping women to transform their leadership approach through experimental and out-of-the-box thinking.
The eight-day program followed an interactive learning process – learn, disrupt, apply and integrate, through insight sessions, guest speaker presentations, organisational visits, strategic challenge projects, coaching and networking. The four key themes of the program included agile disruptive innovation leadership, creating a culture of experimentation, leading disruptive innovation processes and decision-making at pace in uncertainty.
The program was concluded with a ‘closing circle’ session attended by HE Mona Al Marri, Chairperson of the Board of DWE, Bjorn Bengtsson, President of Ashridge Executive Education Business School, and Sultana Saif, Corporate Director of Development and Research at DWE.
Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of DWE, highlighted that the UAE has made truly remarkable strides in strengthening the influence of women and their contribution to society. Today, Emirati women are highly educated, skilled and empowered partners in the development of our nation and its continued prosperity, and have the opportunities they need to grow and succeed. This is thanks to the continuous support they receive from the UAE’s wise leadership, who are committed to ensuring that Emirati women have the necessary tools to excel across all sectors and take on decision-making positions.
HH Sheikha Manal, said: “This transformative program supports the UAE’s innovation objectives, which emphasise innovation as a necessity, rather than an option, for all institutions to unlock the future and achieve new heights of success. Innovation has become such an integral part of the UAE’s vision, and a key element of government work and policies, which paves the way towards positioning the UAE as one of the world’s most innovative countries by 2021, in line with the National Innovation Strategy.”
HE Mona Al Marri said: “The positive response to the program from female leaders and UAE institutions reflects the commitment and aspirations of Emirati women to enhance their capabilities and pursue successful careers. Having more female leaders capable of driving the UAE’s innovation culture forward supports the country’s success in all aspects and strengthens its position globally, which is why the Innovative Leaders Program was established.”
Sultana Saif, Corporate Director of Development and Research at DWE, and Project Manager of the Innovative Leaders Program, said: “The program provides an important opportunity for female Emirati leaders to develop effective innovation leadership skills and allows them to learn about the challenges that leading institutions around the world have overcome. The program also offers participants an opportunity to gain deeper personal insight, unleash their ability to inspire and motivate others, and develop the thinking skills required to manage the challenges they will face and achieve exceptional accomplishments for themselves and their organisations.”
During the program, participants also met with innovative thinkers of renowned businesses and leading government bodies, attended sessions with expert speakers from academic, as well as public and private sector organisations, and were introduced to the practical skills and hands-on experience needed to lead disruptive innovation in their own organisations and fields.
