The DIFC Family Wealth Centre (DFWC) and the Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF) held a roundtable in Dubai on 5 October on women’s leadership in family businesses. At the event, DFWC launched the Women in Family Leadership and Governance Programme in collaboration with Hawkamah and AIWF. The initiative aims to increase women’s participation on family and corporate boards through specialised education, peer engagement, mentoring and practical governance insights.

In the same announcement, DIFC reported 1,408 family-business-related entities at the centre, up 36 per cent year on year, and 1,409 foundations, up 67 per cent. These counts describe DIFC’s ecosystem; they do not cover all family businesses in Dubai or the UAE. The release also cites estimates of the Gulf family-business sector’s contribution to the regional economy and employment. Those estimates provide context and are not results of the new programme.