Applications open for the fourth UAE edition of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs 

Titled AWE UAE 4.0 – Women in Business,  the program was developed to support the White House-led Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, designed to empower women worldwide to fulfill their economic potential, creating conditions for increased stability, security, and prosperity. Applications open on September 28 with a December 8, 2023 deadline.

AWE UAE is open to all industries and sectors. Applicants should be female entrepreneurs between the ages of 20-60 with a strategic decision-making role, owning an SME business in the UAE, and a minimum team of two people full-time. Businesses that demonstrate operating revenues are encouraged to apply. The applicants must be able to commit to attend all workshops and carry out the classwork needed.

The five-month program features online and in-person interactive workshops and training sessions, personalized mentorship, and networking opportunities. Successful participants will emerge with expanded business and operational skill sets, and the opportunity to join a supportive community of like-minded individuals. The program will begin on January 8 and culminate in a Showcase Day on May 22, 2024, where the businesses will present their ventures to members of the UAE innovation ecosystem.

Martina Strong, US ambassador to the UAE commented: “I am proud to welcome the fourth cohort of businesswomen to the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), and I am grateful for the longstanding partnership with startAD, NYUAD, and Tamkeen.  It is inspiring to witness the growth of women-led businesses, which drive entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic opportunity across the country and showcase the very best of the U.S.-UAE partnership.”

Senior Associate Director of startAD Hana Barakat added: “With the UAE’s SME sector representing over 94 percent of the companies operating in the country, and nearly half of these businesses being owned by women, AWE UAE understands the potential impact on the UAE economy that women entrepreneurs can create and aims to provide them with the knowledge, tools, and network to scale in a dynamic business landscape.”

She added: “We are proud that our ongoing partnership with the U.S. Mission to the UAE continues to help successful entrepreneurs learn new skills and gain access to a vast network of partners and investors in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Over the last three years, AWE UAE has become a force in the local economy. Twenty-nine businesses were advanced through workshops, coaching, mentoring, and community engagement sessions, resulting in USD 41 million in revenue, raising USD 7.5 million in funding, and creating 481 jobs.”

For more information, please visit  startad.ae/awe