Gulf Business: Gender diversity on the rise across UAE boards, reveals Aurora50 report

The UAE’s continued efforts to improve gender diversity in the boardroom have led to more women holding board positions this year (8.9 per cent), up from 3.5 per cent in 2020, according to research undertaken by Aurora50 and Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, writes Gulf Business.

The report,  Non-executive Board Careers in the UAE: A Path to Gender Balance, which was sponsored by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), revealed that 77 of the 868 board seats from the 115 listed companies on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and the Dubai Financial Market are now held by women, Gulf Business reports.

The boost to women on boards in the UAE follows the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) setting a quota last year mandating all listed companies in the UAE to appoint at least one woman to their boards.

The Aurora50 report interviewed 16 women with independent board directorships to understand key steps that aspiring women board directors can proactively take throughout their careers to reach non-executive board roles.

Read full story on Gulf Business.