Let NOORA light the way as a women’s network

Aurora50 co-founder Diana Wilde’s speech in full from the July 2023 launch of the NOORA community.

After nearly a year of local research and months of discussions with partners, we are thrilled to welcome you to the rise of NOORA.

NOORA is the new community for corporate women leading with impact.

We are delighted to launch NOORA with Accenture, Emirates Global Aluminium, The Emirates Group, ENOC and TAQA.

Together we are forming a real-world community for like-minded and ambitious women.

We would like to thank all our partners for:

• leading by example
• their commitment to addressing the gender gap
• their keenness to collaborate to make a lasting impact.

I hope they inspire many other organisations to join NOORA to collaborate.

Why?

The rapid progress that the UAE has achieved in gender balance is formidable.

The UAE is now ranked first in the Arab world and eleventh globally in the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Gender Inequality Index 2022.

The UAE Gender Balance Council Strategy 2026 aims to:

• further reduce the gender gap across all sectors
• enhance the UAE’s ranking in global competitiveness reports on gender equality
• achieve gender balance in decision-making positions.

Government leaders have shown significant vision and acted as an inspiration to the private sector.

We fully support the UAE’s continued efforts to achieve 30 percent women’s representation in leadership roles.

[Related: The UAE companies pledging to put women in 30 percent of their leadership roles]

Research shows women climb the career ladder faster when they have a strong network. But no networks have existed in the UAE for the ambitious corporate career woman until now.

Women who have a strong inner circle of other women are three times more likely to be promoted than those without this support system. [link]

Change-makers

NOORA members are also change-makers.

During face-to-face workshops, NOORA members will address industry challenges collaboratively with other members.

They will solve operational challenges and drive greater business outcomes.

NOORA equips corporate women with the tools, knowledge and the confidence needed to lead with impact.

Aurora50 will leverage its existing network of remarkable women leaders to inspire the next generation.

And as these women rise, they will also give back.

Together we will ensure that more women hold decision-making positions, and our organisations will flourish.

NOORA will light the way.

And together, we will create a future where gender-balanced teams, at every level, are the norm.