Prime Highlights
- Women leaders from the GCC and Europe launched a permanent platform to strengthen cross-regional cooperation.
- The initiative will promote collaboration in leadership, innovation, investment and sustainable development.
Key Facts
- Women Impact Leaders EU-GCC is a permanent forum connecting women leaders from the GCC and Europe.
- The platform was established by Vibrant Work and Sustainable Global Impact.
Background
Women leaders from the Gulf and Europe gathered in Riyadh to launch the Women Impact Leaders EU-GCC platform, a new initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation and creating joint projects across key sectors. The Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce hosted the event with support from the EU Delegation to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman.
The platform will serve as a permanent forum where women leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and European Union (EU) member states can work together, exchange ideas and build long-term partnerships.
Its work will focus on five main areas: social impact and sustainable development, economic leadership and investment, health and well-being, innovation and digital development, and culture and creative industries. Governance, policymaking and empowering future generations will remain common priorities across all activities.
Federation of Saudi Chambers representative Khalid Al-Othman said Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has increased women’s participation in business, entrepreneurship, innovation, finance, science and sustainability. He added that stronger EU-GCC partnerships are important to address shared opportunities in sustainability, investment and innovation.
Women Impact Leaders EU-GCC Co-founder Iwona Safi said the platform would strengthen relations between the two regions and help turn discussions into practical projects that benefit society. GCC Co-founder Abeer Al-Hashimi said the Riyadh launch begins the platform’s 2026 founding programme, which will continue in the Asir region before the findings are presented at the Warsaw Summit in September.
The initiative was created through a partnership between Vibrant Work in Saudi Arabia and Sustainable Global Impact in Poland to promote long-term cooperation and sustainable development between women leaders from both regions.
