Prime Highlights-
- Gulf family businesses enter a generational transition that opens bigger ownership, investment and executive roles for women, experts say.
- IFC’s Abdullah Jefri says educated Gulf women are ready to lead business units, guide investments and join family boards.
Key Facts-
- UAE leads the GCC with 15 percent of listed company board seats held by women.
- Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group deploys AI agents for sales coordination and HR support across its business.
Background-
Gulf family businesses are entering a generational transition that could give women bigger roles in ownership, investment and executive decision-making, experts said at an event in Dubai.
Abdullah Jefri, Gulf division director at the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank’s private investment arm, said family enterprises must now decide who receives the preparation, responsibility and trust to lead. He said a new generation of highly educated women across the GCC is ready to lead, and many already do.
Jefri said women already hold important roles in family firms, and the next step is leading business units, guiding investment decisions and serving on family councils and boards. He called women’s leadership vital for competitiveness, continuity and legacy.
He praised the UAE’s Gender Balance Centre for Excellence and Knowledge Exchange. A GCC Board Gender Index shows the UAE leads the region with 15 percent of board seats held by women.
Haifa Al Kaylani, founder and president of the Arab International Women’s Forum, said women bring fresh views on governance, innovation, sustainability and talent development. She said family businesses will stay competitive in an AI-shaped economy when women join as owners, investors, innovators, successors and executives.
Raja Al Gurg, chairperson of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, said the company uses AI agents for sales coordination and HR queries, giving employees instant answers. She said the group backs AI that delivers measurable value through higher revenue, better cash conversion, lower costs and greater efficiency.
