MESSAGE OF
Ms. Raja Al Gurg
President, Dubai Businesswomen Council
Ninth international Forum of Businesswomen & Female Leaderships
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 7-8 March 2008

Dear audience: I have the pleasure to share with you this occasion on this day in which women all over the world are being distinguished. Truly speaking we are all aware that women represent both the presence and future of the world in their role as mothers of global leaders, intellectuals and inventors. At this women's forum of distinguished universal leadership, we meet together to discuss new concepts of transformation from regional to international scopes, and to find means for upgrading qualifications in order to be able to meet challenges and avail from information technology, which no doubt will contribute to economic integration of businesswomen and female leaderships worldwide.

I will begin by quoting a sentence written in the book of H.H. Sheikh Mohamad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister, Ruler of Dubai, in which he says: (If we hope for excellence to blossom and grow, we have to inculcate the concept of excellence in people's minds).

We, the people of United Arab Emirates are following this vivid concept in an expression of our love and devotion to our wise government which played an admirable role in encouraging women to participate in all areas, the most recent of which was women's participation in Federal National Council, as their first experiment of parliamentary role. This is the first time in the history of UAE women that we play this role through which we currently have the highest legislative quota among women in the Arab World, and are the second internationally. Nine women equal to 23% of the total number of members are participating in federal National Council, in a historical and cultural step forward that proves the efficiency and strength of UAE women.

I emphasize that the secret of our success is our love to our country, the United Arab Emirates, and the transparency existing between its leadership and people.

Al Salam Alaikom Wa Rahmato Allah Wa Barakato

Raja' Essa Al Gurg