News

Female Entrepreneurship Is Growing Rapidly In The UAE

The United Arab Emirates is seeing greater female representation in startups, boardrooms, and venture funding firms.

Published

2 years ago

July 18, 2023

Nour Nasir

female entrepreneurship is growing rapidly in the uae

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A rise in the number of women-led startups and venture funds is set to boost female entrepreneurship across the United Arab Emirates, which has already grown significantly in recent years. In October, global technology group e& launched a $250 million venture capital fund to support a new startup ecosystem and diversity and inclusion of women are crucial parameters to qualify for investment.

“Women have a voice that is loud and clear in boardrooms, in investment committees, and in funding rounds. I see a lot of opportunities created for women, especially in recent years,” explained Zahra El Zayat, chief commercial officer at evision, during an online panel hosted by the Atlantic Council’s WIn Fellowship earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE’s ambassador to the US, explained to the panel, “I know funding, in general, is hard, even for young men now, it is not just a challenge for women [but] we have to create the right ecosystem and allow more encouragement, more risk-taking and more incentivizing for women [to motivate them to] enter this space”.

Also Read: Dubai’s Sheikh Hamdan Launches New Digital Cloud Project

Nearly half of female business owners in the UAE find it tough to raise capital, with up to 80% tapping into personal savings to achieve their goals, according to Visa’s Women SMB Digitalisation Index.

However, the index also found that women-owned companies in the UAE scored highly regarding digital marketing, online presence, and customer engagement.

The UAE’s government has passed several laws over the past 15 years to enhance female contribution to society and sustainable development goals, reflecting a genuine commitment to equality across economic, social, and work environments.

News

AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs

Early buyers can now reserve build slots for AltoVolo’s 500-mile hybrid aircraft through a new online configurator.

Published

1 week ago

November 1, 2025

Nour Nasir

AltoVolo

AltoVolo has started taking pre-orders for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Sigma, moving the startup closer to commercial rollout. Customers can now secure a build slot with a £860 deposit and customize every detail online — from paintwork to seatbelt stitching. It’s the first configurator of its kind for a civilian eVTOL, mirroring how luxury car brands let clients tailor performance models before production.

The Sigma runs on a hybrid-electric tilting jet system built for long range and low noise. It can travel up to 500 miles at a 220-mph cruise, and is over 80% quieter than a helicopter. The three-seater weighs just 980kg and can maintain stable flight even if one jet fails. Safety systems include triple-redundant controls, thrust-vectoring stability and a ballistic parachute.

“We will be delivering an ultra-refined hybrid electric aircraft,” said founder and CEO Will Wood. “We believe there are thousands of customers for this type of cutting-edge technology”.

The first 100 units will come with exclusive materials and finishes. AltoVolo is also setting up a global service and maintenance network, with early planning for overhaul schedules already underway. The company’s focus on ownership experience echoes its ambition to anchor itself alongside established aviation brands rather than pure tech ventures.

To help new owners train, the company has built a full-scale simulator that replicates the Sigma cockpit in carbon fiber and leather. Pilots can log time toward a license using the system, aligned with the new US MOSAIC rules that ease certification for powered-lift aircraft. Certification work in Europe and the UK continues in parallel, signaling growing international alignment around light sport and eVTOL regulation.

Also Read: Snapchat Opens Qatar Office To Deepen Gulf Presence

Noise inside the cabin has become another design focus. Engineers are refining internal vibration levels and developing a responsive soundscape that shifts with each jet’s power load — part feedback, part theatre.

Urban air mobility projects across the Gulf and elsewhere are pushing regulators and manufacturers to meet in the middle. Dubai, Riyadh and Doha have each outlined plans for air taxi corridors this decade. AltoVolo’s hybrid Sigma, sitting between electric promise and aviation realism, looks built for that middle ground.