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

Saudi EV Adoption Accelerates With BYD Expansion & Tesla Launch

Saudi Arabia’s EV market is gaining momentum as BYD plans major showroom growth and Tesla establishes a foothold in Riyadh.

Published

2 days ago

July 16, 2025

Nour Nasir

saudi ev adoption accelerates with byd expansion and tesla launch

Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to become a regional hub for electric mobility are drawing greater investment from global automakers. As part of Vision 2030, the Kingdom is targeting 30% electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the capital, Riyadh, by the end of the decade — an objective that’s now shaping the strategic interests of international EV brands.

Chinese manufacturer BYD is planning a substantial thrust into the Saudi market, building on its current footprint of three showrooms. According to Jerome Saigot, BYD’s managing director in the Kingdom, the company aims to open 10 showrooms by the end of 2026.

“Saudi Arabia is a complex market. You need to go fast. You need to think big,” Saigot recently told reporters. “We are not here to stay at 5,000 or 10,000 cars a year”.

The announcement follows Tesla’s entry into the Saudi EV space, with the US automaker opening its first showroom in Riyadh in April. Tesla joins early players like BYD and Geely in what remains a nascent but strategically important segment for the Kingdom.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has also ramped up its electric mobility agenda. Its efforts include major investments in Lucid Motors, the creation of local EV brand Ceer, and support for the rollout of national charging infrastructure.

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However, electric vehicles still only account for just over 1% of total car sales in Saudi Arabia, according to data from PwC cited by Bloomberg. Key challenges include high upfront costs, limited public charging access, and the added complexity of operating in extreme heat conditions.

In spite of those hurdles, Saigot views Tesla’s entry as a net positive. “The more Tesla communicates on marketing, the better it is for us,” he said. Saigot joined BYD in April, having previously held executive roles at Nissan and Great Wall Motor.

With multiple brands scaling up activity in parallel — and government-backed infrastructure investment underway — Saudi Arabia’s EV sector appears set for rapid acceleration over the next few years.