The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority recently held its first ladies networking event entitled “Empowering Women in Business”, it was attended by over 100 female professionals from businesses across Qatar, who heralded the event a big success. 

The Client Affairs (CA) department at the QFC organised the event as an opportunity for women within QFC firms to attend. The event highlights the QFC's commitment to existing firms and the array of dedicated services offered, ensuring the CA department is closely connected to work with them and for them, every day.

A panel of top female business speakers included Sheikha Alanoud bint Hamad Al-Thani, Managing Director, Business Development, QFC Authority, who spoke about her own experiences about being an entrepreneur in Qatar and how to rise above challenges to be successful.

H.E. Dr. Hessa Al Jaber, Chairperson of Droobi Health and Eshailsat and the former Minister of Information and Communications Technology spoke about the changing face of news and media and how to watch out for fake news, an issue that continues to rise as the world becomes digital.

Aysha Al-Mudahka, CEO, Qatar Business Incubation Centre (QBIC) spoke about how QBIC has helped play a hand in giving opportunities to local Qatari entrepreneurs who have a business idea and need help launching it.

Lastly, Munera Al-Dosari, a local entrepreneur who is also the co-founder of Girnaas games and the co-founder of Magaza and Airlift discussed what her biggest challenges were when launching her own creative business ideas and her advice on having a reputational strategy in place in order to promote businesses, but also protect them.

Sheikha Alanoud bint Hamad Al-Thani, Managing Director, Business Development, QFC Authority who spoke at the event stated: "I am delighted to join you today to celebrate entrepreneurship and to highlight the economic and social benefits that innovation brings to all of our countries. Because the fact is, when women entrepreneurs take risks and succeed, societies change for the better. Expectations change, not only for other women, but for men and children, too. It becomes easier to accept the idea of a woman as a family's breadwinner, the head of a household, a community leader, or a CEO of a company.  Because when women entrepreneurs thrive, economies grow. Think of all the small and medium enterprises owned by women, all of them creating jobs, driving consumer spending, and injecting growth into their communities."

H.E. Dr. Hessa Al Jaber, Chairperson of Droobi Health and Eshailsat said: "How can we fight back against fake news? Be more skeptical and think critically. Check sources, read beyond the headlines, check supporting documents, check your bias and use fact checking tools. I am sure that entrepreneurship can help bring innovation to fact checking tools."

Aysha Al-Mudahka, CEO, Qatar Business Incubation Centre said: "In Qatar we have raised and are raising, a generation of daughters who in are ready to step up and change the world, who are highly educated, highly motivated, future-oriented, smart, hard-working, outward-looking women." 

Munera Al-Dosari, co-founder of Girnaas games added: "Women bring different perspectives and approaches to business, resulting in a more inclusive workplace. No matter what gender or background, everybody should have equal opportunity to make their mark in business."

The event had been organised in partnership with Women's Entrepreneurship Day, which is internationally recognised and celebrated globally every year on 19 November. Global ambassadors and educational institutions from around the world represent the day by hosting events and conferences worldwide in the lead up to the day, with the QFC also taking part.