Abu dhabi: The UAE delegation actively participated in the BRICS Women-Led Development Summit 2026, organized by the BRICS Women's Business Alliance (WBA) in New Delhi under India's 2026 BRICS Presidency. The summit brought together government and business leaders, investors, and women entrepreneurs from BRICS economies to foster cross-border economic partnerships.
According to Emirates News Agency, the UAE Chapter is chaired by Feryal Ahmadi, who also serves as the Chairperson of the BRICS WBA UAE Chapter and Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer of DMCC. The leadership team includes Ayesha Al Mulla, Co-Chair of the Tourism Working Group and Chairwoman of the UAE Businesswomen Council; Badreya Al Maidoor, Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and member of the Inclusive Economy Working Group; Prof. Dr. Hoda Alkhzaimi, Co-Chair of the Creative Industries Working Group; Dr. Ibtisam Al Bastaki, Co-Chair of the Healthcare Working Group; and Abeer Al Ameeri, Co-Chair of the Innovative Development Working Group.
The delegation's efforts reflect the UAE's diverse contributions to the Alliance, covering sectors such as trade and investment, tourism, inclusive growth, advanced sciences, creative industries, healthcare, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Ahmadi, Al Mulla, Al Maidoor, and Alkhzaimi actively participated in the New Delhi program, while Al Bastaki and Al Ameeri led their respective workstreams.
Feryal Ahmadi emphasized the UAE Chapter's focus on developing practical, scalable economic partnerships by leveraging the UAE's position as a global hub connecting capital, companies, and markets. She highlighted the BRICS Women's Business Alliance as a platform for translating relationships into tangible opportunities in trade, investment, and market access.
Ayesha Al Mulla underscored the economic value of the Alliance, emphasizing the network's strength in connecting opportunities and expertise across markets. She stressed the importance of measurable economic interventions, tracking partnerships, investments, and knowledge transfer between economies.
Badreya Al Maidoor highlighted the need for women's economic empowerment, focusing on knowledge, confidence, and capital to build sustainable businesses capable of competing globally. She noted that BRICS economies offer significant opportunities for SMEs and women entrepreneurs to expand into international markets.
Prof. Dr. Hoda Alkhzaimi advocated for expanding women's empowerment to include leadership roles in emerging and future economies. She emphasized the collective value of BRICS economies and the importance of connecting talent, capabilities, capital, and markets to create shared economic capacity.
The UAE Chapter aims to create pathways for women to transition from local opportunities to global markets, enhancing the BRICS network as a practical platform connecting women entrepreneurs with investors, companies, and institutions. The UAE's participation signifies a shift towards measuring success by economic value created, businesses scaled, and partnerships sustained across borders and generations.