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"New Board for Qatari Businesswomen Forum "

Doha – January 20th, 2010: Qatari Businesswomen Forum announced yesterday its new board members and committees.

The announcement was made during a press conference held on January 19th, 2010 in Sharq Village & SPA hotel, The new board chaired by H.E. Sheikha Al Anood Bint Khalifa Bin Hamad Al Thani as Chairwoman, and Mrs. Aisha Hussain Alfardan as Vice Chairwoman, with membership of Mrs. Eman Ghafan, Mrs. Natra Abdulla, Mrs. Buthaina Hasan Al Ansari, Mrs. Mishael Mohammad Al Ansari, Sheikha Mayes Bint Hamad Bin Mohammad Bin Jabor Al Thani, Dr. Nawal Al Alam Al Shaarani, Mrs. Raida Abdul Salam Abu Issa, and Mrs. Huda Hobbi as a member of the board and Treasurer.

The QBWF also announced its decision to expand its membership to incorporate female university students in addition to business owners and professionals as well as Non Qatari residents who satisfy a certain criteria in a step to increase its activities, and to promote a better exchange of expertise amongst its members and to create new business and investment opportunities for them.

Mrs. Aisha Alfardan spoke on behalf of H.E. Sheikha Al Anood Bint Khalifa Al Thani, in her speech, she welcomed the new members on board, and acknowledged the importance of the role played by the QBWF, and its previous achievements, and emphasized the fact that the objectives of the QBWF correspond with Qatar Vision 2030 which was set by H.H Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, The Emir.

QBWF has also announced the decision of forming a number of board committees, each committee will be chaired by a board member, and these committees are: Executive committee, Finance Committee, and Membership committee, Programmes and Activities committee, PR & Communications committee, Qatar Businesswomen Award committee, Business-to-Business committee, and Industrial Committee, it also has been decided to take on Mrs. Jiskala Khalayli as Executive Director for QBWF to work with the executive committee, and to be responsible for developing and managing the operations of the programmes and the activities, and supervising the QBWF publicity, as well as building effective ties with international organizations, sponsors, and strategic partners, and supporting the board and committees work.

Mrs. Alfardan commended the role that the Qatari Businesswomen Forum is playing towards activating women’s role and their participation in the Qatar economic growth and emphasized that the new board will devote their efforts to achieve the QBWF objectives and expand it’s activities regionally and internationally, as well as strengthening the ties with businesswomen organizations around the world, she said:” a decade had passed since the QBWF was founded, and now, we are starting to see the results of what we have been doing, especially with those committees which will help us to deliberately distribute the functions and responsibilities, and this will lead to strengthening the members participation in the decision making process”

Qatari Businesswomen Forum was established in year 2000 to enhance women’s contribution to the economic activity which constitutes a real gain both to Qatari women and the society at large, QBWF has launched a number of important initiatives like Qatar Businesswomen Award & Corporate Ambassadors Programme, and announced last year it’s partnership with Qatar Businessmen Association, a partnership that aims to extend its platform to include different sectors and build cooperation relationships with the Qatari organizations to support its vision and help achieve its objectives.

The QBWF is chaired by H.E Sheikha Al Anood Bint Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani, and managed by a number of prominent Businesswomen who have a history of success in many businesses in different sectors that they work in or manage.
QBWF has played a distinguished role in enhancing women contribution to push the economic wheel towards the strategic growth that we are witnessing today, and in line with the wise vision that the government has set. QBWF is also a founding member of Middle East and North Africa Businesswomen Network which includes 11 members from 11 countries, and it is becoming a role-model through its active participation and best practices.

QBWF has adopted new strategies and plans in a step that aims to develop and promote the role that it’s playing locally, regionally and internationally, and it organizes a number of activities, conferences and programmes that support Qatari women.