A two-day business conference in London has brought together British and Arab women executives to talk about the ups and downs of doing business in the Middle East, Voice of America (VOA) news site reported.
For some young Arab business pioneers like Jamila Awadh of Yemen, it was not an easy decision for her, as an Arab woman, to get involved in business.
"In a country like Yemen, seven years ago there weren't any businesswoman," she was quoted as saying by VOA.
"It was very [strange] for me to come out and say, 'I'm a businesswoman.' Every man looked at me and said, 'What you are you talking about?' It was a bit strange. They were a bit shocked. But they had to accept it and respect that I was a lady and was given my rights."
According to reports, about six percent of management positions in Dubai are held by women - about the same percentage as in Britain.
Ahmed Suleiman, who founded the Women in Business Conference six years ago, was quoted by the news site as saying that “bringing Arab and British businesswomen together makes them realize how much they have in common.” – Albawaba.com
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