Facebook and Khalifa Fund relaunch ‘She Means Business’ mentorship programme in the UAE

The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development and Facebook have announced the relaunch of the ‘She Means Business‘ entrepreneurial education programme that aims to strengthen the role of women in tech and boost the SME sector.

The programme will support and train 1,300 women entrepreneurs through a series of virtual training sessions, helping them develop skills to support the marketing and e-commerce of their respective businesses.

The relaunch of She Means Business has seen a revision in the content and delivery of the programme which will now include modules relevant to the current crisis and teach businesses how to cope with the set of challenges accompanying the crisis.

.@KFED_Official and @Facebook have relaunched ‘She Means Business’, a global education programme with the aim of training women entrepreneurs in digital marketing and e-commerce. pic.twitter.com/jtm2xOEOGD

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) June 24, 2020

The curriculum presents two varying tracks – The Beginner’s Track caters to individuals who are starting on their entrepreneurial journey, while The Advanced Track is geared towards supporting SME owners, reported news agency WAM.

“As per the UAE National Agenda 2021 and the Abu Dhabi Plan 2030, our leadership aims to position the UAE amongst the world’s leading hubs for entrepreneurship. Programmes like She Means Business will help us enhance the sector and empower more women, while investing in the fabric of the UAE’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Mouza Al Nasri, acting CEO of the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development.

Al Nasri added that the programme will allow female entrepreneurs access a wide range of information, that will help them build a network with like-minded women around the world.

“It will also fast track and advance their understanding of how to optimise social media in order to generate effective results in their business ventures,” added Al Nasri.

Meanwhile, Derya Matraş, regional director for Middle East, Africa and Turkey at Facebook, said: “We designed new learning experiences with our partner, Khalifa Fund, to the She Means Business programme that will make virtual learning and upskilling easier for women entrepreneurs to support them as they embark on their journey as business leaders, catalysing the growth of the digital transformation in the UAE.”

In related news around mentoring programmes for SMEs and entrepreneurs in Dubai, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry launched its Business Mentoring and Support (BMS) Programme CSR initiative that will pair SMEs in the emirate with large companies who will offer professional advice and resources tailored to their specific needs.

Read: Dubai Chamber launches CSR programme to aid SMEs in the emirate