Pearl Quest by SBWC offers seven aspiring female entrepreneurs a chance to win funding for their startups

The final three winners will be selected by a panel of distinguished judges at the Pearl Quest pitch event, to be held at Expo 2020 Dubai on February 8, 2022 at 11 a.m. The final verdict will be based on the originality of the idea, its sustainable social and environmental impact, its functionality and its ease of implementation.

SBWC Pearl Quest aligns with SBWC’s commitment to providing a wide range of services to its members, including the right training, mentoring and funding, as well as a platform to showcase their ideas.

HE Sheikha Hind bint Majid Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Business Women’s Council (SBWC), said: “For two decades now, the SBWC has been leading efforts to promote a culture of sustainable female entrepreneurship in the UAE in line with the vision of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of the Ruler of Sharjah and Founder and Patron of SBWC.Building on SBWC’s holistic approach of offering end-to-end support, including mentorship, Valuable training and funding opportunities, the Pearl Quest reinforces our commitment to elevating the entrepreneurial skills of a new generation of female entrepreneurs and helping turn their ideas into reality.

“The grassroots partnerships formed with various government and private entities through Pearl Quest will inspire, encourage and empower more women entrepreneurs to realize their ambitions and advance their integration into the economy,” the SBWC Chairperson added.

The Pearl Quest is sponsored by several SBWC Women in Business supporters including Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), Platinum Partner; BEEAH and Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gold Partners, DiliTrust, Silver Partner, as well as Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) and Jupiter Business Mentors, Pearl Quest’s attorney.

Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, said, “Our partnership with the Sharjah Business Women Council reinforces our shared vision of fostering an enabling environment for innovative entrepreneurs. Through Pearl Quest, budding businesswomen will realize their dreams of building sustainable businesses. We are delighted to welcome program participants to the Sheraa community and look forward to working closely with teams as they build the foundations of their businesses.

“Sharjah has firmly established itself as a premier destination for creatives and changemakers, and initiatives like these provide a platform to showcase the exceptional talent currently thriving in our ecosystem. At Sheraa , we are committed to creating and growing ambitious startups.We believe in the transformative potential of entrepreneurs to solve global challenges and lead us into the future.

HE Abdalla Sultan Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), underscored that SCCI’s sponsorship of the Pearl Quest competition aligns with its desire to continue concerted efforts to balance gender equity in the workplace and to increase opportunities for Emirati businesswomen to achieve growth and economic empowerment through the development of their competitive capacities and enabling them to lead the process of economic development at national level. of the company, under the aegis of SCCI or at the local and federal levels in Sharjah and the United Arab Emirates. HE said the sponsorship is in line with the vision and guidelines of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who has always believed in the abilities of women and is committed to supporting and empower women, providing them with the ideal environment to become key and effective partners in the national process of progress and sustainable development.

Al Owais pointed out that the UAE has always been a leading country globally in terms of women’s economic empowerment. SE noted that the remarkable statistics indicate that there are 25,000 Emirati women entrepreneurs who own 50,000 business licenses worth AED60 billion. Hence the importance of the Pearl Quest competition, dedicated to female entrepreneurs and female-led start-ups based in the UAE, to enhance women’s participation in economic activities. The President of SCCI applauded the efforts of the Sharjah Business Women Council (SBWC) regarding the support, empowerment and opportunity for business women to develop their projects and invest in industries technology and creativity across the United Arab Emirates.

Hind Al Huwaidi, Director of Education at BEEAH, said, “BEEAH strongly believes in the power of collaboration and partnerships. By working together, we can accelerate progress and achieve incredible things, and BEEAH is proud to be involved in this initiative. Sharjah is blessed with so many incredibly talented, creative, enterprising and forward-thinking women, and initiatives like this not only empower and support these businesswomen, but also help build a better future for all. world in the emirate.

DiliTrust, a technology solutions provider offering services in the areas of corporate governance, supports Pearl Quest as a Silver Partner. DiliTrust serves more than 1900 clients in more than 50 countries, supporting companies in terms of regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, transparency and legal and financial communication.

As Advocate Supporters, SRTIP will offer an exclusive discounted “Ladies First Package” to the top two winners, while Jupiter Business Metors will provide one-on-one mentoring to the winner and first runner-up.

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© Press Release 2022