BQ and RasGas have announced their sponsorship of the Second Qatar International Businesswomen Forum (QIBWF) being held on May 17 and 18 at the Ritz-Carlton Doha. The forum, under the auspices of Qatar Foundation chairperson HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, has the theme of “Women Counted: Challenges Become Opportunities.” The event, organised by the Qatari Businesswomen Association (QBWA) and Interactive Business Network, is to be attended by over 600 high-profile businesswomen from around the world. The forum will have QBWA chairperson Sheikha al-Anood bint Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani and vice-chair Aisha Hussain Alfardan as the chair and vice- chair, respectively. IBQ managing director George Nasra said that conference is of high importance to IBQ coming so soon after the launch of its IBQ ladies banking package, the first comprehensive ladies banking service in Qatar. “Our sponsorship is an expression of the support we extend to a host of community outreach initiatives through partnerships with professional and non-professional women networks to encourage financial literacy and individual financial security,” he stated. IBQ is a partner in the growth of Qatar and also sees itself as an active participant in the welfare of the community through a wide range of activities in the education and cultural sectors, Nasra added. RasGas’ sponsorship of the forum is in keeping with its proactive Corporate Social Responsibility programme, aligned with both Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2011-16. This initiative will help to develop the country’s socio-economic sustainability through empowering women and helping them to realise their full potential. “This forum celebrates women who have achieved the delicate balance between their professional and personal lives, helping to create a strong legacy for future generations,” RasGas managing director Hamad Rashid al-Mohannadi said. “RasGas is proud to be a strategic partner of the Qatari Businesswomen Association and sponsor such a significant event. We at RasGas are committed to facilitating the development of female employees within the company and will continue to offer women the opportunity to excel and contribute to Qatar’s commercial landscape,” he added. The QIBWF will highlight key issues that are related to the economic empowerment of women in the Arab world and their growing role in business. Some of the key topics include access to finance, leading with emotional intelligence, challenges facing women in family businesses, the role of NGOs in uplifting the achievements of businesswomen and the organisational capabilities and strategies needed in managing small and medium enterprises. Aisha Alfardan said: “The QIBWF in its second edition will resume and expand on the discussion of leading issues of the hour on the economic empowerment of women in the Arab world, focusing on their growing role in business and every other sphere of economic activity, and the challenges and obstacles that they continue to face as they strengthen their leadership and executive positions in an evolving regional business environment. The forum will also analyse a number of broader business issues that are of particular interest to the Gulf countries and the Arab world at large. “The QIBWF is already established as a path-breaking event in Qatar and the Arab world and we’re very happy to see an increasing number of participants and sponsors, such as IBQ, that are joining this initiative and sharing common underlying values,” she added.

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