NAMA Empowers 31 Rising Businesswomen through Its Jeel Entrepreneurship Programme

Thirty-one Emirati businesswomen, who successfully completed the pilot edition of the Jeel Entrepreneurship Programme celebrated their achievements with their fellow graduates, family and friends yesterday (July 24) at their graduation ceremony at the Culture Centre in Dibba Al Hisn.  

The Jeel Entrepreneurship Programme was launched under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohamed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairperson of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment (NAMA), in partnership with Education For Employment (EFE) in 2015.

The programme, first initiated in Sharjah’s district of Dibba Al Hisn, later spread to other cities in the emirate. Jeel aims to catalyse entrepreneurship in Sharjah, creating a generation of successful female business owners through ideation camps, business plan development sessions, continuous business training and coaching support.

Jeel’s comprehensive approach was strategised to help its participants understand the various aspects that include establishment as well as successful business operations.  

The programme analysed the potential of each business plan submitted by the participants and evaluated its chance of succeeding in the Dibba Al Hisn community. The programme also required its participants to test their business prototypes to gauge viability and profitability.

Pointing out how Jeel has reached its objectives in its very first term, the Director of NAMA, Reem BinKaram said: “This graduation ceremony is a testimony of NAMA’s many ceaseless efforts to support women in realising their full professional potential, and using their skills to further the UAE’s economic growth.”

“As a programme that was launched under the generous patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Jeel reflects Her Highness’ belief in the limitless capabilities of women in the emirate. Through this initiative, Her Highness seeks to nurture a generation of innovative female business owners who are able to transform their dreams into sustainable and profitable enterprises,” BinKaram added.  

Around 45% of the participating women have already tested their business prototypes, while some of the participants’ projects have sparked the interest of support initiatives and projects like the Abu Dhabi based Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development and EFE.

Jeel has been structured to be easily adapted to a variety of businesses, which is reflected in this year’s 31 graduates who specialise in fashion, hospitality, food and beverage, advertising, beauty and lifestyle, education, e-commerce, farming, retail, and more.

Saro Nakashian, General Director at Palestine Education for Employment, lauded the achievements of all graduates, and expressed his delight in having partnered with NAMA. He said: "After exploring each participant's innovative project, we were able to provide them with an opportunity to identify their strengths and channel them into managing their new businesses. Their strong persistence and self-confidence throughout the programme are unmistakable signs of a bright future."

"Thanks to Jeel, today they possess enough knowledge in entrepreneurship, are able to assess market conditions, and know how to target customers. All graduates are ready to take their projects forward, and will undoubtedly make a success of their start-ups,” he added.

“A year has gone by since we joined the Jeel programme but I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I can recall the high hopes and expectations that we had when we submitted our entrepreneurship ideas to get accepted onto the programme and the jubilation we all felt when they were approved. This day marked the start of a new experience that has helped us establish a clearly-defined vision for our future professional careers,” said Maryam Saeed Al Yammahi on behalf of the graduates in her speech at the ceremony.

During the ceremony, the programme’s organising committee recognised and honoured its many partners and associates for their seamless support toward the programme and its participants, including the Municipal Council of Dibba Al Hisn, Dibba Al Hisn Municipality, Department of Culture and Information in Dibba Al Hisn, the Social Services Department in Dibba Al Hisn, Economic Development Department in Dibba Al Hisn, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Dibba Al Hisn, Dibba Al Hisn Government Office, Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort & Spa, Sharjah Ladies Club - Dibba Al Hisn branch, Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, and the University of Sharjah.

Building on the success of Jeel’s first edition, the second edition was launched in May expanding the programme to women in Khorfakkan, Al Dhaid, Kalba and Mleiha. This edition too, through an array of specialised trainings and workshops, is engaging female entrepreneurs to build their business capabilities.

Jeel manifests one of NAMA’s key objectives through elevating women’s professional and practical capabilities, and emphasising their instrumental and indispensable role in the development process in the UAE’s economic and social sectors. At the same time Jeel creates a strong social network, which supports female entrepreneurs and allows them to fulfil their aspirations, as well as encourages them to choose entrepreneurship as their professional career.

Education for Employment (EFE) is a leading nonprofit dedicated to youth employment and economic opportunity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The internationally-renowned EFE model focuses on partnerships with the business, education and government sectors to provide unemployed youth with world-class professional and technical training that leads directly to jobs and entrepreneurship support. EFE has a strong track record in entrepreneurship training and its network of trainers and experts across MENA will provide insights in conducting awareness sessions, market research, and program ideation, design, and implementation of the Jeel Initiative.