A photo of young and confident Arab businesswoman discussing in a meeting. Emirati woman wearing traditional abaya. Middle Eastern professional female is gesturing towards colleague while sitting in board room meeting.
A photo of young and confident Arab businesswoman discussing in a meeting. Emirati woman wearing traditional abaya. Middle Eastern professional female is gesturing towards colleague while sitting in board room meeting.
A photo of young and confident Arab businesswoman discussing in a meeting. Emirati woman wearing traditional abaya. Middle Eastern professional female is gesturing towards colleague while sitting in board room meeting.
A photo of young and confident Arab businesswoman discussing in a meeting. Emirati woman wearing traditional abaya. Middle Eastern professional female is gesturing towards colleague while sitting in b

DIFC FinTech Hive rolls out AccelerateHer programme to back women in finance sector


Deena Kamel
  • English
  • Arabic

Dubai International Financial Centre’s FinTech Hive, the region's first and largest financial technology accelerator, has begun the second edition of its career mentorship programme aimed at empowering women in financial services.

The female-focused accelerator programme, dubbed AccelerateHer, will equip young female executives with the tools and experience to broaden their knowledge and play a more active role in shaping the future of the finance industry, the DIFC said in a statement on Saturday.

"AccelerateHer allows young and ambitious women to build their careers in financial services and play a more influential role in driving the future of the industry," Raja Al Mazrouei, executive vice president of DIFC FinTech Hive, said.

Women are currently under-represented in senior roles across the global finance industry. Women made up just 20 per cent of executive committees and 23 per cent of boards in major financial firms globally in 2019, according to a report by consultancy Oliver Wyman. Gender diversity metrics are becoming increasingly important to investors who are keeping an eye on companies' environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact.

The DIFC Authority said it has a "strong representation" of women on its management team, according to the statement. More than 60 per cent of DIFC Authority staff and 33 per cent of those working in the financial free zone are female.

The accelerator programme offers 14 participants one-on-one mentorship from executives, while cohorts will participate in workshops and other activities to build their network, skills and knowledge.

The DIFC FinTech Hive collaborated with Standard Chartered Bank on AccelerateHer.

"This programme is an excellent platform for distinguished women in the UAE’s financial services to gain a multitude of insights on the working world and, more importantly, build their networks, skills and knowledge," Rola Abu Manneh, chief executive of Standard Chartered Bank UAE, said.

Participants in the programme will shadow parts of the DIFC FinTech Accelerator Programme and attend 20 workshops provided by partners in areas such as legal, tech, HR, compliance and marketing, among others.

The second edition of AccelerateHer started on August 24 and ends on November 30.

Earlier this month, Dubai rolled out the "She Leads" programme, an incubator and accelerator intended to help develop UAE start-ups that are led by women.

Gender diversity and inclusion is even more crucial during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The crisis has had a “disproportionate” effect on women and threatens to set back their economic empowerment and widen the gender gaps that persist, the International Monetary Fund said in July. The Washington lender urged policymakers to adopt measures that would limit the pandemic’s “scarring effects” on women and remove legal barriers to their empowerment.

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Second leg:

Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

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Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

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Japan

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Norway

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Canada

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Singapore

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Australia

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Saudi Arabia

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South Korea

'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'

Rating: 3/5

Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro

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Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)


We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.

Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale

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Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor

Three stars

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How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
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What are the regulations?
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  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Who is Enric Sala?

Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.

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Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km