The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) has named the United Arab Emirates the world’s number one country for women’s entrepreneurship for the fourth consecutive year. During a session held at the “We the Women” forum in Dubai, Professor Chiara Spina from INSEAD described the UAE as “no better place than here to be a woman entrepreneur”, citing the strong ecosystem, state-led policy support, and the fact that the UAE’s minister for entrepreneurship is a woman.
Yet while the headline ranking celebrates the UAE’s progress, deeper analysis reveals a persistent global challenge: women entrepreneurs receive only a fraction of investment capital despite their equal participation in founding businesses. According to Dr Spina, women worldwide start businesses at nearly the same rate as men, yet professional investors allocate only about 2 percent of funds to female-led companies.
During her address, the professor highlighted a telling example: a female lawyer started a mobile-gym business but struggled to attract investors; meanwhile a man with a similar idea and less experience secured financing quickly. She noted that women often face different questions from investors, questions that place them on the defensive and have smaller networks, which limits access to senior talent and hiring opportunities.
Despite these challenges, the UAE’s status as a supportive environment for women founders stands out. The combination of infrastructure, policy frameworks, cultural openness and access to global markets gives women in the UAE a significant advantage. Still, the message emerging from the forum was clear: achieving top rankings is one thing, closing the funding gap is the next critical step, and one that requires targeted effort from governments, investors and business networks alike.
If you are planning to feature this in your blog or social-media channel, this article offers a strong narrative around progress, remaining gaps, and how one country is showing leadership while also acknowledging work yet to be done.
