Family business members from North Africa, the Levant and the GCC gathered in Dubai at the end of April for an interactive roundtable session to discuss the multiple roles played by women in family-owned businesses. As over 80% of all businesses in the MENA are family-owned and family-run, and have a great impact on the region as key pillars of the economy, examining the impact of women as family members, managers and owners is crucial to understand the factors that influence the sustainability of family firms. With a goal to start a constructive dialogue on the subject, the event focused on finding a better understanding of the realities facing female family members in the region. Organized and hosted by Tharawat Family Business Forum, an independent, non-profit membership network of family-owned enterprises in the Arab World, the roundtable was a unique opportunity to exchange experiences and thoughts on the subject, and to analyse the development, challenges and opportunities encountered by women in family businesses. The attendees from leading regional businesses explored the variety of roles that women play with relation to the family business, be it as managers, owners or family members and custodians of family harmony. The speakers shared their insights and thoughts with an audience and engaged in interactive group work to explore the topics further. The session's keynote speaker, Mrs. Hana Al Rostamani, Head of Strategic Planning at the First Gulf Bank, UAE and a director at the Al Rostamani Group explored the impact of women on family business sustainability and identified a direct and an indirect relationship of women with their family firms: Be it as part of boards and management teams on the one hand or as educators of the next generation and emotional caretaker on the other hand, she emphasized that is a need to better understand the roles and impact of women in family business. Mrs. Zeina Tabari, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Drake&Scull International, UAE shared her experience in managing the family business and the challenges of finding the right governance structure to fit each family. Including female family members in this process, even if they are not active in the business, is a crucial success factor for the longevity of such structures. – SG
