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e7 Banat Al Emarat stands as the UAE’s first and officially recognised women’s leadership platform, enabling a culture of entrepreneurship and social impact, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the “We the UAE 2031” vision, which prioritises women’s economic participation to drive GDP growth, job creation, family cohesion, cultural preservation and sustainable development.
Overview
e7 Banat Al Emarat stands as the UAE’s first and officially recognised women’s leadership platform, enabling a culture of entrepreneurship and social impact, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the “We the UAE 2031” vision, which prioritises women’s economic participation to drive GDP growth, job creation, family cohesion, cultural preservation and sustainable development.
It’s a visionary platform and catalyst designed to inspire, connect, and train young women, providing them the opportunity to experience an entrepreneurial sisterhood journey that unlocks their potential through cohesive shared participation. Built on authentic impact and connections, it empowers new changemakers to grow, lead, and co-create a future redefined by new perspectives, purpose, innovation, and collective impact across the seven Emirates.
This transformative vision is powered by our leaders, partners, community and contributors who believe in the positive role women play across all sectors and industries, and champion women’s leadership as the national growth engine. Their strategic investment contributes to the rise of women-co-founded SMEs, strengthens family prosperity, and drives economic diversification, advancing the UAE’s position in global leadership and national priorities in inclusive, and sustainable socio-economic development.
The story of founders
In 2008, four visionary women: Adela Acevedo, Aida Al Busaidy, Aysha Al Hashimi, and Esther Tang gathered around a shared vision: to create a space where the Daughters of the Seven Emirates and long-term residents could exchange knowledge, engage in meaningful dialogue, and collaborate on co-creating team projects. What began as a conversation soon evolved into a powerful initiative one that would empower and nurture young women to ideate, develop, and execute social team projects supported by assigned mentors and the wider e7 support network.
By 2014, Michelle Wong, as the new co-chair, formalised the e7 Banat Al Emarat under the Promise of a Generation (POAG) LLC with a clear mission to bridge the gap between nationals and long-term residents and create sustainable social impact through funded projects that addressed the UAE’s most pressing community priorities.
In 2024, the e7 Chairperson Noor Bint Ahmed Nina K. Al Kindi reunited with visionary Adela Acevedo in a pivotal dialogue exchange. Noor revived the e7 Banat legacy across Abu Dhabi and Dubai and rebranded it as e7 Generation Social Initiative LLC to amplify and sustain its enduring legacy of impact.
With its renewed vision, e7 Banat Al Emarat continues to inspire, train, and connect a new generation of changemakers, enabling young women to shape a future where collaboration, sisterhood, and social impact and entrepreneurship thrive. Through inspiration, connections, mentorship, workshops and a strong support network, our participants gain the skills, confidence, funding and resources to turn visionary ideas grow into licensed high-impact businesses.
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
H.H Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has declared 2025 as the Year of Community under the slogan ‘‘Hand in Hand‘‘ in a national initiative that reflects the leadership’s vision to foster a united and empowered community.The Year of Community aims to strengthen family and community bonds by preserving cultural heritage, nurturing intergenerational ties, and creating inclusive spaces that foster collaboration, belonging, and shared experiences. It also encourages all who call the UAE home to actively contribute to society through community service, volunteering, and impactful initiatives, promoting a culture of shared responsibility and driving collective progress.
e7Banat Al Emarat is a powerful initiative inspired by the core principles of UAE culture, sisterhood and belonging, embodying the very essence of ‘Hand in Hand’. It nurtures intergenerational ties, preserves UAE heritage and traditions, and creates an inclusive, safe space for sisterhood (banat), while mentoring young women to lead collaborative initiatives that address social challenges with innovative solutions.
As Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Al Nahyan – Mother of Nation stated:
H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak emphasized that “women have always been and will continue to be a symbol of strength and generosity, as well as a key partner in the nation’s journey of progress and development. Throughout history, they have demonstrated their ability to achieve accomplishments in various fields, becoming an example of excellence and creativity.”“For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” This year’s theme calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist future where no one is left behind. Central to this vision is empowering the next generation—youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls—as catalysts for lasting change.”
“The greatness of Nations is measured neither by wealth nor by urban development, as much by their noble human values, their cohesive social fabric, and the ability of their people to give, which deepens ties and unites feelings”
As His Highness Sheikh Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi stated:
“e7 Banat Al Emarat Program deserves recognition for filling the gap where UAE citizens and expatriates meet and interact to discuss ways to better serve the community to which we all belong.”
“e7 Banat Daughters of Emirates POAG program is one of the leading examples of a community driven project that has a both an educational and a social responsibility angle not only in Dubai but across the UAE.
Throughout the Gulf people have been inspired by POAG initiative and tried to emulate its model.”
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
H.H Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has declared 2025 as the Year of Community under the slogan ‘‘Hand in Hand‘‘ in a national initiative that reflects the leadership’s vision to foster a united and empowered community.The Year of Community aims to strengthen family and community bonds by preserving cultural heritage, nurturing intergenerational ties, and creating inclusive spaces that foster collaboration, belonging, and shared experiences. It also encourages all who call the UAE home to actively contribute to society through community service, volunteering, and impactful initiatives, promoting a culture of shared responsibility and driving collective progress.
e7Banat Al Emarat is a powerful initiative inspired by the core principles of UAE culture, sisterhood and belonging, embodying the very essence of ‘Hand in Hand’. It nurtures intergenerational ties, preserves UAE heritage and traditions, and creates an inclusive, safe space for sisterhood (banat), while mentoring young women to lead collaborative initiatives that address social challenges with innovative solutions.
As Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Al Nahyan – Mother of Nation stated:
H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak emphasized that “women have always been and will continue to be a symbol of strength and generosity, as well as a key partner in the nation’s journey of progress and development. Throughout history, they have demonstrated their ability to achieve accomplishments in various fields, becoming an example of excellence and creativity.”“For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” This year’s theme calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist future where no one is left behind. Central to this vision is empowering the next generation—youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls—as catalysts for lasting change.”
“The greatness of Nations is measured neither by wealth nor by urban development, as much by their noble human values, their cohesive social fabric, and the ability of their people to give, which deepens ties and unites feelings”
Vision, Mission and Values
Vision
To enable a generation of socially responsible women at the heart of our seven Emirates.
Mission
Inspire, train and connect young women in the UAE, enabling their commitment to launch social and business initiatives by fostering a deep sense of sisterhood, purpose and belonging to benefit their communities and the nation’s socio-economy.
Values
Sisterhood: Building a strong, supportive network of women where collaboration, mentorship, and mutual respect empower each participant to grow and thrive.
Unlocking Potential: Empowering young women to discover and harness their true capabilities, providing them with tools, mentorship guidance, and opportunities to turn their ideas into reality.
Purpose: Encouraging participants to pursue meaningful, impactful projects that not only benefit their communities but also align with their personal passion and values.
Innovation: Encouraging creativity, critical thinking, and innovative problem-solving in the design and development of community-driven initiatives.
Collaboration: Promoting teamwork and collective efforts among young women, mentors, and the wider network to achieve sustainable, positive social impact.
Community Impact: Focused on creating real, measurable outcomes through the implementation of community-driven team projects that address key social community issues.
Approach
Participants of team projects under each area are guided by a set of well-defined and measurable outcomes and impacts.
Impact driven
Generate sustainable positive impact through carefully designed workshops, initiatives, campaigns and project contributions to deploy long-term solutions that drive positive, social, cultural and economic impact.
Community led
Prioritize the needs of local communities by deploying contributions, time and efforts researching and communicating community challenges.
Sisterhood
Building relationships with project participants to better serve their community and collaborative projects, utilize innovative ideas, develop skills and connect with like-minded women.
Collaboration
Together let's unlock young women potential, sparking social innovation, igniting social transformation, and weaving the fabric of resilient, interconnected communities.
Strategic Priorities
Building a network of impact and Women thought leadership
We train and unlock young women potential, we bridge the gap between nationals and long-term residents to nurture community projects, we facilitate meaningful volunteering opportunities,mentorship and forge productive partnerships that empower women across industries to contribute and deliver lasting impact.
Community Well-being and Project Development
We inspire, train, and connect young women, enabling their commitment to making a meaningful impact, centered around the core objective of benefiting the community.
Championing Women as drivers of sustainable change
Increasing opportunities for women to participate in social entrepreneurship through training, consultancy, mentorship, networking and incubation of social ventures in accordance with the latest best practices.
Work Readiness & Women Thought Leadership
Raising young women’s awareness with e7 incubator training workshops in self-reflection, team building, design thinking, project management, managing budget, promoting social media presence and personal leadership development.
Sisterhood and Belonging
We bridge the gap between nationals and non-nationals, nurturing a strong sisterhood to support community-driven projects, offer meaningful volunteering opportunities, provide mentorship, and connect women through high-profile networking, empowering them across industries to create lasting social impact.
Our Media Publications
07/09/2017
Emirates NBD E7 Daughters of the Emirates, a nation-wide programme by Promise of a Generation that brings
02/03/2017
Pitching for mentorship and funding can be an intimidating
08/11/2015
The key to increasing female representation in the MENA workforce is stronger ties between
07/09/2017
Women will be part of a year-long programme that will support their projects and ideas
Amplifying Impact Across the Seven Emirates
e7 Banat Al Emarat receives wide spread media attention across both English and Arabic platforms, reflecting the program’s local relevance and transformative impact. Our initiatives are featured in leading newspapers, magazines, and digital platforms, ensuring strong visibility across diverse audiences.
With esteemed speakers and panelists, our vision and mission capture significant press coverage in daily news, while our social accelerator and incubator program resonates with entrepreneurship media. Our broad media presence not only amplifies our mission but also highlights the invaluable contributions of our partners, ensuring their support is recognized in meaningful and impactful ways.
Be Part of Our Social Impact Culture
Empower change through generosity and be a catalyst for a brighter, more inclusive future. Join us in supporting young women as they lead community-driven initiatives that create lasting impact.