Under the direction of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Women’s Foundation and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Presidential Court, the Foundation has launched a specialized training program on protocol regulations. This initiative involves 20 female leaders from governmental and semi-governmental entities in Dubai and aims to empower Emirati women while enhancing their professional presence across all levels.
The program is set to take place over three days, from September 22 to 24, in collaboration with the Washington School of Protocol. Its objective is to enhance personal and professional skills among the participants, ensuring government representation with the utmost professionalism both domestically and internationally.
Additionally, the program seeks to instill a culture of adherence to institutional conduct and hospitality standards that align with the rich Emirati traditions. This will be achieved by introducing participants to professional conduct guidelines, high-level interaction skills, and etiquette for formal communications and meetings, while also cultivating confidence in navigating various situations which portray a respectful image of Emirati women in local and international arenas.
During the opening address of the first day of the program, Naima Ahli, Executive Director of the Dubai Women’s Foundation, welcomed the participants and highlighted that the initiative reflects the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to support and develop female talents. She emphasized that such programs aim to equip women with skills that enhance their leadership and executive performance through specialized collaborations with local and global partners. She stated:
“At the Dubai Women’s Foundation, we believe that empowerment goes beyond education and professional qualification; it also involves enhancing women’s social and cultural presence. Mastery of protocol principles is a key element that helps refine the personalities of female leaders, enabling them to represent the country with high proficiency.”
She also underscored the importance of the specialized program in empowering participants to demonstrate the highest professional standards in their dealings with others, thus providing a commendable leadership example for employees and subordinates. This will enable them to thrive in high-level professional and diplomatic environments.
Moreover, she acknowledged the value of training in developing effective communication and interaction methods, which positively influences the work environment and boosts self-confidence when representing their affiliated organizations, aligning with the nation’s focus on supporting Emirati women across all sectors.
This specialized program is part of a series of initiatives launched by the Dubai Women’s Foundation aimed at supporting Emirati women across various career levels in all sectors. Instructors for the program include Pamela Eiring, President and Founder of the Washington School of Protocol, and Saeed Al Sulkhadi, Vice President of the school.
The program emphasizes equipping participants with essential skills in protocol and executive presence, addressing diverse related topics such as an introduction to protocol and its history, its significance as a leadership tool, concepts of recognition within protocol, titles and forms of formal address, public presence, as well as interactions with high-profile individuals and managing challenging situations.