Qapco Public Affairs and Communications Department manager Ahmed Yaseen al-Hammadi (right) and Interactive Business Network CEO Raed Chehaib shake hands after a signing ceremony for the staging of the 5th Qatar International Businesswomen Forum in December.
Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco) will sponsor the fifth edition of the Qatar International Businesswomen Forum (QIBWF) to be held on December 8 and 9 at the St Regis Doha.
Qapco vice chairman and CEO Dr Mohamed Yousef al-Mulla highlighted the role played by women in Qatar’s economy and said, “As the fastest growing segment of Qatar’s workforce, women are a strategic priority for employment.”
“We are reaching out further than ever to support our current employees and to provide stimulating opportunities for women to succeed at Qapco. Our sponsorship of the Qatar International Business Women Forum is part of our efforts to empower women within our organisation,” al-Mulla emphasised.
He said Qapco’s objective is to ensure that women in the company are well-equipped with the tools and skills to reach their aspirations, to excel professionally as well as socially.
“As a valuable knowledge-sharing and networking platform, I believe the QIBWF will inspire, encourage, and support a promising new generation of women in business,” al-Mulla said.
Ahmed Yaseen al-Hammadi, Public Affairs and Communications Department manager at Qapco, said the forum will address the economic and social roles of women and how they will be affected by ongoing developments in the region.
He added that the forum will also cover topics such as leadership, entrepreneurship, management, finance, culture, and social issues while paying a tribute to the past and current achievements made by businesswomen in Qatar and the Arab world.
“We are delighted to welcome Qapco on board as our sponsor for the fifth edition of the Qatar International Businesswomen Forum,” said Aisha Alfardan, vice chairwoman of the Qatari Businesswomen Association.
“Such support of one of the leading petrochemical powerhouses in the region and a pioneer in petrochemical production is certainly a huge acknowledgement of the growing significance of the role that women play in business and economic development,” Alfardan added.
Qapco said the company established the Ladies Women Group to show its commitment to providing an innovative and outstanding learning environment by fostering personal development and by creating a community and shared activities for the women working in the company. Since 2010, the number of women employed at Qapco has increased by 72%.
Qapco also regularly engages with educational partners such as the Community College Qatar and College of the North Atlantic Qatar to empower the younger generation of women in Qatar.
Raed Chehaib, CEO of Interactive Business Network, said, “The increasing role of today’s women achievers in a wide range of business sectors, including oil and gas, is a result of their conscious effort towards the further development of their knowledge and skills.” He added, “As formal education at schools and universities provide them with the fundamental tools necessary to pursue their careers, it is platforms such as this forum that serve to further enlighten women about their huge potential to effect positive change in society.”