LONDON: Governments and companies in the Middle East and North Africa region are making progress in workplace gender diversity, but there is still more work to be done experts at the World Economic Forum on the MENA region said on Saturday.
During a panel discussion at the forum, titled the “Rise of Arab Women” and a press briefing asking the question: “What more can be done to drive gender diversity?” experts discussed how gender diversity can play a crucial role in driving business sustainability and improving financial performance.
Moderating the “Rise of Arab Women” panel, PwC Middle East Senior Partner Hani Ashkar said: “Diversity is integral to sustainability and overall success. Boosting the number of women in work is not just a moral imperative but also has a measurable impact on the bottom line.
“This is not going to be easy, and there is no doubt that this will require a real commitment from the public and private sectors alike.
“We will need to work out what works for our region and how to implement it effectively, and at scale, but this pales in comparison to when we look at the cost of doing nothing and continuing as we have,” he said.
During the discussion panel Princess Dina Mired of Jordan said women have so many skills to offer the workplace, and the best way for companies in the region to tap into that would be to make workplaces a meritocracy — also speaks about paternity leave allowing men to share the burden of making families — currently it’s all burdened on women.
Mariam Al-Foudery, group chief marketing officer at Agility said that, while people have a certain perception of women finding it harder to break down barriers in the Middle East, the region actually respects and understands the importance of the family dynamic more than any other region in the world and can lead the way in helping both men and women build families.
PwC surveyed more than 3,000 women and men across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt for the “Women in Work Index — Insights from Middle East and North Africa” report, which provides policymakers with perceptions and insights on the regional workforce.
During the press briefing on the report, PwC partner Norma Taki highlighted the fact that the MENA regions collectively losing an estimated $575 billion a year due to the legal and social barriers that exist for women’s in joining the workforce.
Her fellow panel speaker and PwC partner David Suarez added that an increase in gender diversity would expand and enrich the talent pool and is a “vital requirement,” particularly in Gulf countries — including Saudi Arabia and the UAE — who are looking to move beyond oil and diversify their economies.
Recent research in the region showed that the UAE was a beacon for promoting a more gender balanced workforce, with a dramatic increase in females in the workplace to 40.6% in 2018 from 29.2% in 1990.
Taki explained how women make up 66% of public-sector workers, with 30% in leadership roles. When survey respondents were asked if they agree with the statement: “My employer treats females equally when it comes to promoting from within”, some 30% of women and 37% of men in the UAE strongly agreed.
In Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, dramatic change occurred over the past 12 months. 2018 was a landmark year for women in the Kingdom, with women getting behind the wheel in June 2018, the Saudi military taking applications from women and granting women the right to open their own businesses without a guardian’s permission.
Suarez praised the UAE and Saudi Arabia, but highlighted that in Egypt cultural attitudes and gender stereotypes would take longer to change, explaining that many men are still resistant to the idea of women working outside the home, which partly explains why female labor-force had increased very little since 1990, when it was 21.3% compared with 22.3% in 2018.
Reducing the gender pay gap is one imperative, but the findings of PwC’s survey reveal that Middle Eastern respondents place an equally strong emphasis on equality in progression in the workplace and acquiring leadership roles.
Additionally, 66% of respondents said they felt that governments should intervene in private-sector companies and set targets for gender diversity.
Existing national policies included a draft law in the UAE last year to ensure men and women receive equal pay. The UAE also introduced three months’ paid maternity leave for government employees last year, increasing pressure on the private sector to keep up. The Saudi Arabian government’s goal to increase female participation in the workforce to 30% as part of its Vision 2030 is underway.
Good progress in Middle East workplace gender diversity, but still work to do: Experts at WEF
Good progress in Middle East workplace gender diversity, but still work to do: Experts at WEF
Over 3k flights cancelled across the Middle East after attack on Iran by the US, Israel
RIYADH: US and Israeli strikes on Iran led to widespread airspace shutdowns in the Middle East, canceling and rerouting thousands of flights and paralyzing key international travel corridors.
Flight cancellations affected seven airports across the Middle East, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, Doha in Qatar, and Manama in Bahrain.
Emirates Airlines said in a statement: “Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 1500 hrs UAE time on Monday, 2 March.”
A flydubai spokesperson said the situation is evolving, and the airline is closely monitoring developments while coordinating with authorities to adjust its flight schedule.
“Our teams are working diligently to implement comprehensive welfare for all affected customers. The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority,” the spokesperson said.
He added: “We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls and appreciate our customers’ patience while our teams work to assist everyone as quickly as possible.”
Qatar Airways announced that the airport will remain closed until at least the morning of March 2.
“Qatar Airways flights to, and from, Doha have been temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace,” the airline said.
It added: “Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace.”
Saudia also said in an official statement that it had canceled a number of flights due to developments in the region and the closure of airspace.
The organization said the decision was taken in line with aviation safety and security standards, noting that its Emergency Coordination Center is closely monitoring developments with relevant authorities.
Saudia urged passengers to verify the status of their flights before heading to the airport and said guests would be notified of updates through the contact details associated with their bookings.
The carrier added that further information would be announced in a subsequent statement if available.
Air Arabia also said its flights were experiencing cancellations, delays, or rerouting as a result of the evolving situation and airspace closures.
Airlines cited airspace closures and safety concerns as the main reasons for flight disruptions, urging passengers to check official channels for updates as the situation develops.
Israeli airspace also remained closed on March 1st. Israeli airline El Al said it was preparing a recovery effort to bring home Israelis stranded abroad once the airspace reopened.
Travelers were either stranded or diverted to other airports on Feb. 28 after Israel, Qatar, Syria, and Iran as well as Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain, closed their airspace.
After the UAE announced a temporary partial airspace closure, FlightRadar24 recorded no flights over the country.
The closures affected key hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha. Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad, airlines that operate from these hubs, normally handle around 90,000 passengers daily, with even more traveling to other Middle Eastern destinations, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Airports hit by attacks
Two airports in the UAE reported incidents as the government there condemned what it called a “blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles” on Feb.28.
Dubai International Airport, the UAE’s largest and one of the world’s busiest, reported four injuries, while Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport said a drone attack killed one person and injured seven others. Strikes were also reported at Kuwait International Airport.
Though Iran did not publicly claim responsibility, the scope of retaliatory strikes that Gulf nations attributed to Iran extended beyond the US bases that it previously said it would target.
Flight delays, cancellations are likely to continue
“For travelers, there’s no way to sugarcoat this,” said Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group.
“You should prepare for delays or cancellations for the next few days as these attacks evolve and hopefully end,” he added.
To avoid conflict zones, airlines are rerouting Middle East flights over Saudi Arabia, adding hours and fuel costs, which could push ticket prices higher if the tensions persist.
The extra flights will strain air traffic controllers in the Kingdom, who may need to slow traffic for safety. Meanwhile, countries that closed their airspace will lose out on overflight fees from passing airlines.
Mike McCormick, former head of air traffic control at the FAA and now a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said some countries may reopen parts of their airspace in the coming days once US and Israeli officials provide airlines with details on military flight zones and Iran’s missile capabilities.
“Those countries then will be able to go through and say, ok, we can reopen this portion of our space but we’ll keep this portion of our airspace closed,” McCormick said.
“So, I think what we’ll see in the next 24 to 36 hours is how the use of airspace evolves as the kinetic activity gets more well-defined and as the capability of Iran to actually shoot missiles and create additional risk is diminished due to the attacks,” he added.
But it is unclear how long the disruption to flight operations could last. For comparison, the Israeli and US attack on Iran in June 2025 lasted 12 days.
