First Lady of Guyana, Mrs. Arya Ali on Saturday participated in the first of a series of meetings, which was organized by the Dubai Vigilance Group (DVG) to reflect on the role of women in today’s society and one of the proposals tabled was the formation of a Caribbean-Dubai Chamber of Commerce.
The meeting, which Her Royal Highness Sheikha Afra Dalmook of Dubai initiated was the first of its kind between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and leaders of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). It was held under the theme, “A moment of reflection for women in this current state of global affairs”.
“The inaugural discussion sought to create a foundation for the building of a clear and defined partnership between the UAE and the Caribbean, as the two seek to deepen their relations.
“In this regard, two ideas were proposed and will be up for discussion in the coming weeks. The first is the establishment of a UAE-CARICOM Women’s Association and the second, the formation of a Caribbean-Dubai Chamber of Commerce,” said a Guyana government news bulletin.
According to the bulletin, these initiatives are expected to be the starting point of a robust relationship between the two parties.
It said during the discussion, Her Royal Highness Sheikha Afra Dalmook reflected on the role of women, their journey, and accomplishments over the last few decades. She reportedly highlighted that women can be the compass for success since they are the centre of gravity of each society.
She also noted that in order for women to overcome current challenges which they face, strong commitments must be made to ensure that women are put at the centre of development.
The Guyanese First Lady believes that women across the world continue to navigate societal challenges, which disproportionately affect them and restrict them from climbing the social and economic ladders. She is of the strong view that serious work must be done to increase opportunities for women and respond to their changing needs. The First Lady therefore intends to champion several causes which are aimed at providing social and economic support for women and other vulnerable groups across Guyana.
“One such initiative involves the provision of start-up capital for micro and small-scale businesses owned and operated by women,” the information bulletin said. “The First Lady believes that women must have access to the same kind of resources and opportunities to guarantee not just their participation, but their survival in an increasingly competitive global economy.” To this end a Caribbean-Dubai Chamber of Commerce can foster closer collaboration among businesses from Guyana and the wider Caribbean and Dubai – known as a destination for oil and gas expertise.
Guyana being the world’s newest oil and gas hotspot with 8 billion plus recoverable barrels of oil equivalent resources, has been attracting expertise and business interest from countries across the region and world.
Dubai has approximately 4 billion barrels of oil in reserve and holds the second place in terms of oil reserves in the UAE.
