The United Arab Emirates has achieved the highest representation of women on public company boards in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), reaching 14.8 percent as of January 2025. This figure translates to 185 out of 1,248 board seats, a significant rise from 10.8 percent in 2024, representing a 37 percent increase.

According to the ‘GCC Board Gender Index Report 2025’ released by Heriot-Watt University and Aurora50, overall women’s representation in GCC boardrooms has also grown, now standing at 6.8 percent, up from 5.2 percent in 2024. This equates to 379 women holding seats on boards across 729 public companies in the region.

Bahrain has emerged as the second-highest GCC country for women’s board representation, surpassing Oman. In terms of percentages, the breakdown of women’s board positions across GCC countries is as follows: UAE at 14.8 percent, Bahrain at 8.5 percent, Oman at 6.6 percent, Kuwait at 5.5 percent, Saudi Arabia at 2.9 percent, and Qatar at 2.8 percent.

H.H. Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Director of Aurora50, highlighted the importance of this progress, noting that when Aurora50 was established in 2020, only 3.5 percent of UAE board seats were held by women. She stated, “It is promising to see that figure rise over fourfold to 14.8 percent,” emphasizing the collective efforts towards gender parity in corporate leadership.

Sheikha Shamma further stated that tracking progress is vital for nurturing a strong pipeline of female talent in various levels of organizations. She reiterated that Aurora50 is dedicated to creating opportunities for women to assume board positions, which underlines the UAE’s commitment to gender balance.

Professor Dame Heather McGregor, Provost and Vice Principal of Heriot-Watt University Dubai, noted that the year-on-year increase in women’s representation on boards is a sign of real momentum. She acknowledged the significant strides the UAE has made toward achieving gender parity in boardrooms.

Furthermore, Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, attributed the UAE’s recognition as a global leader in gender balance to deliberate policies and initiatives. She mentioned that women currently hold one-third of ministerial positions in the UAE government and make up 50 percent of the seats in the Federal National Council. Additionally, women represent 57 percent of graduates in STEM fields, one of the highest rates worldwide.