• THE PARTNERSHIP WILL DRIVE THE DIALOGUE AROUND WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND ADVANCING GENDER BALANCE IN THE WORKPLACE THROUGH VARIOUS EVENTS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
• SESSIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA, EGYPT, JORDAN AND THE UAE 
   

8 March 2020:   Accor Middle East & Africa announce the launch of a partnership with She is Arab, the first dedicated global speakers’ platform for Arab women designed to elevate female leadership development and to drive women’s economic empowerment and advancement in the workplace. 

As part of the partnership, a series of dialogues and discussions will roll out throughout the year in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE, including panels, roundtables, fireside chats, in addition to training and coaching sessions focused on leadership skills, public speaking, personal branding and media interaction. These events will tackle topics including the changing nature of leadership, navigating through workplace culture, achieving work life balance, and advocating workplace policies to ensure equal opportunities for women. 

Accor’s own international RiiSE network co-chaired by Maud Bailly, Chief Digital Officer and John Ozinga, CEO AccorInvest, comprises of both men and women, as denoted by the double ‘ii’, who are all committed to the values of knowledge sharing through mentoring programmes, solidarity, and combatting stereotypes and discrimination, as well as promoting female talent to positions of leadership. 

Sami Nasser, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East & Africa said: The region today accounts for almost 30% of the Group’s global RiiSE network of close to 30,000 employees from 4,900-plus hotels in 111 countries. Male and female talent from Accor’s hotels in Saudi Arabia and Egypt dominate RiiSE membership in the region. We are thrilled to join hands with She Is Arab, further cementing our commitment to continuous narrative around gender equality, with the aim of achieving actionable outcomes.” 

Speaking on the partnership, Noha Hefny, Co-founder, She is Arab said: “We are delighted to partner with Accor in the Middle East and Africa. We consider this collaboration a testament to Accor’s commitment to social responsibility and its strong support for women-led startups. With the growing momentum and strength of the She is Arab network; we believe our synergies and common values reinforce our shared commitment to women empowerment and gender parity in the MENA region. We are excited to discover the opportunities that the future holds for both of our organizations.”

Based on their common vision and commitment to advancing gender equality (SDG5), both organizations aim to highlight the importance of networking, peer to peer support networks, leadership and participation of women to be active contributors in the region’s economy. The partnership also aims to help in the exchange of experiences and knowledge to advance women’s leadership across various sectors. Events will also focus on extending mentorship to younger women and emerging leaders and inspiring them through awareness raising sessions and sharing success stories of role models.

Through their collaboration, Accor and She is Arab aim to inspire and celebrate women in the region and encourage them to build their skills. In doing so, they will demonstrate the power of partnerships in driving impact and change for women and the advancement of UN SDG5 (gender equality).