Women Entreprenenrship

Women 's Studies International Forum 34 (2011) 329–334

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Women 's Studies International Forum j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s ev i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / w s i f

Female entrepreneurship in the United Arab Emirates: Legislative encouragements and cultural constraints
Valerie Priscilla Goby ⁎, Murat Sakir Erogul
College of Business Sciences, Zayed University, P.O. Box 19282, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

synopsis
Onlookers from outside the Middle East tend to view the region as an essentially hostile environment for women in non-traditional roles. While this perspective may be valid in certain contexts, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sets new standards of support for women in business ventures as it attempts to engage all its citizens in the economic and social development of this rapidly changing country. The present survey paper overviews for the international reader four key areas affecting the success of UAE female entrepreneurship: (1) the legislative attempts to enhance female entrepreneurial achievement; (2) the socio-cultural realities constraining women in business ventures; (3) the impact of the UAE 's strongly collectivist culture on business networking among women; (4) UAE women 's motivation for entrepreneurial endeavor given the abundant options for more secure employment.
© 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction
The purpose of this survey paper is to highlight for the international reader some of the unique realities which impact on female entrepreneurship in the UAE. These issues depict a scenario of a particular kind of female empowerment against a backdrop of what to Western eyes would be regarded as significant female disempowerment. What makes the UAE a compelling context for studying female entrepreneurship is that it is a country in which traditional female roles are privileged, yet it is also the country with the world 's highest rate of

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