The Diversity Council, an inclusion and diversity accelerator bringing together companies in a cross-industry alliance, officially announced its presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during a ceremony on July 3 at the Emerald Palace Kempinski, Palm Jumeirah.
A number of regional companies, including DP World, GFH Financial Group, Accenture, Headspring Executive Development, and the Saudi Industrial Development Fund aligned as founding partners to launch the diversity accelerator in the region.
The Danish ambassadors of both Saudi Arabia and the UAE were present at the launch, along with other regional officials and guests. Senior representatives of the Above & Beyond Group flew in from Denmark for the first HR meeting followed by a press reception at The Diversity Council MENA launch. The event also included three panel discussions on diversity and inclusion.
Tine Arentsen Willumsen, founder of The Diversity Council, said: “We were delighted to have so many committed companies gathered here today for the launch of The Diversity Council MENA. With companies across the world recognizing the business imperative of addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5, gender equality, I believe we really are at the start of a seismic shift as large companies are aligning with the business imperative of gender diversity at all levels. This first meeting in Dubai has begun the process of sharing cross-industry know-how on achieving inclusion and gender diversity, with companies committed to leading this important agenda.”
Xavier Anglada, MD, Accenture Digital lead, MENAT, said: “There are trillions to be harnessed by making innovation the core of your businesses. We’ve seen that companies with a more diversified workforce have much more ability to grow than those that are single-biased. We see a lot of female youngsters who have potential. We need to walk with them, at a fast pace, to the next stage because they need to observe and they need to follow the leadership of someone that is up there.”
Alexandre Hawari, CEO of Mediaquest, said: “The time has come to move from ideating about tackling ‘diversity in the workplace’ to implementing these essential changes within organizations, especially at a time when government initiatives such as Saudi Vision 2030 and UAE Vision 2021 are reshaping work culture and the economic landscape in the region. Mediaquest is proud to partner with the inclusion and diversity accelerator, The Diversity Council, as it expands into the MENA region.”
