JEDDAH, 9 October 2004 — A conference of Gulf businesswomen, which concluded in Riyadh on Thursday, announced plans to launch a satellite channel shortly to promote investment. It invited funds from businesswomen to establish the channel. “The real estate boom in the Gulf region led to the idea of launching a channel that will specialize in real estate and follow up new developments in the sector,” Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic daily reported quoting Shariefa Al-Sharief, chairperson of Ebdaa, an organization that promotes women’s creativity.
The Riyadh conference also announced plans to establish a model industrial city in the Saudi capital, the paper said. The participants called for holding a permanent economic and cultural forum for Gulf women to help them forge an economic alliance to confront challenges. Al-Sharief said the conference provided a good chance for businesswomen to get information on investment opportunities in the region. Referring to the model industrial city, she said it would create both investment and job opportunities.
Earlier addressing the conference, Dr. Shariefa Al-Qasim of King Saud University, said Saudi women are capable of doing well in business.
Faten Nabaa, the head of women’s section at Academic Employment Center, said nearly 5,000 young Saudi men and women trained by the center were still looking for jobs.
