The document outlines the details of the Emirates Business Women Award, including its mission, objectives, criteria, categories, application process, and timeline. The award aims to recognize and celebrate the contributions of business and professional women in the UAE, while inspiring future generations. It has five criteria for evaluating applicants: leadership, future goals/financial performance, achievements, community contributions, and innovation. Applicants must demonstrate how they meet these criteria through evidence in their submissions. The award ceremony will be held in May 2008 to honor successful applicants.

1. Empowering Women
Shell Pecten without keyline
Usage: on white ground only

2. Creativity is like a butterfly.
Catch it and it dies.
Let it loose and it flies.
Emirates Business Women Award
Is all about creativity and innovation
The butterfly symbolises
The creative spirit that spurs
Women to scale greater heights
In the world of business.
The butterfly represents the beautiful feeling of
Success achieved through
Hard work and enterprise.
The award is a recognition for women with the dream and
determination to make it happen.
Empowering Women

3. H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum
President of Dubai Department of Civil Aviation
Chairman, Emirates Group
Patron of Dubai Quality Group
Marwan Al Sawaleh
Chairman,
Dubai Quality Group
Raoul Restucci
Executive Vice President
Middle East, Caspian &
South Asia
Country Chairman
Dubai & Northern Emirates

4. 4
Mission
Torecogniseandcelebratethecontributionofbusinessandprofessional
women in the UAE whilst inspiring the future generation of women to
achieve their full potential and maximise their contribution to UAE’s
economy.
Objectives
1- To recognise the role and contribution of women to the UAE Economy
and its future growth.
2- To honour the contribution of those who have excelled in their
field.
3- To inspire women to achieve their potential.
Potential benefits to applicants
1- Raised profile of applicants within UAE.
2- Raised profile of applicants’ business/profession within UAE.
3- Opportunities for developing business/professional contacts & networks.
4- Increased business activity, turnover & profits.
5- Enhanced career prospects.
6- Contribute to improving UAE’s economy, thereby improving the
business and professional environment in UAE.
7- Recognition as a leading business/professional woman in UAE.
8- Professional ‘one to one’ feedback.
Categories
The two categories of the award are:
- Business owners
- Professionals
Summary of application rules
For all applicants:
1- The applicant must be UAE national or an expat holding a valid
residence visa.
2- The applicant must not be working for or having any business

5. 5
association with any member of the judging committee and their
respective organisations.
3- The applicant must declare her willingness to share her experiences
with other women in the local community.
4- Entries must include the completed submission document (in
English/Arabic) which is included in this brochure. No further pages
should be added to the document.
5- Please note that the cross-referencing of evidence against the
performance criteria is encouraged.
For Business Owners:
1- The applicant must currently own a business located in UAE.
2- The business must have been in operation for a minimum of three
years.
3- The applicant must be primarily responsible for the current
performance of her business.
For Business Professionals:
1- The applicant may be employed in any professional sector.
2- The applicant must be employed in UAE and have worked in UAE for
a minimum of three years.
Criteria
In preparing her submission, each applicant must demonstrate how
her business/professional performance meets the Award criteria.
1- Evidence against ALL 5 criteria must be submitted.
2- Where evidence applies to more than one criterion it is acceptable
to cross reference. For example, patent applications may be
relevant to both Criterion 3, Business, Professional and Career
Achievements and Criterion 5 - Innovations.
Please note:
Assessors are looking for specific details as to how and why applicants
meet the criteria with evidence and results of their activities.

6. 6
Criterion 1 – Leadership
Performance Criteria - Generic:
1.1 The applicant develops the organisational structure and
management processes to reflect the values and achieve the
vision the organisation has identified, and models her behaviour
exemplifing those values.
1.2 The applicant demonstrates how the organisation and
management systems are designed to meet standards of best
practice in corporate governance1
.
1.3 The applicant demonstrates an ability to adapt her personal
style or business objectives to meet changing demands in the
environment2
and is persistent in pursuing these objectives.
1.4 The applicant demonstrates good practice in balancing
business/professional and personal commitments.
Performance Criteria – Business Women:
1.5 The applicant recognises and demonstrates an understanding of
the needs of her clients, suppliers and partner organisations.
1.6 The applicant formally and informally recognises the efforts of
her employees.
1.7 The applicant makes a significant contribution to the continuous
improvement of productivity within the business.
Performance Criteria – Professional Women:
1.8 The applicant recognises and demonstrates an understanding
of the needs of the organisation’s clients, patients or students,
colleagues and partner organisations.
1.9 The applicant formally and informally recognises the efforts of
her staff and colleagues within the organisation.
1.10 The applicant make a significant contribution to the continuous
improvement of productivity within the organisation.
1. ‘Corporate governance’ refers to:
• Accountability of organisations and their staff to external stakeholders (for example financiers,
shareholders, government, suppliers, clients, customers, patients, students).
• Internal accountability – the structure of delegated powers (including responsibility to and authority
from) in relation to the business owner, executive team or Board audit trails to support this
• Honesty and integrity in the management of finances and other resources, including personnel.
• Transparency of decision-making processes.
• Ethical practice in the management of the business or organisation.
2. ‘Changing demands in the environment’ includes changes to the market, legal framework or professional
standards.

7. 7
Criterion 2 – Future Goals and Financial Performance
Performance Criteria – Generic:
2.1 The applicant has long term (5 year) business or career policies
and strategies, including financial (this may include plans to
reduce losses as well as to increase profits) and non-financial
goals.
2.2 The applicant demonstrates how her strategies are expected to
achieve her desired results over the next 5 years.
Performance Criteria – Business Women:
2.3 The 5-year strategy shows how the applicant plans to:
2.3.1 review and improve her own skills and performance, and support
employees in achieving their own goals and objectives to ?
continuously improve the effectiveness of the business.
2.3.2 Encourage personal development amongst her employees.
2.3.3 Manage the human, financial and other resources of her
business/organisation, including establishing sound industrial
relations, in order to continuously improve delivery of services
or products.
2.4 The marketing plan demonstrates an understanding of the
applicant’s market, competitors and strategic advantage, and
shows how she plans to exploit market opportunities.
2.5 The financial strategy supports achievement of the applicant’s
business goals and is consistent with the marketing plan.
Performance Criteria – Professional Women:
2.6 The 5-year strategy shows how the applicant plans to:
2.6.1 Review and improve her own skills and performance, and
support staff and peers in achieving their own goals and
objectives to continuously improve the effectiveness of the
organisation
and professional practice.
2.6.2 Encoueage Personal development amongst her staff.
2.6.3 Manage the human, financial and other resources of the
organisation, including establishing sound industrial relations,
in order to continuously improve delivery of services.
Assessors expect applicants to have a structured plan.

8. 8
Criterion 3 – Business, Professional and Career
Achievements
Performance Criteria – Generic:
3.1 Financial results represent significant progress towards achieving
strategic objectives and planned performance over the past 3
years.
3.2 Non-financial results represent significant progress towards
achieving of strategic objectives and planned performance over the
past 3 years.
3.3 The applicant demonstrates evidence of:
3.3.1 personal development (e.g. participation in training or
educational activities)
3.3.2 contribution to the profession or sector
3.3.3 a willingness to take risks in order to develop her business or her
professional career.
3.3.4 commitment to and passion for her work/business
Performance Criteria – Business Women:
3.4 The applicant demonstrates significant business achievements.
3.5 Customer feedback is measured and used to improve the business’
strategy, policies and products or services.
3.6 The applicant demonstrates how she has personally contributed
to her business in the past 3 years.
Performance Criteria – Professional Women:
3.7 The applicant demonstrates significant professional
achievements
3
.
3.8 Client/patient/student feedback is measured and used to improve
professional strategy, policies and services.
3.9 The applicant demonstrates how she has personally contributed
to her profession in the past 3 years
4
.
3. Significant achievements may include awards, honorary degrees, patents, publications and
new technologies. Applicants need to show how their actions, behaviour or decisions have led
to improvements in the business/professional performance such as improved profits or raised
standards of service.
4. Applicants need to demonstrate how they have achieved their goals through a three-year plan.

9. 9
Criterion 4 – Community Contributions and Participation
Performance Criteria – Generic:
4.1 The applicant shows how she has implemented ethical standards
in social responsibility.
4.2 The applicant shows her contribution to the community with
voluntary, unpaid work and activities.
Performance Criteria – Business Women:
4.3 The applicant demonstrates how her business is significantly and
effectively involved in community activities
5
.
4.4 The applicant shows how her business has implemented good
environmental practices
6
, and shown respect for the environment.
4.5 The business employs a number of Nationals.
4.6 The applicant demonstrates how the business balances financial
and social responsibilities.
Performance Criteria – Professional Women:
4.7 The applicant demonstrates how she has been significantly and
effectively involved in community activities
5
.
4.8 The applicant show how she has implemented good environmental
practices
6
within her sphere of responsibility, and shown respect for
the environment.
4.9 The applicant demonstrates how she manages financial and ethical
standards within her sphere of responsibility.
5. “Involvement in community activities” may include personal voluntary work, financial or non-
financial support for activities such as education and training, medical and welfare provision, sport
and leisure.
6. “Good environmental practices” may include recycling, reducing harmful emissions, reducing
waste and packaging and improving energy efficiency.

10. 10
Criterion 5 – Innovation
Innovation is doing something that no-one has done before. Innovators
solve identified problems in their field, meet stakeholder needs in new
ways, improve business/organisational performance or improve the
quality of service to stakeholders. Innovation is a new idea, technology,
system or process, or body of knowledge.
Performance Criteria – Generic:
5.1 The applicant describes the innovation.
5.2 The applicant demonstrates how the innovation represents a new
idea and breaks the conventional practice, rather than a marginal
improvement to product, service or process.
5.3 The applicant demonstrates how innovations are harnessed and
deployed.
5.4 The applicant demonstrates how she brought or intends to bring
the innovation into practical use
7
.
Performance Criteria – Business Women:
5.5 The applicant demonstrates and promotes a culture which supports
innovation and creativity within their business.
5.6 The applicant describes:
5.6.1 how the innovation solved a problem in her field, met new
customer needs or better met existing needs.
5.6.2 The innovation’s impact on her business
8
.
5.6.3 The innovation’s impact on her clients
9
.
5.7 The applicant demonstrates how her business promotes and
rewards innovation amongst her employees.
Performance Criteria – Professional Women:
5.8 The applicant describes:
5.8.1 How the innovation solved a problem in her field, met new client,
patient or student needs or better met existing needs.
5.8.2 The innovation’s impact on her professional performance
8
.
5.8.3 The innovation’s impact on her clients, patients or students
9
.
7. Innovation can be put into practice through commercial production, copyright of materials or making
changes in business practices.
8. Impact of innovation on businesses or professions involve sales, revenues, access to regional markets,
increase in the number of clients or patients to be received or treated as well as changes in communication
methods.
9. Impact of Innovation on clients, patients or students may involve improvement in different fields such as
raising standards of living, improvement of client’s experience, improvement of patient care and promotion
of education abilities.

11. 11
Conditions
for the Emirates Business Women Award:
1. For both the categories, professional and business owner, the
applicant should have stayed in business/employment for a
minimum of 3 years.
2. All applications must be submitted with an official entry form. Once
received, no application will be returned unless specifically
requested by the applicant.
3. The applicant must also attach with the application form, a current
resume detailing professional history in not more than one page.
4. The organisers will not be responsible for applications, which may
be damaged, lost or mislaid in the post or otherwise. Upon receipt
of the application form by the EBWA Office - Dubai Quality Group,
you will receive further updates about the award.
5. The decision of the judges in relation to the selection procedure and
process shall be deemed final. The organisers will not be obliged to
justify their decision or enter into any correspondence.
6. Any information submitted by the applicants shall be treated as
confidential.
7. Any applicant for the award must be prepared to receive media
coverage and this should be accepted as a condition of entry.
8. Finalists in all categories are expected to attend the award
ceremony as and when the date is decided upon, as guests of the
organisers.
9. All applicants need to support their application by providing the
name and contact details of 6 referees. Please indicate how best
each referee supports the application, e.g. “key customer/
stakeholder who benefited from an improvement programme for
which I am responsible.”
For Business Owners: 6 Referees - 3 Customers and 3 Stakeholders.
For Professionals: 6 Referees - 2 Senior Managers, 2 Colleagues and 2
Stakeholders.
10. The assessors committee shall have the right to verify the
information provided in application forms, if required.

12. 12
11. Submission of an application form indicates acceptance of the
Conditions of Entry. Failure to comply may result in
disqualification.
12. All applicants must provide the application form, submission
document and resume. Applicants in the business owner category
must also provide their respective trade licence.
13. Applicants will receive formal feedback.
14. EBWA Office has the sole copyright to the EBWA Logo. Any misuse of
the logo by any applicants shall call for disqualification and
subsequent legal action.
All applications must be forwarded to the following address:
Emirates Business Women Award Office
P.O.Box: 9278, Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 4 343 1950
Fax: +971 4 343 1970
Email: fatma@dqg.org
Award Timeline:
1- Award announcement: 7th
January 2008
2- Series of workshops throughout UAE: January – March 2008
3- Deadline for applications: 3rd
April 2008
4- Moderation panel to draw up shortlists: April 2008
5- Site visits to shortlisted applicants: April/May 2008
6- Final assessment jury: May 2008
7- Award Ceremony: May 2008