Saxo Bank reveals 139% growth in UAE-based female traders since 2016 … reports Asian Lite News.
Saxo Bank, the leading Fintech specialist focused on multi-asset trading and investment, has revealed its UAE-based female trader clients have increased by 139 per cent since December 2016, with women now constituting 10 per cent of all Saxo Bank-registered online traders in the UAE – up from eight per cent in December 2016.
Announcing the new data to mark the fourth Emirati Women’s Day, which is held annually on August 28 to celebrate the formation of the General Women’s Union on the same day in 1975, Steve Weller, CEO of MENA region for Saxo Bank, cited the UAE’s hosting of major global events – including last year’s Women’s Economic Empowerment Global Summit – as a chief enabler in empowering women across both the professional landscape and in taking charge of their personal investment strategies.
“The triple-digit percentage increase in UAE-based female traders using our online platforms reflects the success of several government-led initiatives to empower women,” said Weller. “A long-time regional trendsetter, the UAE is assuming a global leadership position in spearheading initiatives which facilitate women’s increasingly diverse place in the workforce, whether in public and private sector boardrooms, or in entrepreneurial roles driving multi-sector start-ups. Consequently, the country’s progressive policies are empowering women to take charge of their own financial futures.”
The increase in female traders is particularly poignant in the Year of Zayed, believes Weller. As the UAE marks 100 years since the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s birth, the country’s emphasis on education is evidenced in domestic university enrollment, where female students far outnumber males. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2016 Global Gender Gap report, 77 per cent of Emirati women enroll in tertiary education, while 70 per cent of all UAE university graduates are female.
“One in 10 of all Saxo Bank traders in the UAE are women and we see tremendous growth potential in this segment as more and more women take leading positions in the domestic workforce. Sheikh Zayed once exclaimed “the education of our people is a great wealth” and the UAE’s Founding Father would surely be very content with the knowledge-based economy emerging across the Emirates, where nine of 32 UAE Cabinet members are also now female,” added Weller.
As part its efforts to empower UAE-based women to pursue online trading, Saxo Bank has held exclusive events for female finance professionals through partnership with Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC) and others. Weller added that Saxo Bank plans to continue partnering with business organisations across the region to stage exclusive events and further enhance female involvement in the online trading sector.