Geneva: The State of Qatar participated in the meeting of the Governing Board of the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy Fund (WEIDE Fund), held at the headquarters of the World Trade Organization in Geneva.
Representing the State of Qatar at the meeting was HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva Dr. Hend Abdulrahman Al-Muftah.
In her address during the meeting, the Permanent Representative congratulated the World Trade Organization, the International Trade Centre, and the Secretariat of the WEIDE Fund on the significant progress achieved this year, whether through the successful launch of the initiative in Nigeria and Mongolia, or through its upcoming activation in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Dominican Republic.
Her Excellency emphasized that the fund is creating real impact in the transformation journey of women entrepreneurs, who are now building digital businesses, exporting products, and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.
Her Excellency also affirmed that pioneering initiatives such as the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy Fund serve as a direct pathway to promoting inclusive trade, strengthening innovation ecosystems, and empowering women as a driving force for sustainable growth in developing economies.
She also praised the continued participation of Gulf partners, including the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain, noting that this reflects a spirit of cooperation and a shared regional commitment to empowering women through trade and technology. She expressed Qatar’s anticipation for more activities in the Middle East and North Africa under this framework.
She said that the State of Qatar remains a strong supporter of South-South partnerships by fostering knowledge exchange, innovation, and investment to unlock the potential of women. She noted that women’s economic empowerment and digital innovation are central to achieving the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 and to advancing the country’s international cooperation efforts.
Her Excellency welcomed discussions on regional cooperation, particularly with Arab economies seeking to expand women’s digital entrepreneurship, in the lead-up to the WTO’s fourteenth Ministerial Conference (MC14) next year. She proposed organizing joint events during the conference to highlight the region’s efforts toward inclusive trade.
She also indicated that Qatar can help support cooperation with private-sector entities and digital-economy platforms that share the WEIDE Fund’s mission. She reaffirmed the country’s commitment to working with all partners to ensure the fund’s increased impact and strengthened outcomes in supporting women exporters worldwide.
The meeting of the Governing Board of the WEIDE Fund comes amid the notable progress achieved by the initiative this year, supported by its founding donors, foremost among them the State of Qatar.
