Mona Ghanem Al Marri

While leading the Dubai Press Club, Mona Al Marri launched the Arab Media Forum (AMF), which was inaugurated in 2001. The event evolved into a prominent media platform attracting over 2000 participants every year. The forum brings together political leaders, academia and intellectuals to participate and lead discussions. As head of AMF's Organizing Committee, Mona Al Marri engages with key media figures, editors in chief, well known columnists and journalists from the region and internationally.

As President of the Dubai Press Club, Mona Al Marri launched the Arab Journalism Award in 1999 to celebrate achievements and excellence in journalism and honor distinguished journalists. The award is given each year by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum during the Arab Media Forum. It plays a role in motivating Arab media and encouraged Arab journalists to adopt innovation and creativity to develop their work.

In 2013, Mona Al Marri launched the Emirati Media Forum to focus on local media in the United Arab Emirates and serve as a platform for dialogue, similar to the Arab Media Forum. By focusing on local media, the forum provides a space to discover young talents and help them start careers in the media industry.

First cycle of Arab Social Media Influencers Summit was held in March 2015.[8] The event was designed to shed light on experiences and stories of Arab and international social media influencers through a variety of workshops and panels that focused on positive communication and how to best utilize social media platforms as vehicle to overcome social challenges. The forum also discussed the relationship between traditional and social media and their role in shaping the future of the region. In 2016, the Dubai Press Club was assigned to manage and organize the event.[9]

In 2012, she was appointed as Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office, a government entity responsible for managing the media affairs of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum the Crown Prince of Dubai and His Highness Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum the Deputy Ruler of Dubai; furthermore, the Office manages relationships and coordination between the Government of Dubai and local and international media.[2][3]

Following directives from Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Mona Al Marri established the Dubai Ladies Club in 2003.[11] The club offers fitness facilities, services, events and activities dedicated to nurturing the social, physical and cultural well-being of women. The club is for women only, and provides a private, safe and secure environment for women to engage in social activities. The club also works to inspire and empower women with new skills, and to promote a healthy lifestyle.

After her success in establishing the Dubai Ladies Club, and under supervision of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Mona took the responsibility for establishing and developing the Dubai Women Establishment. Currently, Al Marri is the Managing Director and Chairman of Board of Directors of Dubai Women Establishment. Soon, the establishment became of the most active organizations in the field of women empowerment in the region.

In 2006, DWE kicked off its activities targeting a number of strategic objectives. These objectives include developing the skills and capabilities of Emirati women and encouraging her to positively engage in professional and social activities. In this regard, the establishment launched many programs and initiatives and drafted recommendations that will help the government legislating policies that expand the domain of women engagement in Dubai's communities.

In recognition of her contributions in the field of women empowerment and support, Mona Al Marri was appointed as Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council in 2015. The UAE Gender Balance Council was established to reduce the gender gap across all government sectors in the country; enhance the UAE's ranking in global reports on gender equality; and promote gender balance in decision-making positions. The Council also aims to launch innovative initiatives and projects that contribute to greater gender balance, which will position the UAE as a model for gender balance and a benchmark for legislation.

While presiding over the Dubai Women Establishment, Mona Al Marri accomplished many achievements. Perhaps the most significant is the Global Women Forum Dubai 2016, held for the first time in MENA in collaboration with the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society, Deauville-France. The historic gathering garnered local, regional and international attention. It presented many characteristics that make Dubai and the UAE one of the world's fastest developing regions in innovation, education and governance. The gathering served Dubai's vision to be the epicentre of international conferences and in alignment with the UAE's strategy in empowering societies through women.

Global Women's Forum Dubai reflects the UAE leaderships’ keenness to elevate the status of UAE women and will favourably represent the character of the UAE and its citizens at a global level.