GCC Board Gender Diversity sees steady growth since 2024, Report reveals

Zawya

29-04-2025

The index shows double-digit growth in every country since 2024, with female representation on boards now at 6.8% across the GCC.
The UAE leads the region with board gender diversity at 14.8% female representation.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Heriot-Watt University and Aurora50 have today released the 'GCC Board Gender Index Report 2025', marking the second edition of this landmark publication. Following the inaugural 'GCC Board Gender Index Report 2024', this year's edition continues to provide an in-depth analysis of women's representation on the boards of publicly listed companies in the GCC. As the only cross-GCC report of its kind, it represents a comprehensive data set that has been published collating information from across the region.
The data is collected annually and published in April each year. This resource supports researchers in identifying trends, challenges and opportunities to enhance gender diversity in boardrooms while highlighting the region's collective progress toward more inclusive and diverse corporate leadership.
Key findings from this report are as follows:
As of January 2025, women's board representation in the GCC increased to 6.8%, up from 5.2% in 2024.
The representation of women on the boards of publicly listed companies has grown in each GCC country year on year since 2024.
The UAE is the leader in female representation with 14.8% of board seats held by women, up from 10.8% in 2024 (a 37% increase).
Since 2024, Bahrain has surpassed Oman as the GCC country with the second-highest percentage of women on boards.
Country-wise, the percentage of board positions held by women at publicly listed companies across the GCC is as follows:
UAE: 14.8% (185 of 1,248 seats)
Bahrain: 8.5% (30 of 353 seats)
Oman: 6.6% (56 of 849 seats)
Kuwait: 5.5% (52 of 946 seats)
Saudi Arabia: 2.9% (53 of 1,809 seats)
Qatar: 2.8% (13 of 459 seats)
As of January 2025, women held 379 (6.8%) of the 5,535 board seats in 729 publicly listed companies across the GCC, signalling continued progress toward inclusive leadership. The UAE's significant growth from 2024 reflects a growing recognition among publicly listed companies of the importance of gender parity in boardrooms.
Commenting on the launch of the GCC Board Gender Index 2025, HH Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Director of Aurora50, said, "When Aurora50 launched in 2020 with its vision of gender parity on corporate boards, only 3.5% of UAE board seats were held by women. As we mark our fifth anniversary, it is promising to see that figure rise over fourfold (to 14.8%) and to almost 7% across the region, highlighting the impact of our collective efforts.
"Tracking this progress - as the GCC Board Gender Index does - is key to creating, and bolstering, a strong pipeline of female talent at every level. Our second report with Heriot-Watt University Dubai helps advance gender balance not just in the UAE, but across the GCC as a whole.
"In line with the vision of the UAE's leadership, Aurora50 is committed to paving clear paths for women to step into board positions, ensuring fundamentally diverse and balanced gender representation in our nation's organisations. This dramatic shift in just five years reaffirms the UAE's role as a global leader in gender balance."
Provost and Vice Principal of Heriot-Watt University Dubai, Professor Dame Heather McGregor, said, "Since moving to the UAE in 2022, I have continued my work in research into gender balance on public company boards, with a focus on the GCC region. As Heriot-Watt University celebrates its 20th anniversary in Dubai this year, we are proud to continue our collaboration with Aurora50 on this important work.
"The progress we are seeing is promising; year-on-year increase in women's board representation signals real momentum. Although there is a lot of work to be done, the UAE has shown significant progress, which is a key step towards gender parity on boards.
"Along with Aurora50, I am committed to tracking this shift and providing reliable data that supports further advancement. It is encouraging to see the region moving in the right direction, and I look forward to continuing this crucial work."
The GCC Board Gender Index Report 2025 can be accessed on the Heriot-Watt University Dubai website. Researchers at Heriot-Watt University and Aurora50 will update and publish it annually until at least 2027, and other DEI research projects are expected to progress in parallel. The development of a fully searchable database is underway. By releasing this data annually, Heriot-Watt University and Aurora50 seek to sustain the spotlight on the progress achieved and contribute to advancing meaningful change across the region.
About Heriot-Watt University Dubai
As the first British university to set up a campus in 2005, Heriot-Watt University Dubai has established itself as a pioneer in the higher education market in the UAE. The University's reputation for world-class teaching and practical, leading-edge research combined with its strong links to business and industry, has seen it attract a thriving population of undergraduate and postgraduate students. It offers an extensive range of programmes and disciplines, spanning postgraduate and undergraduate courses. Heriot-Watt graduates are highly employable and sought after by the best organisations worldwide, with over 90% in graduate level jobs or further study within six months of graduation.
About Aurora50
Aurora50 is a DEI impact agency that promotes inclusive workplaces and diverse leadership. Through the power of connection and community, Aurora50 is building a network of allies. Based in the Middle East, it steers corporations to an inclusive future. Aurora50 supports corporate clients in their DEI goals and sees their impact grow through the power of diversity.
Pathway / مسار is Aurora50's powerful 12-week board accelerator for busy executives: the boardroom launchpad for influential GCC women. It has been running since 2020; doors open to the next cohort in Q4 2025.