Women have made only a very small increase in their 7% of business leadership positions in the Gulf. The figures are published in Heriot-Watt University, Dubai and Aurora50’s ‘Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Board Gender Index Report 2026.’ Aurora 50 is an Emirates based social enterprise that aims to improve gender diversity on boards and senior management across the Gulf. It is the third edition of this comprehensive study of women’s representation on the boards of publicly listed Gulf companies, the only index of its kind.
The report found that at the beginning of the year women held 7% of the Gulf’s board positions up from 6.9% the year before – a 1.4% increase. However, the data points to sustained momentum in advancing gender diversity in boardrooms.
The index covers 759 of the Gulf’s publicly listed companies. It found that over the past year, the number of board seats has increased from 5,668 to 5,755, a 1.5% rise.
341 women now hold 403 board positions, up from 334 women and 390 seats in 2025. This reflects growth in both the number of women directors (2.1%) and board positions held (3.3%).. Some women hold more than one directorship, indicating a broader increase in representation and participation at the board level.
