UAE women have sharply expanded their role in domestic development as they step up their push into the labour market, buoyed by recurrent statements by the country's leaders that they should play a more active role in the economy. From a minimal contribution when the UAE was created nearly 39 years ago, native women now constitute a key component of the country's workforce and their share is projected to swell further in the future.

From less than three per cent in early 1970s, the women's share of local jobs in the seven emirates surged to around five per cent in 1980 and continued to rise to reach 9.6 per cent in 1985, according to the UAE's Ministry of Economy.Their share further expanded to around 11.7 per cent in 1995 and 13.5 per cent in 2006. It stood at 13.6 per cent in 2007 and was expected to have exceeded 14 per cent in 2009, the Ministry said in a recent report.The ministry's data showed all emirates had made headway in the employment of women. Ras Al Khaimah had the highest female share of the labour force with 19 per cent, while Ajman had the lowest ratio of 11.5 per cent. At the end of 2008, nearly 2.74 million were employed.

Experts said the steady rise of the number of women joining the labour market was one of the main reasons for the high unemployment among male nationals.A breakdown showed the women's share of the labour force stood at 15.6 per cent in Abu Dhabi and 12.5 per cent in Dubai. Both emirates, the largest and wealthiest members of the UAE, had made substantial progress in providing jobs to women as their share was relatively low 25 years ago.A recent study about Saudi Arabia said the global crisis is expected to prompt GCC states to intensify plans to give women a greater role in the domestic economy with nationalisation programmes.