WE Convention 2025 Goes "All In" With Over 2,500 Attendees Gathering In Dubai To Celebrate Women Shaping Tomorrow

Dubai hosted the third edition of the Women's Empowerment Convention (WE Convention) at Atlantis The Royal from November 1–2, 2025, bringing together more than 2,500 participants and over 100 prominent speakers from more than 100 countries. 

Organized by the WE Council, the event, which was held under the theme “All In: Career, Money, and Life,” focused on financial independence and how women are reshaping definitions of success globally. It united representatives from the UAE and the wider Middle East, as well as the UK, the US, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the European Union.

The two-day program featured 24 keynote sessions, 14 roundtables with industry leaders, six workshops, four professional meetups, and 42 mentorship meetings, with discussions exploring women’s evolving roles in business, global brand-building, innovation, the creative economy, and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in entrepreneurship. 

In a statement, Mila Semeshkina, founder of the WE Convention, said, “This year’s WE Convention has exceeded every expectation—in scale, impact, and spirit. We have grown not only in numbers but in the depth of dialogue, the excellence of our speakers, and the engagement from our global audience. Our voice is now heard by over a billion women worldwide. Each year, the WE community becomes stronger, more ambitious, and more united in shaping the future of women’s leadership.” 

Dame Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer at Condé Nast and Global Editorial Director of Vogue, in conversation with WE Convention founder Mila Semeshkina. 

Among the event's keynote speakers was Dame Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer at Condé Nast and Global Editorial Director of Vogue, who spoke on leadership, resilience, and the challenges women continue to face. “Of course, the glass ceiling still exists for women," Wintour said. "And we just have to keep knocking on the glass and we will get there. We have to use our voices and our platforms. We have to stand up for what we believe in."

Another notable speaker at this year's WE Convention was Candace Bushnell, author and creator of Sex and the City, who shared her reflections on career and life. “The most important thing is being independent and making your own money,” she said. “Always have some part of yourself you can rely on. My one piece of advice to young women would be simple: focus on building your confidence and independence. Financial empowerment gives women freedom, security, and choice.”

HE Ohoud Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, the UAE.

Government and business figures in attendance included HE Ohood Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, HE Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Dr. Maky Zanganeh, co-CEO and President of Summit Therapeutics, Amira Sajwani, Managing Director of Sales and Development at DAMAC Properties, Mary Gukasyan, Managing Director of Kraft Heinz Middle East and Africa, Mirna Arif, General Manager for Middle East and Africa Growth Markets, Alina Nazarova, Director of Premium and Private Banking at Alfa-Bank, Nisha Jagtiani, Group Director of Landmark Group, and Tina Ghafurian, Chief Operating Officer at Omorfia Group. The lineup also featured Olympic champion and International Olympic Committee Vice President, Nawal El Moutawakel, Grand Slam winner and designer, Svetlana Kuznetsova, entrepreneur Joelle Mardinian, and Angela Orlov, co-founder and Head of Design at ORLOV Jewelry. 

WE Convention 2025 was staged with the support of partners like ORLOV Jewelry, Eywa by R.Evolution, the international educational platform Lectera.com, Kraft Heinz, Omorfia Group, META, LinkedIn, Oracle, Migems Dubai, La Biosthétique, OKX, Shiseido, Philip Morris International, Aeon & Trisl, AM Wealth, LITT, LETOILE, Keto Kartel, Divinom, Milena Aesthetic Clinic, Privé7 Dubai, the female factor, and Women in AI. Inc. Arabia was a Media Partner for the WE Convention 2025. 

All images courtesy WE Convention.