With the rise of entrepreneurship in the UAE as part as its long-term vision, Young Arab Leaders (YAL) and Darwinbox, Asia’s fastest growing HR Technology platform, were proud to host the annual YAL Ramadan Iftar in the presence of H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul, Minister of Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Ministry of Economy, UAE. The event served as an evening of celebration and thanksgiving for the YAL Exclusive Members Network, YAL Changemakers, Industry and Regional Experts, who have extended support and friendship to YAL throughout the years. The Iftar took place in the Ballroom at Address Fountain Views on Tuesday, 19th of April 2022.

H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul delivered a keynote speech to set context and explain how the UAE, a regional trade and commerce centre, is working toward becoming a global hub for entrepreneurs. He also shared the latest insights on the entrepreneurial scene in the UAE. The session was moderated by YAL Member and General Manager at Emaar, Fady El Borno, who also serves as a Board Advisor to Darwinbox. In a ballroom full of entrepreneurs and changemakers, H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul addressed several questions addressing various opportunities, challenges and changes in the entrepreneurial world in a post-covid era. Chaitanya Peddi, Co-Founder of Darwinbox, who was present at the Iftar shared his inspiring journey as an entrepreneur in scaling Darwinbox as the latest HR technology unicorn in the last 6 years.

Beyond the Iftar, the gathering also provided an opportunity for everyone to network and explore new ways of collaboration. YAL seeks to leverage the capabilities and expertise of its strong regional network of members in order to catalyse the entrepreneurial and professional development of the next generation of leaders in the Arab world through mentorship and educational initiatives. 

Chaitanya said, “We are proud to continue demonstrating our commitment to the Middle East. One of the things that sets us apart from other HR tech providers is our ability to understand the regional nuances and incorporate them into our product to ‘localize it to the regional context’ without losing the global appeal. A special occasion like the Ramadan Iftar allows us to understand these nuances better while helping us blend into the cultural fabric of the nation. Thank you YAL and the entire YAL community for accepting us wholeheartedly.” Watch the highlight video here.

About Darwinbox:

Darwinbox is Asia’s fastest-growing mobile-first, AI-powered HR technology platform. It enables enterprises to empower its workforce across the entire employee lifecycle (hire-to-retire) with a smarter, simpler and engaging experience.

Today, Darwinbox powers digital HR for 1.5 million+ employees in 90+ countries across 650+ global enterprises including leading brands such as Nivea, Starbucks, Dominos, Sephora, Adidas, AXA, Cigna, Noon, Lulu group among others.

Rated the highest globally among HR Tech players on Gartner, Darwinbox is a Unicorn backed by leading investors such as TCV, Salesforce, Sequoia, Lightspeed.