Abu Dhabi: With a total of 76 candidates running, the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce (ADCC) elections to pick members for its board of directors are set to take place on Thursday at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Al Khabaisi Area in Al Ain, and the Western Region.

Of the 76 candidates, 13 Emirati board members will be elected by the national members of the chamber, and two expatriate board members will be elected by the foreign members of the chamber. The board will also include six members who will be selected by the government.

The board of directors is responsible for implementing strategies and long-term plans to help companies in the private sector through easing any problems that a company faces. The board also works on bridging the gap between the public and private sector.

If a quorum of 25 per cent of the voters for the elections is not fulfilled, there will be a second round of elections on June 26 at the same venues. The second round of voting shall be deemed valid regardless of the number of attendees.

One of the candidates, Reed Al Daheri, who is running for the first time, said her goals are centred on supporting women, and youth.

“If I join the board of directors, my focus will be on supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and especially those by young entrepreneurs and women. We need to spread awareness on how to help women because lots of women have money but don’t know how to invest it,” she said.

As part of the Abu Dhabi Business Women Council, Al Daheri has already put forward an initiative that helps women start a business from home. The initiative eases the process of getting a business license, and has seen success stories of women who now run their business on a global scale.

Discussing her strategy to help the youth, Al Dhaheri said she will work with universities to implement a training program that helps graduates better immerse themselves in the private sector.

“The programmes currently implemented at universities last for only a couple of months, which are not enough. There needs to be training from freshman year until graduation. I think the problem we have as Emiratis is that our graduates worry about working in the private sector; they prefer a secure job with the government,” the candidate said.

To further support SMEs, Al Dhaheri said she will work with banks to reduce interest rates on loans to small- and medium-business owners.

Competing against her, Sanad Al Miqbali also aims to develop the SME sector. Al Miqbali who is running for the first time, has focused his election programme on improving communication between businesses and government sector, and promoting Abu Dhabi as a trade and economic power.

Additionally, Al Miqbali will focus on training graduates to increase resettlement in the private sector; and activating the role of women in economic development.

Another candidate who is running for the third time is Yousuf Ali M.A, managing director of Lulu Group. Having won and served on the chamber’s board during the past two terms, Yousuf Ali hopes his experience in trade and retail will help showcase Abu Dhabi as a business-friendly and investment-friendly city to the world.

Speaking to Gulf News, Yousuf Ali said he will also focus on inflation in the emirate.

“As a retailer, [I] will work with all the other retailers and businesses in the industry as well as the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development to bring measures to control inflation,” he said.

Yousuf Ali added, “[I] will also work with the local business community to achieve the Abu Dhabi 2030 Vision, and bring collaborating in the retail industry further by bringing in international players and local players to improve business.”