(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

At 7‭ ‬am‭, ‬the gates to Al Bateen Ladies Beach Club in Abu Dhabi open‭. ‬Women trickle in with their iced matcha lattes and woven beach bags for as little as Dh25‭ ‬on weekdays or Dh40‭ ‬on weekends‭. ‬Veiled women get a stretch of sea to themselves without cameras or men‭; ‬just sunlight‭, ‬chatter‭, ‬and the sound of kids playing in the shallows‭.‬

Across the UAE‭, ‬municipalities are expanding women-only beaches to meet cultural and religious preferences for privacy and modesty‭. ‬From Abu Dhabi to Sharjah‭, ‬these government-supported spaces make leisure accessible without compromise‭. ‬They're affordable‭, ‬family-friendly and aligned with local values‭. ‬They're also becoming business hubs in their own right‭, ‬drawing vendors‭, ‬wellness operators‭, ‬and local brands that see opportunity in‭ ‬serving a growing‭, ‬loyal customer base‭.‬

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That demand for privacy and community is spilling into new sectors‭. ‬Across the Gulf‭, ‬women-only and women-first spaces are emerging as a wider pocket of opportunity that extends far beyond leisure‭. ‬Brands are already testing this logic‭: ‬Kintsugi Space in Abu Dhabi launched as a women-only wellness members club‭, ‬Fitness First opened women-only gyms across Saudi Arabia‭, ‬and The Lana‭ ‬by Dorchester Collection introduced an exclusive ladies-only spa day‭, ‬with privacy packaged as‭ ‬“prestige”‭.‬

Women boost the economy‭ ‬

What's long been true in retail‭, ‬especially fashion and beauty‭, ‬is now taking shape across travel‭, ‬wellness‭, ‬and entertainment‭. ‬From‭ ‬the Dana Beach Club in Saudi Arabia to the ladies-only Talise Spa in Jumeirah‭, ‬women-first experiences are evolving from social‭ ‬experiments into serious business‭. ‬Developers‭, ‬brands and event organisers are discovering what female audiences have quietly known for years‭: ‬when spaces are designed for women‭, ‬they fill up and they stay booked‭.‬

The same demand that fills beach clubs on a Saturday is now driving entire entertainment calendars‭. ‬Platinumlist‭, ‬one of the region's largest ticketing and entertainment platforms‭, ‬says women now make up 43‭ ‬per cent of all ticket purchases‭, ‬up from less than 20‭ ‬per cent two years ago‭. ‬That growth is visible across the calendar‭. ‬In Riyadh‭, ‬the Creative Women Forum brings together businesspersons and entrepreneurs‭ ‬for panels and networking sessions‭. ‬In Dubai‭, ‬the Women Convention Forum combines workshops and wellness programming that attract attendees from across the Gulf‭. ‬Even fitness events like Les Mills Live Riyadh are seeing more women participate‭. ‬What began as niche gatherings has become a steady stream that now anchor parts of the Gulf's women-only economy‭.‬

The lifestyle surge

That growth is driving a wave of new programming built around women's interests and independence‭, ‬from fitness festivals in Riyadh to professional forums in Dubai‭. ‬“The whole region is seeing a surge in companies built around female-led travel‭,‬”‭ ‬said Cosmin Ivan‭, ‬CEO of Platinumlist‭. ‬Globally‭, ‬women now account for more than half of all solo travel‭, ‬according to Grand View Research‭, ‬and the women-only segment is forecast to triple by 2033‭ ‬as demand for privacy‭, ‬safety‭, ‬and autonomy grows‭. ‬According to Ivan‭, ‬the Gulf is becoming a natural testing ground for this shift‭. ‬Legal reforms‭, ‬infrastructure investment‭, ‬and a new class of independent female professionals are driving regional demand‭. ‬“We believe the women-first leisure segment is already showing signs of becoming a self-sustaining vertical in the Gulf‭,‬”‭ ‬he said‭. ‬“You can see it in the data and in the way organisers are building programmes specifically around women's interests‭.‬”

The trajectory of the Gulf's women-first economy mirrors the region's wider push to diversify‭ ‬-‭ ‬fast‭, ‬data-driven and unapologetically commercial‭. ‬Reports suggest that women-first travel and leisure businesses in the region‭ ‬have expanded by more than 230‭ ‬per cent in recent years‭, ‬fueled by the rise of specialised tour operators‭, ‬fitness retreats‭, ‬and networking events‭. ‬“Organisers and partners are starting to recognise this category as commercially viable‭,‬”‭ ‬Ivan said‭, ‬“It's no longer a niche‭; ‬it's a defined audience with real economic weight‭.‬”

A tailored approach‭ ‬

According to Afnan Bin Khulaif‭, ‬Platinumlist's Customer‭ & ‬Service Support Manager in the GCC‭, ‬the platform's growing female user base is reshaping how it communicates and markets events‭. ‬“We run constant experiments to understand what works best for different audiences‭, ‬from tone of voice and visuals to placement and messaging‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭.‬

That means moving away from one-size-fits-all campaigns towards tailored communication that prioritises comfort‭, ‬privacy‭, ‬and values that resonate with women in the region‭. ‬“For women-only events‭, ‬we make sure that our messaging reflects a sense of safety and belonging‭,‬”‭ ‬Bin Khulaif added‭.‬

Behind that language is data-driven strategy‭. ‬Platinumlist has built tools to segment audiences by gender‭, ‬interest‭, ‬and location‭, ‬allowing organisers to target specific demographics more precisely‭. ‬In Saudi Arabia‭, ‬where gender-specific marketing requires‭ ‬extra care‭, ‬this precision helps ensure that the right message reaches the appropriate audience‭. ‬It's not just about promoting an event‭, ‬she explained‭. ‬It's about understanding how women engage‭, ‬which also includes how they discover and ultimately make purchases that impact these businesses‭.‬

The change isn't just about econom aics‭, ‬it's about mobility‭. ‬Since Saudi Arabia lifted travel restrictions on women in 2019‭, ‬more are getting passports‭, ‬planning trips‭, ‬and booking experiences independently‭. ‬The reform‭, ‬part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030‭ ‬agenda‭, ‬created a new kind of consumer‭: ‬women who are driving demand across the Gulf's leisure and tourism industries‭. ‬For platforms like Platinumlist‭, ‬that independence has become both a social shift and a business opportunity‭.‬

Travel blogs like Against the Compass and Explore Worldwide now highlight both Saudi Arabia and the UAE as safe‭, ‬practical destinations for solo female travelers‭, ‬challenging old stereotypes and offering clear guidance on how to explore the Gulf with confidence‭. ‬Globally‭, ‬the female solo travel market was valued at‭ $‬262.6‭ ‬million‭ (‬Dh2.4‭ ‬billion‭) ‬in 2024‭, ‬according to Grand View Horizon‭; ‬it is projected to grow nearly 15‭ ‬per cent annually through 2030‭. ‬In Saudi Arabia alone‭, ‬the tourism authority said women‭ ‬made up 44‭ ‬per cent of all visitors last year which is a sign of how legal reform and cultural openness are redefining who travels‭, ‬and who spends‭, ‬across the region‭.‬

As regional GCC and larger tourism opens up‭, ‬the lines between leisure‭, ‬travel and lifestyle are blurring‭. ‬For many women‭, ‬a weekend trip to Dubai or Jeddah now includes business meetups‭, ‬fitness sessions and curated retail‭, ‬proof that female mobility is becoming cultural and commercial currency‭.‬

Bin Khulaif added that the same transformation is visible in the UAE too‭, ‬where investments in infrastructure‭, ‬transport‭, ‬and women-only venues have made leisure more accessible and inclusive‭. ‬“Simultaneously‭, ‬growing investments in infrastructure and safety‭, ‬from women-only venues to better public spaces‭, ‬have made leisure more accessible‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭. ‬“What we're seeing is not just economic empowerment but cultural permission and personal agency‭, ‬the ability to decide‭, ‬book‭, ‬and attend‭ ‬on your own terms‭.‬”

Cross-border travel is becoming one of the clearest signs of women's growing mobility and spending power in the Gulf‭. ‬More women are booking tickets for concerts‭, ‬forums‭, ‬and lifestyle events beyond their home cities‭, ‬with Riyadh‭, ‬Dubai‭, ‬and Bahrain forming a new regional circuit‭. ‬“Our region is highly interconnected‭,‬”‭ ‬Bin Khulaif explained‭. ‬“For many large-scale events‭, ‬up to 60‭ ‬per cent of ticket sales come from outside the host country‭, ‬and on average‭, ‬cross-border‭ ‬purchases account for 15‭ ‬to 20‭ ‬per cent of total sales‭.‬”

Women-centric brand campaigns‭ ‬

That trend is especially visible among women seeking experiences designed for them‭, ‬from wellness retreats in Dubai to professional forums in Riyadh‭, ‬signaling a regional market that's as mobile as it is lucrative‭.‬

A big part of capturing this growing segment will come down to how brands communicate‭. ‬What was once treated as a corporate social responsibility exercise has become a full-fledged business strategy‭. ‬Vlada Lomova‭, ‬CEO of PRHub‭, ‬said companies are moving‭ ‬beyond token‭ ‬“empowerment”‭ ‬campaigns to build women-first messaging into the core of their branding‭. ‬“A few years ago‭, ‬campaigns aimed at women often fell under corporate responsibility‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭. ‬“Now‭, ‬we're moving away from vague empowerment language towards real value‭ ‬-‭ ‬community‭, ‬inclusion‭, ‬and experience‭.‬”

That evolution is‭ ‬visible in the boom of women-only ventures‭. ‬Hotels are rolling out exclusive wellness retreats‭, ‬fitness clubs‭ ‬and beach lounges are selling privacy as luxury‭, ‬and event organisers are building entire calendars around women-led forums‭, ‬retreats and expos‭. ‬For PR firms like Lomova's‭, ‬the task is no longer just about promoting these ventures‭, ‬but shaping the identity behind them‭, ‬crafting narratives that feel authentic to women's lives‭. ‬“The language that resonates now is conversational and grounded in real experience‭,‬”‭ ‬Lomova said‭. ‬“It's not about promising empowerment‭; ‬it's about showing relevance‭, ‬about how a product or experience fits into a woman's life‭.‬”‭ ‬A regional shift is already visible in campaigns across the Gulf‭. ‬In Saudi Arabia‭, ‬LuLu Group's women-only stores were promoted through community-driven messaging focused on privacy and ease‭, ‬while Dyson's Firsts campaign spotlighted Emirati women in STEM and entrepreneurship‭, ‬tying innovation to identity rather than aspiration‭. ‬“Instead of saying‭, ‬'You deserve this luxury‭,‬'‭ ‬the most effective campaigns say‭, ‬'Here's how this serves your goals‭,‬'”‭ ‬Lomova said‭.‬

To her‭, ‬the future of PR in the women-first economy will depend on credibility‭, ‬cultural fluency‭, ‬and a willingness to move beyond traditional marketing‭. ‬The brands finding real traction are those building trust through storytelling‭, ‬community‭, ‬and shared‭ ‬experience rather than top-down messaging‭. ‬“Take Huda Kattan from Huda Beauty‭,‬”‭ ‬Lomova said‭. ‬“She grew a global empire by speaking directly to her audience on social media‭, ‬making them feel part of her journey‭. ‬That kind of loyalty is something traditional advertising can rarely match‭.‬”

The role of technology‭ ‬

That same logic‭, ‬designing with intention‭, ‬is also guiding innovation in tech‭. ‬Access itself has become infrastructure‭, ‬and women's growing independence is changing how travel and mobility platforms build their systems‭.‬

One startup embracing the opportunity is Visarun‭, ‬a Dubai-based tech company that offers clients a platform that works to automate the visa application process for employees‭. ‬It uses AI to automate most of the visa process‭, ‬cutting through the red tape‭ ‬that often slows regional travel for entrepreneurs and professionals‭, ‬many of them women building cross-border lives and careers‭. ‬“The region is losing over‭ $‬500‭ ‬billion due to the underutilisation of women's potential‭,‬”‭ ‬its founder‭, ‬Alena Lakina‭, ‬said‭, ‬“The growing mobility of women in the region represents a new economic wave‭. ‬A class of independent‭, ‬mobile professionals is emerging‭, ‬shaping ecosystems for travel‭, ‬relocation‭, ‬and business‭.‬”

By making movement faster and simpler‭, ‬startups like Visarun are turning technology into infrastructure‭ ‬-‭ ‬the kind that enables participation‭, ‬not just travel‭. ‬It's another signal that women's mobility isn't a side effect of reform‭, ‬but a part of the Gulf's economic engine‭. ‬That same momentum is transforming how women build and where they do business‭. ‬The rise of women-only spaces‭ ‬has opened a new layer of opportunity‭. ‬What began as a response to cultural and religious preferences has evolved into a network‭ ‬of commercial ecosystems where women create‭, ‬invest‭, ‬and lead on their own terms‭.‬

Nikita Sachdev‭, ‬founder and CEO of Luna PR‭, ‬said what's unfolding across the Gulf is no longer niche‭. ‬“We're past the‭ ‬'niche'‭ ‬stage‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭. ‬“Women are not just participating in business‭, ‬they're leading industries that didn't even exist a decade ago‭. ‬In Web3‭, ‬fintech‭, ‬and media‭, ‬I've seen women build from the ground up with a mix of resilience and precision that's reshaping how leadership looks in this region‭. ‬It's not a‭ ‬'female movement'‭ ‬anymore‭, ‬but an economic one‭.‬”

Sachdev said women-led ventures‭, ‬including women-only spaces‭, ‬are driving a new kind of growth that blends profitability with purpose‭. ‬“What's unique about Dubai and the region in general is that it doesn't just empower women‭, ‬it gives them access to investors‭, ‬infrastructure‭, ‬and global visibility‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭. ‬“That creates a multiplier effect‭.‬”

Dubai's ecosystem also gives women the room to scale ideas‭. ‬“Dubai's greatest strength is that it rewards ambition‭, ‬not background‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭. ‬“The support for innovation makes it one of the few places where a woman can move from idea to execution quickly‭. ‬Add to that the‭ ‬safety‭, ‬inclusivity‭, ‬and international network‭, ‬and it's no surprise that women from every corner of the world are setting up here‭.‬”

Across the Gulf‭, ‬women-only ventures are now part of a wider play for growth‭. ‬What started as a private stretch of sand has grown into a regional movement‭, ‬one where women aren't just participating in the economy‭, ‬they're building it‭, ‬one beach‭, ‬one business‭, ‬and one idea at a time‭.‬

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