What is Ouissal?

The program selects women entrepreneurs from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Germany, who work together in groups over the course of a year on the implementation of the mentee’s business plan or further business and career development.

Throughout the year, participants take part in in-person workshops at the kick-off meetings, join regular online group mentoring sessions, and attend targeted online trainings on key topics such as sustainability, digitalization, finance, marketing, and more.
In addition, they expand their regional and international network through networking events such as the German-Arab Women’s Forum in Berlin.

New This Year: Group Mentoring!
Unlike previous editions with 1-on-1 mentoring format, this year we are introducing a brand new group mentoring format. 3 mentees will be carefully matched with 1 mentor and will work together over the course of a year to improve the mentee’s business plan. This format not only allows mentees to benefit from the mentor’s expertise but also to learn from each other’s experiences, challenges, and solutions, creating a richer, more dynamic learning environment

Learn more about OUISSAL

Program Schedule

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APPLICATION DEADLINE

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September 30th, 2025

(Announcement of admission:
mid of October)

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KICK-OFF MEETINGS

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Morocco: 27-31 October 2025
Jordan: 12-16 January 2026 
Egypt: 9-13 February 2026 

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VIRTUAL
MENTORING PHASE

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March to August 2026

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GERMAN - ARAB WOMEN’S FORUM

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October 2026


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Previous Kick-Off Meetings 2023/24

Testimonals

 

 

Euro-Mediterranean-Arab Association (EMA)

The EMA is a regional association for German businesspeople and entrepreneurs engaged in fostering cooperation and international understanding between Germany, Europe, and the Mediterranean and Middle East region. It connects economic, political, and academic decision-makers and multipliers from a variety of countries and sectors. This makes the EMA an excellent platform for mutual exchange that has proven to be an independent and reliable interlocutor for the region.

The EMA is committed to creating socially and environmentally sustainable structures and perspectives. Together with its partners, the EMA stands for corporate social responsibility (CSR), the advancement of women, and economic development cooperation. You can read more about EMA’s ethics here.

An initiative by

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Agency for Business & Economic Development (AWE)

The Agency for Business & Economic Development (AWE) has been commissioned by Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to advise German and European companies on the support and funding opportunities available through German development cooperation. In addition to providing tailored advice through its sector experts, AWE facilitates contacts with key network partners.

For more information see www.wirtschaft-entwicklung.de/en.

in collaboration with

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