Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – As part of its commitment to empowering women and championing female entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia and the wider region, Mastercard has announced the launch of the second season of its award-winning podcast series ‘Her Voice’.

Building on the success of the first season, ‘Her Voice’ Season Two will profile a diverse range of inspiring Saudi female pioneers, innovators, and business leaders, spotlighting their groundbreaking achievements and amplifying their unique, compelling stories.

To further extend the value to SMEs across the Kingdom, Mastercard partnered with SAB to offer an outstanding female entrepreneur the opportunity to be featured in the final episode of the season.

The winner will be chosen by Mastercard and SAB as the exclusive issuer for the nomination round, starting from May 17th.  In addition to appearing on the podcast, the winner will receive a grant worth USD 30,000 to develop and scale her business. Meanwhile, the top 15 nominees will get to attend an SME masterclass co-hosted by the two partners.

“At SAB, we realize the pivotal role of the banking sector in enabling SMEs to take their business to new heights. From facilitating access to financing to providing capacity-building opportunities, we are here to support them every step of the way. We are delighted to join forces with Mastercard to help build the next generation of future female entrepreneurs in the region,” said Yasser Al-Barrak, Chief Executive Officer of Corporate and Institutional Banking SAB.

“As a company that works to build an inclusive digital economy, we are passionate about women’s empowerment. By charting the journeys of incredible female pioneers across various fields, ‘Her Voice’ aims to motivate women in Saudi Arabia and beyond to realize their full potential. Our audiences that have come to love the podcast in its first season are in for a treat. We are launching a new video format, introducing an interactive and competitive element, and offering added value to women-led small businesses in the form of an SME grant and masterclass in partnership with SAB,” Maria Medvedeva, Country Business Manager, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Mastercard.

Set to premiere on May 21st, this season will switch to a video format and focus on designing a better world for everyone. In line with Mastercard’s efforts to connect people to their passions, each episode will explore a different passion point. The guests will chronicle their journeys in their own voices in conversation with the host, the trailblazing broadcaster Weam Al Dakheel – the first female anchor to present an evening news program on Saudi TV’s Channel 1.

Mastercard has pledged to bring 25 million women entrepreneurs worldwide into the digital economy by 2025, connecting them to the digital tools, training, insights and solutions that will empower their business. Mastercard has also partnered with Women Choice to launch the Social Innovation Incubator (SII) For Women’s Employment. The program will help create one million jobs for women across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), supporting inclusive economic growth in the region.

Tune into the Her Voice season two: https://www.priceless.com/hervoice2

Additional Quotes:

“Sharing stories is one of the key factors of success. Drawing on my own experience and being in a position where I had to push boundaries in the racing world, I believe it is important to create platforms for women to share their stories and be a source of inspiration to the future generations. Mastercard ‘Her Voice’ is a great example of such a platform, highlighting the importance of spreading such a message, rallying the next generation of female leaders to be relentless in the pursuit of their goals,” said Aseel Al-Hamad, Saudi Arabian interior designer engineer and motorsport enthusiast.

“There is an accelerating push to drive innovation, Entrepreneurship and transformation of economies across the region. Vision 2030 is a great testament to that with the aim to spur this change designing opportunities and empowering women to realize their full potential. I am very pleased to be joining Mastercard Her Voice season two’s lineup of guests to underline this message: a call-to-action that should resonate with all, one that emphasizes that women – as leaders, innovators and changemakers – are key to unlocking Saudi Arabia’s potential,” said Amal Dokhan – General Partner at 500 Global MENA, Member of the Cranfield University Saudi Advisory Board and the King Abdulaziz University Female Advisory Board

“The Kingdom is undergoing a transformative change. Women are playing a leading role in sparking this change, with countless female creatives contributing to the growth and development through cultural impact. I am delighted to share my creative journey on Mastercard’s “Her Voice” podcast, raising greater awareness of female creative leadership in the Kingdom.” said Lujain Abulfaraj founder of Akwan, co-founder and cofounder of Twothirds Design Studio.

“Saudi Arabia has made tremendous strides to realize its potential as a modern society, thriving economy and hub of innovation. Women, from all around the Kingdom, have guided the country forward, steering it to success on its journey of transformation. ‘Her Voice’ tells the inspiring stories of these women. It truly is an honor to be partnering with Mastercard to serve as the host of ‘Her Voice’ season two. I look forward to sharing the brilliant insights of these incredible women with the rest of the world.,” said Weam Al Dakheel, Saudi news presenter and the Board member of the Saudi media association.

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About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)  www.mastercard.com

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.