A new index will track the number of women on the boards of publicly listed companies across the region. The Arabian Gulf chapter of Women Corporate Directors will partner with the Dubai-based Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance to produce the measure. The index will help to identify organisations committed to promoting women to top executive and boardroom positions as well as gaps in corporate representation. Currently, only 1.5 per cent of board seats in the GCC are held by women. In December, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, had announced that it would become compulsory for every government company in the UAE to have a female board member.