In a Reuters story<,- Women in the Gulf hold about $40 billion (20 billion pounds) of the region's wealth and their earning power is on the rise, attracting a growing number of women-specific investment ventures.

United Arab Emirates investment firm Forsa is hoping to tap the largely overlooked market of wealthy Gulf Arab women with the launch of funds worth 250 million dirhams (34 million pounds) open to female investors only.

Forsa, set up by government-owned Dubai World in January, offers a 200 million dirham general fund and a 50 million dirham real estate fund which Shamsa Noor Ali Rashid, chief executive of the firm said had proved popular with Emirati women.

Forsa has also joined forces with Dubai firm The National Investor (TNI) to give women more access to investment products.