Inspirational Emirati Women

On International Women's Day (IWD), marked annually on March 8th, the world celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, and the stories of Emirati women are no exception. UAE has consistently empowered women to lead in the Middle East, which is why several women have gained so much influence on their ground.

Indeed, UAE was ranked number one across Arab nations, as the most gender-equal country, in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2022.

Here are some of the most inspirational women from UAE:

HE Noura Al Kaabi

Noura Bint Mohammed Al Kaabi is a prominent Emirati politician and businesswoman. She is the Minister of Culture and Youth in the UAE, a position she has held since 2017. she was the minister of state for the federal government's national council affairs. Al Kaabi also serves as President of Zayed University, and Chair of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.

Aisha Al-Mansoori

Al-Mansoori became the UAE's first female commercial captain in August 2022 and the first female captain to fly for Etihad Airways. She joined the UAE's national airline about 16 years ago. She took inspiration from her sister, Major Mariam Al Mansouri, the UAE's first female fighter pilot.

Mariam Al-Mansouri

Mariam Al-Mansouri always strived to become a pilot for her country's military. She became the first female fighter pilot in the UAE, and was one of the first women to join the UAE Air Force (UAEAF) academy. After graduating in 2007, she has served her country well on F-16 fighting falcon. 

Dr. Mona Kashwani

In June 2022, Kashwani, specialist in obstetrics & gynaecology at Al Qassimi Women and Children's Hospital became the first Emirati physician to perform robotic surgery in UAE. She performed the robotic surgery using the advanced Da Vinci system, the first safe and effective surgical robot recognized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She graduated from London's Queen Mary University in 2005.

Hana Al Rostamani

Hana Al Rostamani is the group CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank. She was the first female CEO of FAB in 2021. The bank is the biggest in the United Arab Emirates, with $312.4 billion in total assets as of September 2022. Al Rostamani also serves as the head of the Global Council on Sustainable Development Goals and is on the boards of the Institute of International Finance and MasterCard Advisory. Al Rostamani is one of 15 Emiratis in Forbes Middle East's most powerful businesswomen for 2023.

Nayla Al-Khaja

Al Khaja is the first female film writer, director, and producer in UAE. She has directed a lot of movies and won several international awards and film festivals. Al Khaja was awarded the title of Best Emirati Filmmaker during the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) 2007. She is the CEO of Nayla Al Khaja Films, and is also founder of The Scene Club, Dubai's first film club, launched in 2007.

Nora Al Matrooshi

Al Matrooshi is the first Arab female astronaut. She was chosen from over 4,000 candidates to be trained for future space exploration missions. She is on the path to become the 66th woman to go to space. Al Matrooshi received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the United Arab Emirates University in 2015.