Today marks eight years since Emirati’s Women’s Day was introduced by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF). Each year, August 28 is dedicated to celebrating and honoring the contributions and achievements of Emirati women to the nation’s ongoing developments in various fields, from business, the arts, to sports and constantly opening new pathways for women to excel in.
As we look at areas where traditionally only men dominated, here are five trailblazing women who have altered this outdated narrative, killing it in every field they conquer, and paving the way for the future. Here’s to women, within the UAE and beyond.
Amna Al Qubaisi
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Certainly changing the narrative, twenty-three-year-old Amna Al Qubaishi has not only become the first female F3 driver from the United Arab Emirates to compete internationally but also made history as the first Arab woman to win a Formula 4 race at the F1 Grand Prix in 2019 as well as the first to compete in a Formula E test in Saudi Arabia in 2018.
Aisha Al Mansoori
After working her way up from being a cadet pilot for Etihad airways to becoming the first female captain of a commercial airline in the UAE, Aisha Al Mansoori has etched her name in Emirati history. It was through the example of her eldest sister Major Mariam Al Mansoori, who became the UAE’s first female fighter pilot, that Al Mansoori was inspired to pursue her career as a pilot.
Nora Al Matrooshi
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Making her mark on the global space and undoubtedly becoming a part of the nation’s history. Nora Al Matrooshi was the first female Emirati astronaut when she was selected to train with the NASA Astronaut Group 23 to work as an international mission specialist. Keep your eyes peeled for the mechanical engineer-turned-space explorer as she may be blasting off into outer space as she is set to graduate from her training with NASA early next year.
Nayla Al Baloushi
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“There ain’t no mountain high enough” for Nayla Al Baloushi, who became the first Emirati woman to scale the earth’s highest mountain, Mount Everest in 2022. Undeterred by harsh elements and bone-chilling conditions, the mountaineer was inspired by her husband, Saeed Al Memari, who reached the summit twice.
Zahra Lari
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The Emirati athlete made history as the first figure skater to represent the UAE at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. It wasn’t her first time breaking records— Zahra Lari was also the first woman in history to compete in figure skating wearing a hijab during the 2012 European Cup in Canazei, Italy, where she was deducted a point for an “outfit violation.”
