To honour Emirati Women’s Day this August 28, Cosmo celebrates high-achieving, brave women who have made invaluable contributions to the UAE with passion, determination and drive.

1. Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum 

Much like her father, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikha Manal works tirelessly toward the prosperity and betterment of the UAE. As the President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and the Dubai Women Establishment, she has made great strides in improving the equality in the region through numerous impactful projects such as the launch of the HH Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award which has encouraged women to express themselves artistically. HH Sheikha Manal herself is an extremely talented artist. In 2004, she showcased her work for the first time in the UAE-held exhibition titled ‘Chromatic Encounters’.  Additionally, in 2005 UNICEF selected two of her paintings to be sold as greeting cards internationally, with proceeds from the sale benefitting underprivileged children. 

2. Sheikha Madiyah Al Sharqi 

The daughter of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Ruler of Fujairah, has become one of the leading fashion talents in the region and beyond. Sheikha Madiyah grew up surrounded by fine tailoring and luxury fabrics which sparked her interest in fashion design. After completing her education from ESMOD, she launched her eponymous label in 2012 and there has been no looking back. Her work has been praised worldwide and she was awarded Best Fashion Designer at the 2013 Arab Woman Awards. 

3. Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi 

The current Minister of Tolerance ranks 43 on Forbes magazine’s Women’s Power List. She previously held the position of the Minister of International Cooperation and Development, which she was appointed to in 2004. In addition to being the first ever female minister in the UAE, HE Sheikha Lubna also served as the President of Zayed University, was the first Emirati woman to receive the Clinton Global Citizen Award, developed the cargo system at Dubai Airport and found the Middle East’s first online marketplace — Tejari. She’s also a board member of The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and The Emirates Foundation for Youth Development.

4. Her Excellency Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy 

In 2016, HE Reem Al Hashimy was appointed the Minister of State for International Cooperation; she has been a Minister of State since February 2008.
A driving force behind Expo 2020 and the Director General and board representative on the higher committee, Her Excellency plays a pivotal role in developing UAE’s future strategy. She also serves as the chairperson of Dubai Cares and The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority.

5. Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi

The Chairwoman of the Media Zone Authority (Abu Dhabi and twofour54) and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, has said her primary goal is to promote creativity among the youth and build an economically sustainable and culturally rich media industry. Her Excellency also made history by being the first UAE National to be included in Foreign Policy magazine’s ‘Top 100 global thinkers’ in 2014. 

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6. Her Excellency Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi

When Her Excellency was elected the President of the Federal National Council, she became the first female leader of a national assembly in the UAE and the Arab world. An Architect by education, Her Excellency has also worked with UNESCO to preserve more than 350 historical sites in the UAE.

7. Taim Al Falasi

Having garnered more than two million followers on Instagram, 60 million views on her YouTube channel and a massive following on twitter, Taim is one of the region’s most impactful influencers. Her following is diverse, loyal and hangs on her every word. She launched her own online show titled The Taim Show where she played Khaliji style songs and ranks 33 on Arabian Business’s list of the 100 Most Powerful Arabs Under 40. 

8. Mariam al-Mansouri

Mariam broke all odds to become the first female fighter pilot in the UAE. The definitive fearless female, she has led UAE’s mission against ISIS in Syria and gone on to win several accolades; Mariam received the Mohammed bin Rashid Pride of the Emirates medal for her work in the army and Asia Society’s Game Changer Award at the United Nations Headquarters in 2015 for battling stereotypes and terror.

9. Dr Amina Al Rustamani

As the Group CEO of the TECOM Group, Dr Amina Al Rustamani is the driving force behind the development of the Dubai Design District. She was also named President of the new Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation in 2017 and serves as the chairperson of the Dubai Design and Fashion Council, board member of the National Media Council, Dubai Media Incorporated, Dubai Healthcare City Authority and Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation. It’s no wonder that she was ranked 13 in the list of 100 Most Powerful Arab Women by Arabian Business in 2015.

10. Zainab Mohammed

Ranked seventh in the 100 Most Powerful Arab Women list by Arabian Business, Zainab is the CEO of property developer, Wasl, and also serves on the board of Emaar Industries. She continues to command respect and make great strides in the UAE’s real estate sector, which is no mean feat in one of the most heavily male-dominated industries in the region.

11. Fatima Al Jaber

Since 2007, Fatima Al Jaber has served as the Group COO of the Al Jaber Group. In 2009 she was the first Emirati woman to be elected to the board of directors at the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce. She has also been ranked the 94th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes and the 19th Most Influential Arab in the World by Arabian Business. 

12. Majida Ali Rashid

The Assistant Director General of Dubai Land Department and head of Investment Management and Promotion Centre, Majida Al Rashid has played a pivotal role in growing the real estate sector and promoting the UAE as a premium investment destination. For her ground-breaking work, she has been named one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the Arab World by Arabian Business, and received the Emirates Women Award for excellence in strategic & financial planning in 2013.

13. Raja Easa Al Gurg

Dedicated to improving women’s rights, Raja Easa Al Gurg’s impressive list of titles include: Managing Director of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, board member of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, President of the Dubai Business Women’s Council, board member of the Dubai Women Association and member of the Dubai Government’s Economic Council and Arab International Women’s Forum. The avid philanthropist, who is involved in numerous social and charitable activities through Easa Saleh Al Gurg Charity Foundation and the Al Jalila Foundation, was also ranked 91 in The World’s Most Powerful Women by Forbes in 2015.

14. Salma Ali Saif Saeed Bin Hareb 

From June 2005 to July 20, 2015, Salma Hareb served as the CEO of Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority. She was the CEO of Jafza International and also the CEO of Economic Free Zones World until July 20, 2015. She was the first ever woman to hold this high a level of responsiblity at a free zone in the MENA region. Under her leadership, she not only transformed Jafza into one of the most customer-friendly organisations in the region, but also grew it tremendously. Mrs. Bin Hareb topped Forbes Arabia-2008 List of the ’50 Most Powerful Business Women’ for her unprecedented contribution to the dynamics of operating free zones. 

15. Hind Mezaina

This Emirati artist is a big promoter of the cultural heritage of the UAE. Through her website, theculturist.com, she brings awareness to the various cultural goings-on in the region, especially through art. Also a talented photographer, Hind has had several exhibitions both within the UAE and abroad, all to great acclaim.

16. Sumayyah Al Suwaidi

Hailed the first Emirati digital artist, Sumayyah is passionate about creating art from regular images to express emotion. She is a well-regarded curator, Grafika boutique owner, and fashion designer for her label Seen which she showcased at London Fashion Week in 2012. 

17. Nayla Al Khaja

One of the UAE’s first ever female filmmakers, Nayla started her career with a documentary titled Unveiling Dubai in 2005. Her successful career has included award-winning and nominated shorts at Dubai International Film Festival, Florence Middle East Film Festival and Abu Dhabi Film Festival. 

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18. Amal Mohammed Murad

Always athletically-inclined, after dabbling in several sports Amal found her true calling in Parkour. In fact, she is the only Emirati female Parkour coach in the UAE and teaches an all-ladies Parkour class — a first in the UAE.

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19. Shamsa Saleh

Shamsa Saleh is the CEO of the Dubai Women Establishment and has, through several of her projects, done a lot to promote gender equality in the region. Some of her initiatives include the Arab Women Leadership Forum, Women in Board initiative, Women Leadership Exchange Program, Emirates Leaders Gathering and The National Child Cares Centres Project. An inspiration to women in the region, Shamsa has said, “The opportunities are out there to contribute and actively participate in the UAE’s socio-economic development; women simply need to seize those opportunities and never look back.”

20. Nahla Al Rostamani

When Nahla was just 20 years old, she became the first female Emirati F3 driver. Not one to rest on her laurels, she went on to get a timekeeper’s license as well (which allows her to record competitor’s times and positions in order to determine the event results) — another first for an Emirati woman. Nahla now works as the Deputy Circuit Manager for the Yas Marina Circuit. When asked about her atypical career choice, she has said, “Motorsports is a man’s world. If I’ve opened the doors for other women to succeed in the motorsports field, then my 12 years of ups and downs didn’t go to waste.”

21. Thuraya Hamad Al Zaabi

The first female Emirati Paralympian, Thuraya is nothing short of a superwoman. After a stroke at the age of 29 that left her paralysed, Thuraya spent years training and in rehab to achieve her dreams. Her Herculean efforts resulted in literal gold — Thuraya won medals in javelin and shot put in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. “There is nothing stopping any woman from becoming a star in the sky. Arab women are a great example of feminine excellence across social, cultural and athletic fields.”

22. Dr. Habiba Al Safar

Dr Habiba is the Director of the Khalifa University Centre for Biotechnology. Her groundbreaking work in genetics, especially with regards to identifying the gene strongly associated with Type 2 diabetes amongst the Emirati population, has gotten her great acclaim.

23. Amna Al Haddad

The first female Emirati competitive weightlifter has worked tirelessly to make her mark and has competed in various competitions worldwide. She was the first Emirati and GCC national to compete in the 2012 Asia Regionals in Korea (as a part of the CrossFit team) making her the only Muslim woman in a headscarf as well. 

24. Fatema Fardan

This inspiring designer was the first Emirati to showcase her designs at New York Fashion Week. She is the creative director and owner of Fatema Fardan Designs and debuted her first collection in 2014. Her designs include feminine and chic pieces aimed at the career-oriented women of today.