Long before the UAE sent its first astronaut to space or appointed the world's youngest minister, a group of trailblazing Emirati women reached for the stars. They were the first generation to receive a third-level education, sent abroad by the country's Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, to learn crucial skills and return to the UAE to propel the country into a bright new future. To mark the UAE's 50th anniversary, 'The National' has interviewed some of these pioneers.
It was the early 1960s and Aisha Al Sayyar had just finished school. The graduating class was small and, for most of the girls, it would be the end of their educational pursuits.
But Dr Al Sayyar was not satisfied. She and her peer, Sheikha Aisha bint Saqr, wanted to continue their studies and, with no universities yet in a pre-UAE Sharjah, they looked abroad for a solution.
In 1964, the pair became the first women from the emirate to travel for their education, moving to Egypt, unchaperoned, to pursue higher education.
“Praise be to God, it was the starting step that paved the way for girls’ ambitions”, says Dr Al Sayyar, who was born in the 1940s. “An ambition to learn and support their hopes to complete their university studies and start seeking knowledge.”
It was not usual for girls to travel alone, but rather it was against the prevailing customs and traditions which see the future of the girl in marriage is better
Dr Aisha Al Sayyar
The two opened the door for more women to follow in their footsteps, encouraged by their respective emirates' governments to keep learning. Private planes were chartered to take Dr Al Sayyar and Sheikha Aisha to Egypt, and a second group of women to study in Kuwait. They were provided with private housing and a monthly allowance.
“This step also reflected the society’s interest and aspiration to achieve a lot of progress and development, so it prepared the girls with a formal education at an early stage, which then grew and flourished after the union was formed,” Dr Al Sayyar says.
Two years after the unification of the UAE, Dr Al Sayyar earned a master's degree from Ain Shams University in Cairo. A decade later, she became the first Emirati woman to earn a doctorate, in Gulf history, from the same university.
“I became qualified to serve our new state at that time,” she says. She initially worked at Fatima Al Zahra school as a history teacher.
In 1972, she joined the Ministry of Education as head of social services, while also studying for her master's degree. She was then promoted to assistant undersecretary of the ministry, where she worked until 1998. She also represented the UAE at Unesco conferences for more than 25 years.
She now runs a group of private schools in Sharjah, Dubai and Umm Al Quwain — the Sharjah American International private school.
She says her achievements and the opportunities for others to follow in her footsteps were made possible by unrelenting support from her family and the government.
“The first support was from my family who agreed — albeit reluctantly — that I travel to complete my university studies in Cairo. My family was later the greatest support in the various stages of my studies”, she says.
“I am grateful to the ruler of Sharjah who, at that time, provided me with the opportunity to travel and study with his daughter, Sheikha Aisha, who accompanied me in studying at school and university".
At the time, before the discovery of oil, countries like Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt helped the emirates set up schools and would send teachers, books and stationary.
“The most important and continuous credit goes to the state of Kuwait, where I was one of those students who received a scholarship for university study and after, and even the master’s degree that I obtained in 1973,” she says.
However, study abroad was not without its challenges for Emirati women, who lived a more sheltered life at the time.
“The first challenges originated from here,” says Dr Al Sayyar.
“It was not usual for girls to travel alone, but rather it was against the prevailing customs and traditions which see the future of the girl in marriage is better.”
She says her family faced criticism for allowing her to study abroad, and travel and communication were difficult.
“There were no airports that provide regular flights. I felt nostalgic being away from my parents for long periods. London was another challenge, but I believed in the proverb that says: 'The will is what pushes you to the first step on the path of struggle, but determination is what keeps you on this path to the end.'"
After completing her studies, Dr Al Sayyar was able to work with Sheikh Zayed, having first met him during his visit to at Umm Ammar Secondary School, where she was delivering a speech, in 1974.
“After my speech ended, I presented [Sheikh Zayed with] a copy of my master's degree thesis, which he accepted before congratulating and encouraging me.”
That evening, she received a call from Al Bahr Palace, inviting her to meet Sheikh Zayed and his wife Sheikha Fatima, the mother of the nation.
“We spoke about Sharjah and the family, about studying at the university in Cairo and obtaining a master’s degree, and many other things. At the end of our conversation, he said to me: 'You are one of us, a part of our family, and our daughter. I want you to work with Sheikha Fatima for your country and care for the girls and women, teach and support them to make up for what they missed. I pray God will grant you success.'"
Today, Dr Al Sayyar is proud of what Emirati women have achieved, and gives credit to Sheikha Fatima “who represented the brightest aspects of our growth and distinction.”
She hopes future generations will continue to carry the torch and propel the UAE forward, as she and her peers did more than 50 years ago.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m, Winner SS Lamea, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer).
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m, Winner AF Makerah, Sean Kirrane, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m, Winner Maaly Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,600m, Winner AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m, Winner Morjanah Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,200m, Winner Mudarrab, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
