How Emirati women are shaping the UAE’s future

There are many ways to tell the story of Emirati women. It can be told through the progress of a nation that invested early in their education and advancement, through the positions of responsibility they hold today, or through their achievements across fields central to the UAE’s development and future. But there is another part of that story that is not always as visible. It is found in the way Emirati women have shaped families and communities, served their country and supported those around them, often carrying several of these responsibilities at once.

Over the course of my own career, I have had the privilege of seeing this contribution in many forms. I have witnessed among Emirati women across different generations and walks of life the willingness to pursue ambition with a strong sense of responsibility, balance demanding roles with commitments to others, and make a difference not only through their own accomplishments, but through the opportunities and support they create for those around them.

That contribution extends far beyond leadership positions or professional titles. Emirati women are mothers and mentors, educators and entrepreneurs, diplomats and scientists, doctors, engineers, artists and public servants. They strengthen families and communities while contributing to the institutions and industries on which the country’s future depends.

That story did not emerge by chance. From the early years of the Union, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, recognised that women had an essential role to play in the country’s development and championed opportunities for them to learn, contribute and fulfil their potential. That vision was translated into sustained investment in education, legislation and institutions, creating opportunities that successive generations of Emirati women turned into achievement. Under the guidance and enduring support of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation, women’s advancement has remained a national priority as the country itself has transformed.

Scale of transformation

The scale of that transformation is visible across national life. Women account for around 70 per cent of university graduates and more than 46 per cent of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. According to 2026 data, there are around 48,257 Emirati women entrepreneurs and 114,050 SMEs owned or co-owned by Emirati women. These are not simply measures of participation. They reflect women building expertise, creating economic value and contributing to sectors central to the country’s development.

This is where the meaning of empowerment has evolved. Creating access was essential, but access was never intended to be the destination. Emirati women have taken the opportunities made available to them and converted them into tangible achievement, public service and influence.

Leadership is one important expression of that progress. Women hold half of the seats in the Federal National Council and around 63 per cent of leadership positions in the government sector. Their leadership is visible across government and diplomacy, business and education, science and other strategic sectors. What matters is not simply that women occupy these positions, but that they are entrusted with responsibility because of the knowledge, judgement and capability they bring to them.

Sustained investment in people

The UAE’s experience demonstrates what sustained investment in people can achieve. National vision can create opportunity and institutions can develop capability, but progress ultimately depends on what people make of them. Emirati women have transformed those opportunities into achievement through ambition, discipline and service, proving their capabilities across generations and fields.

Our responsibility now is to ensure that the next generation is well equipped to take that progress further.

At the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, I see young Emirati women preparing for careers in diplomacy and international affairs with ambition, intellectual curiosity and a clear understanding of what it means to represent their country. These are fields that demand judgement, discipline and adaptability, but also the ability to listen, understand different perspectives and build trust across cultures and interests.

Those who already hold positions of responsibility have an obligation to create space for this generation, not simply through encouragement, but through trust. Young women need rigorous education, mentorship and continuous learning, but they also need meaningful responsibilities that allow them to test their judgement, develop confidence and demonstrate what they can do.

New fields of opportunity

That imperative takes on greater significance as new fields of opportunity emerge. Technology, artificial intelligence, climate, science and economic diplomacy will demand new forms of expertise and leadership. Emirati women are already demonstrating what they can contribute in such fields. Women account for around half of the employees in the UAE National Space Programme and nearly 80 per cent of the scientific team behind the Hope Probe, the UAE’s landmark mission to Mars and the first Arab mission to reach the planet. The task ahead is to ensure that young women are equipped not merely to enter the fields shaping the future, but to help shape them.

Emirati Women’s Day gives us an opportunity to recognise an extraordinary national journey. But its meaning cannot be contained in the positions women hold, the qualifications they earn or even the achievements we can measure.

There are many ways to tell the story of Emirati women. Some can be expressed through numbers, and those numbers give us much to celebrate. Others are found in the families they strengthen, the people they support, the institutions they build, the responsibilities they carry and the generations they help prepare for what comes next.

Perhaps the most important measure of progress, then, is not only how far Emirati women have come, but how much further the nation is able to go because of their contribution.

Dr Mohammed Ibrahim Al Dhaheri is Deputy Director General of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy