Abu Dhabi: An all-female team of Abu Dhabi Government — of which half of them are Emiratis — are proud of their work that has been instrumental in improving the lives of more than 202 million people across the globe, especially in rural areas. They work with the Zayed Future Energy Prize, one of the UAE’s most valuable awards instituted in honour of the founding father of the UAE — Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Forty-eight recipients of the prize over the last eight years have deployed clean technology and sustainability initiatives, bettering the living conditions of millions around the world.
The three Emirati professionals of the six-member team told Gulf News that the job gave them a strong sense of fulfilment.
“I saw how much impact the prize had on its winners and people in rural communities,” said Shamma Al Duhaim, Outreach Executive.
“Take Liter of Light [a grassroots movement in the Philippines], for example. The idea is very simple but the result is so significant. A bottle of water and bleach that lights up the darkest of homes. It’s a powerful solution and one that has helped thousands of people in poorer countries,” Al Duhaim said referring to the sustainable solar movement led by Illac Diaz, who was awarded the prize in the Non-Profit Organisation category in 2015.
Shamma and her colleagues were sharing their experiences and thoughts on the occasion of second Emirati Women’s Day that will be celebrated under the theme ‘Women and Innovation’ on Sunday [August 28]. The date marks the creation of the General Women’s Union in 1975, and is considered a chance to celebrate Emirati women’s achievements since the union was founded.
Maitha Al Kandi, Marketing Lead, said: “We’re proud of the prize winners’ achievements in so many different areas. For example, when women have the opportunity to train as solar technicians, they can learn new skills, can afford to send their children to school, have greater security and offer others a route out of poverty.”
Day-to-day overseeing of the prize and its team lies with Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize Dr Nawal Al Hosani, who is also the Executive Director of Brand and Sustainability at Masdar and a celebrated Emirati woman. Last year, Dr Al Hosani received the Arab Woman Award for Energy.
Al Duhaim believes that bringing honour to Shaikh Zayed’s name and spreading the word about how much good he did, too, are important values for Emiratis.
Echoing the feeling, her colleague and Stakeholder Manager Reem Tameem said: “Anything that Shaikh Zayed started needs to be continued by us, the people of this country. Sustainability was a part of his vision and something that he promoted a long time ago, before it became fashionable.
“Our ancestors had to survive with [very] few resources, so they understood the importance of conserving what was available and preserving their environment and taught the next generations how to do the same. Now the world can see that the UAE is committed to sustainable development across the world [and] not just at home,” Tameem said.
This year, the ninth edition of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, the team is working harder than ever. The latest edition of the award has received a record haul of 1,678 entries. When submissions closed in July, the prize surpassed 10,000 entries since its inception.
This burgeoning responsibility has increased the sense of camaraderie among the group. “It’s nice to work in an all-female team. It gives me the feeling that women really can make a difference,” said Tameem.
