Houriya Kazim is the UAE's first female Emirati surgeon specialising in breast surgery. As well as founding the Well Woman Clinic in Dubai, she also set up a breast cancer support group. She recently spoke at a Dubai networking event hosted by 85 Broads - a women's network founded by four female Goldman Sachs employees from the United States - about her career path.
How did you become a surgeon?
I became a physician first. I come from a very large family of doctors so one battle I didn't have to fight was my family. I went to medical school in Ireland and when I came back to Dubai I was working at a government hospital and it was there I realised the need for a female surgeon. A lot of the time women, not just with breast problems but anything in an intimate area of her body, would not want the male consultant examining her. It struck me in the government hospital - and that was almost 30 years ago - the advanced cases of breast cancer I saw; I had never seen [such cases] as a student or even in my medical textbooks. There were many reasons for that - superstition and modesty - so the advanced cases were always in my head. So I went back to the UK to do my training as a surgeon.
How did you come to specialise in breast surgery?
I became a surgeon and I thought: I haven't done much cancer surgery so I will apply to this famous cancer hospital, the Royal Marsden in London. I wanted to be there for six months to know what cancer surgery is like. I was shortlisted and what I didn't realise was that there were several jobs up for offer, all in different speciaisations. They tossed a bit of paper at me and said: "which job do you want?" And because breast starts with "b" it was the first one on the list so I just went "breast". My first day in the breast clinic was a revelation and I thought: "this is what I want to do with my life".
How was your return to Dubai?
I came back in 1998 thinking: I am going to save all these women. I didn't have a lot of problems in my own country. The main reason is that people saw the need for it. One of nicest things said to me by a male surgeon was: "It's great since you came back to Dubai because I don't see any more advanced cases of breast cancer".
You also founded an NGO, Breast Friends, why was that?
Initially we raised money for education and awareness and now we use the money to pay for patients' healthcare costs. We would have liked to have gone into locally based research. Even though we do all the right things like have children, breastfeed and don't take too many hormones, we [Emirati women] get breast cancer much younger and much more aggressively than women in the West. But all the research comes out of the West. Until two years ago, any type of cancer treatment was free [in the UAE] if you were here legally but that has changed. There are a huge number of women here who have no, or inadequate, insurance.
You now also do your best to help women stay in work.
There is a lot of pressure [on Arab women] to get married and have children. When I came back [to the UAE] at 29, I was geriatric. Then if you are working your husband is saying: "Well, my friends' wives aren't working". It looks like he can't provide for the family. There are lots of issues that are overcome by things like job sharing. In my own office I only hire women and all but one have young children. They are all free to come and go as they like. So if there is an award ceremony at school, they are free to go. I lose money; it's not ideal from a financial point of view but they want to work because now they have the ideal job.
lgutcher@thenational.ae
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
SPECS
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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Company%20Profile
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Company%20Profile
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