Timeframe: Emirati Women’s Day at 10 – a decade of achievements

The first Emirati Women’s Day was celebrated 10 years ago on August 28. The date was chosen by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, to coincide with the anniversary of the General Women’s Union, which she established in 1975 to support and advance women’s development in the UAE.

At the time, Sheikha Fatima described the day as a chance to celebrate the “achievements and ambitions” of Emirati women across all areas, from government and business to culture and the home. It was also intended to underline the role women play in the country’s progress and to encourage their continued participation in building the nation.

The first celebration was relatively modest, honouring female military personnel and their sacrifices, roles and contributions. Since then, Emirati Women’s Day has evolved beyond recognition to emphasise women as equal partners in shaping the UAE’s future.

Meet the Emirati colonel who is 'proudly made in the UAE'

Each year carries a theme that highlights an aspect of women’s contributions. Past examples include Women and Innovation in 2016 to Women on the Course of Zayed in 2018.

This year’s theme, Hand in Hand, We Celebrate 50 Years, marks five decades of the General Women’s Union and its enduring legacy. It honours Emirati women’s achievements while underscoring the importance of community partnership in driving the country’s progress.

Beyond the annual themes, the impact of Emirati Women’s Day is reflected in the roles women now occupy. Women hold 50 per cent of the seats in the Federal National Council, and 26 per cent of ministerial positions. In education and technology, they make up 46 per cent of Stem graduates in the UAE and constitute half of the national workforce in the space sector. Emirati women represent 55 per cent of the UAE’s labour force.

They have played a central role in the space programme, with Sarah Al Amiri emerging as a key figure in the 2021 Mars Mission and now serving as Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, while Nora Al Matrooshi became the first Emirati and Arab female astronaut to graduate from Nasa training in 2024. Marwa Al Mamari became the UAE’s first Emirati woman aerospace engineer.

In July, Samira Al Ali became the first woman to achieve the rank of brigadier in the 69-year history of Dubai Police.

HIJRA

Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

At a glance

Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free

Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland

UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan

How to keep control of your emotions

If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

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The biog

First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work

BMW M5 specs

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Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

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