Hello and welcome to Emirati, a monthly newsletter from The National.
In this edition, as we mark Emirati Women's Day, I sit down with Shaikha Al Nowais, the secretary general-elect of UN Tourism.
She is the first Emirati to hold the role and has a clear message to young Emiratis inspired by her appointment, particularly women.
From laying out her vision for the role, her five-point plan to make it a success, revealing why she thinks tourism is so important, and sending a message of hope to those who wish to follow in her footsteps, this interview is a window into what makes Ms Al Nowais tick and what we can expect in the coming years.
With Emirati Women's Day upon us, we also shine a light on two other pioneering women from the UAE who have been doing much more than just making a name for themselves.
Shaikha Al Nowais beamed with pride as she set out her plans to target Africa, Latin America and small island states for investment and growth.
Ms Al Nowais will be the leading figure in global tourism policy, ensuring it reflects local needs while promoting culture, education, training and sustainability.
Speaking to me in her first interview since her election, she explained why tourism is so much more than leisure and serves to build cultural understanding across borders.
She insists anyone who sees tourism as secondary to other challenges is mistaken.
“Tourism is not a luxury,” she said. “It creates jobs, uplifts communities and keeps small businesses alive.”
Part of her focus will be on regions with untapped potential, such as Africa, Latin America and small island states.
“Africa, for example, is rich with culture and talent,” she said. “I visited [Democratic Republic of] Congo recently and attended a musical festival there, and it left a strong impression on me.
“I experienced 26 performances, each with its own identity and culture. As a traveller, this is what drives you to a destination – the chance to learn, to be open and to embrace new cultures.”
Did you know?
The travel and tourism sector's contribution to the UAE's GDP rise to Dh257.3 billion in 2024 represents 13 per cent of the national economy.
Mariam Al Mansoori is a senior production engineer and remote pilot for Adasi. Victor Besa / The National
Trailblazing is the perfect way to describe Mariam Al Mansoori who was the first female citizen to remotely pilot the high-tech Garmoosha.
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is used for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, developed by Adasi, a subsidiary of defence conglomerate Edge.
“I’m so proud of myself. Recently I achieved my dream. I became a UAV pilot for Garmoosha,” said Ms Al Mansoori, who joined Adasi nearly a decade ago. “So I’m not only working as an engineer, I’m also a UAV pilot.”
While she was more inviting of Netflix cameras in her second year at F1 Academy, Amna Al Qubaisi wasn't fully satisfied with her portrayal. Getty Images
From the day she first took the racing driver’s seat at 14, Amna Al Qubaisi's dream was to finish what her father Khaled Al Qubaisi, the first Emirati to reach a podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, had started.
Not only did she win, she also wanted to hear the UAE’s national anthem being played where it had never been heard before.
“I was always just trying to represent my country in a really good manner,” she said. “I was focused only on results. I wanted to prove to the world that we were not there just to participate – but to win.”
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Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024. It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine. Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages]. The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts. With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians. Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved. Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world. The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19
July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US
Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
6.30pm: Shahm, 7.05pm: Well Of Wisdom, 7.40pm: Lucius Tiberius, 8.15pm: Captain Von Trapp, 8.50pm: Secret Advisor, 9.25pm: George Villiers, 10pm: American Graffiti, 10.35pm: On The Warpath
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
