Two pioneering Emirati engineers have spoken of their pride at working on Boeing’s prestigious 787 Dreamliner programme.
Maryam Al Kuwaiti and Naseefa Al Ameri, both in their 20s, work at Strata Manufacturing in Al Ain.
They spent eight months in the United States, learning how tail fins are made for the 787, one of the world’s most advanced passenger jets. The two were the first engineers from Strata to participate in this exchange.
Ms Al Kuwaiti and Ms Al Ameri are mechanical engineers and have worked with Strata for several years. Both are from Al Ain, went to university there and are the first from their families to become engineers.
“I like maths, physics and chemistry and I wanted to study something unique that nobody from my family studied,” said Ms Al Ameri, who joined Strata in 2013.
“I wanted to find a company where I could apply the knowledge in an advanced way and be a part of the development of my country,” she said.
Ms Al Kuwaiti entered the field because of the diversity it offered. A previous internship with Airbus showed the potential of aerospace.
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“I’ve always been interested in manufacturing and creating things. No one from my family has been a mechanical engineer – I didn’t want to be a doctor,” said Ms Al Kuwaiti, who has been with Strata for more than five years.
She said that nobody expected to have such a facility in Al Ain.
“The first time I ever came here I was surprised,” said Ms Al Kuwaiti. “There were sand dunes and sand dunes – where is the company? But more people know about it now. It has a really good reputation around here.”
Over the eight months in the US, they worked with top Boeing engineers in Seattle and Salt Lake City, learning about the complex production process for the tail fin of the Dreamliner from the drawings to software to navigation. Both are now sharing their expertise with staff at Strata and it’s envisaged these tail fins will be made in Al Ain over the next year or so.
Both say the experience was a dream come true, working with Boeing experienced experts who made them feel welcome and encouraged their questions. The two also learned about American culture, participated in community outreach programmes and volunteered at local schools.
“At the end, both Boeing and us were both sad it was ending as it was such an amazing experience,” said Ms Al Kuwaiti. “We were so happy with the work we did together.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ
Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700
Engine 3.0L V6
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
