The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
A long list of achievements decorates Sahar Cooper’s remarkable 25 year career as an education leader.
But there remains one burning ambition still in her sights before she considers any notion of retirement.
Having lived and worked in the UAE for 20 years, she continues to recognise the importance of recruiting Emirati teachers.
And today, she believes that only by encouraging more men and women from the country to join the profession can the nation maintain its existing success.
"We want more Emiratis to consider teaching in the future, Ms Cooper told The National.
It is a great time to be in this career. Not only in the classroom but also management.
“I have lived here for 20 years and I am committed to the future of education in this country.
“We know there are Emiratis who graduated with education, Arabic, or science who want to become teachers - we want to support that.
“It is a very rewarding profession, to enable a young student to be our leaders of tomorrow.”
Ms Cooper began her teaching career at the Girne American University in Cyprus.
Later, she moved on to join the UAE’s American University of Sharjah as its commercial manager.
Since then, she has gone on to devote almost two decades to various educational platforms across the country, including a role as chief schools operation officer at Gems Education, one of the largest private education providers in the Emirates.
“I was inspired early in my career by the commitment of the UAE to bring quality education to this country,” she said.
“Gems education was experiencing rapid growth and I was helping to open hundreds of schools worldwide with different curriculum.”
After leaving Gems, Ms Cooper joined Aldar Education, another leading education provider, as their chief executive.
She has already been in the role for 18 months, with the number of its employees increasing from 600 to more than 2,000 under her stewardship.
Aldar Education supports 20,000 students across seven academies, six charter schools and four managed Adnoc schools. It also runs a nursery in Abu Dhabi.
According to Ms Cooper, striking a balance between driving business and understanding classroom needs is the key to achieving long-term goals in education.
“Schools are no longer about preparing children for a predefined set of possible careers,” she said.
“It is rather a multiplicity of roles and industries so schools have become more of a learning environment than teaching in blocks.
“We need to understand how education works to help children flourish.
“I have faced the same challenges as children face now, growing in an uncertain world where we don’t know what the opportunities will be in the future.
“As a woman, there have been challenges but it is all about self confidence and self respect.
“It is about being at the right place at the right time, having independence and drive.
“I have never seen myself as different, but equal in competence to any man.”
Today, Ms Cooper is working on plans to partner with the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi and the Human Resource Authority in the capital to put Emirati graduates through a teaching apprenticeship programme.
The idea is to ensure there is enough supply of national teachers at all levels of schooling.
“I want to see a strong education programme across the country as we are an Emirati company committed to shaping the country through young people while providing a sustainable supply of teachers,” she said.
“It is a great time to be in this career. Not only in the classroom but also management.”
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
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
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If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Tathoor, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: Aiz Alawda, Fernando Jara, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohammed Daggash
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
Winner: Somoud, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Al Jazi, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company%20profile
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The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
