DUBAI // A schoolgirl inventor, the first Emirati airline pilot, a pioneering surgeon – all have played their roles in the UAE’s success.
On Sunday, they and 41 fellow innovators were honoured by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, for their contributions.
The 44 Emiratis – one for every year since Federation – were awarded as part of the second UAE Pioneers initiative.
“We have in every Emirati household ‘firsts’ and exceptional people … and they are ambassadors of the country’s excellence in all fields,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted on Sunday after the Madinat Jumeirah ceremony.
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Winners: See the full list here
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He said the event was held to “celebrate them and with them the 44th anniversary marking our beloved nation’s union”.
Fatima Al Kaabi, 14, was honoured as the youngest Emirati inventor.
“I have 10 inventions and they all cater to different fields – for those with special needs, for humanitarian purposes and even the environment,” Fatima said.
“They were not part of school projects but initiatives that I took.”
Her inventions include a printer for those with sight problems, a solar bag that can charge electronic devices and an electronic belt for those with impaired hearing.
“I feel those with special needs are important to the society and I want to help them,” Fatima said.
She said the award from Sheikh Mohammed would “encourage me to take more initiatives and to keep innovating”.
Fatima’s mother, Maitha Obaid, said the family encouraged her youngest daughter to be creative.
“Whatever she asked for we would provide for her, even if we have to order a robotic device online from somewhere else in the world,” Ms Obaid said.
Another winner was Ahmed Al Mansoori, the first Emirati radio presenter.
“I dedicate this recognition to Dubai, the UAE, to the world of media and to the whole world,” Mr Al Mansoori said. “The media is now in need of expertise, it needs to be studied.
“It’s not a matter of writing down words. It needs to be thought out.”
Veteran pilot Ahmed Al Shamsi, 55, was the first Emirati to fly Airbus and Boeing passenger planes. “I am proud that I and others were recognised today,” said Mr Al Shamsi, who received his commercial pilot licence in 1980.
“This kind of recognition by Sheikh Mohammed will hopefully encourage the younger generations to think about being the first and parents to motivate their children.”
Dr Mohammed Al Olama, general secretary of the Emirates Medical Association, was the first national surgeon to implant a wireless intracranial pressure monitoring device.
Dr Al Olama dedicated his award to his wife and parents.
And Alia Al Kaabi, the first female Emirati public prosecutor, hoped her award would encourage other women to follow their dreams.
“It is not hard to be whatever you want to be and if a woman puts her mind to it, she can do anything,” Ms Al Kaabi said.
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
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
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
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
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
Company%20Profile
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The burning issue
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.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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)
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"
Manchester United's summer dealings
In
Victor Lindelof (Benfica) £30.7 million
Romelu Lukaku (Everton) £75 million
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) £40 million
Out
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Released
Wayne Rooney (Everton) Free transfer
Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad) £9.8 million
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
