A UAE Higher Colleges of Technology medical lab technology major works during her health science lab class. Silvia Razgova / The National
A UAE Higher Colleges of Technology medical lab technology major works during her health science lab class. Silvia Razgova / The National
A UAE Higher Colleges of Technology medical lab technology major works during her health science lab class. Silvia Razgova / The National
A UAE Higher Colleges of Technology medical lab technology major works during her health science lab class. Silvia Razgova / The National

Emirati women will play a prominent role in the UAE’s innovation-led economy


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Around the globe, women are significantly under-represented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

According to statistics from the US department of labour, women account for just 26 per cent of the country’s STEM professionals.

Correspondingly, in the United Kingdom, less than a fifth of STEM professionals are women and similar shortages exist across the world's largest economies. As governments explore ways to address the gap, the UAE is steadily developing a generation of Emirati women who will help drive the country's future innovation-led economy. We are proud to be part of this movement.

At more than 50 per cent, the representation of Emirati women in STEM programmes at UAE universities already exceeds international averages. In addition, the number of Emirati women joining the workforce as engineers and scientists has risen significantly in past years. Female nationals in the nuclear sector, for instance, have tripled between 2014 and 2015, according to a report by the UAE mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

These developments did not materialise overnight, nor are they coincidental. In the past, stereotypes may have dissuaded Emirati women from pursuing careers in areas that were primarily male-dominated, including electrical and mechanical engineering, robotics, computing and information technology and nuclear science. However, the UAE's consistent efforts to empower women over the years have helped to break these stereotypes. Substantial investment in STEM education and the creation of job opportunities in primary growth sectors have encouraged more women to pursue studies in STEM disciplines. In addition, close collaboration between government entities and prominent national organisations has helped to accelerate the development of qualified Emirati cadres.

In 2015, for example, Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) and Mubadala formed a partnership to align education with career opportunities in industries that are at the heart of Abu Dhabi’s long-term economic diversification programme. The strategic partnership was formed to build infrastructure in curricula, laboratories, knowledge portals, experiential learning, teacher training and applied research, in order to develop talent and knowledge in STEM fields. Mubadala has also formed partnerships with aerospace leaders including Boeing, Airbus, BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin to offer training to school pupils, university students and recent graduates.

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Such initiatives are in line with Abu Dhabi’s wider economic vision, which emphasizes the creation of high-value employment opportunities for nationals, and maximizing the participation of women in the workforce. This is alongside the UAE’s vision to establish our nation as a sustainable, knowledge based economy, with innovation, research, science and technology forming its pillars. Given that women account for about half of the UAE population, there lies significant potential to harness their skills in delivering long-term benefits for the country. In fact, according to a study by the management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, increasing the participation of female Emirati talent in STEM fields to the level of their male counterparts, could boost the UAE’s GDP by an estimated 12 per cent.

The nation’s combined efforts in this realm are beginning to bear fruit. Mubadala’s partnership with Adec, as well as its numerous talent development initiatives targeting Emirati women, have resulted in scores of female Emirati leaders and technical and engineering professionals joining Mubadala’s aerospace, ICT, utilities and healthcare assets. 41 per cent of employees at Al Ain based aerostructures manufacturing facility Strata are women. The company, which supplies Boeing and Airbus, currently has 700 employees, half of which are UAE nationals. Similarly, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), which also falls under Mubadala’s umbrella, is a strong proponent of developing Emirati women in heavy industry, with several of the company’s senior supervisors and leaders being national women.

The UAE’s future growth will rely heavily on highly-qualified, Emirati visionaries and professionals playing a prominent role in filling functions that are crucial to the economy. Organisations that are leading the country’s technology and innovation drive, such as Mubadala, will continue to be key partners in the development, empowerment and education of future Emirati female innovators, leaders and pioneers.

Iman Al Qasim is the executive director for human capital at Mubadala Investment Company

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
What it means to be a conservationist

Who is Enric Sala?

Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.

What is biodiversity?

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.

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- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;

- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,

- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.

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*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

Ipaf in numbers

Established: 2008

Prize money:  $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.

Winning novels: 13

Shortlisted novels: 66

Longlisted novels: 111

Total number of novels submitted: 1,780

Novels translated internationally: 66

MATCH INFO

West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')

Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')

Match info

Manchester United 4
(Pogba 5', 33', Rashford 45', Lukaku 72')

Bournemouth 1
(Ake 45 2')

Red card: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5

UAE SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani

Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Salem Rashid, Mohammed Al Attas, Alhassan Saleh

Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ahmed Barman, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani

Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Everything Now

Arcade Fire

(Columbia Records)

TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY

Centre Court

Starting at 2pm:

Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]

Not before 7pm:

Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)

Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]

 

Court One

Starting at midday:

Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)

Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) v Dayana Yastermska (UKR)

Petra Martic (CRO) [8] v Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)

Sorana Cirstea (ROU) v Anett Kontaveit (EST)

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Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus

Results

Catchweight 60kg: Mohammed Al Katheeri (UAE) beat Mostafa El Hamy (EGY) TKO round 3

Light Heavyweight: Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) no contest Kevin Oumar (COM) Unintentional knee by Oumer

Catchweight 73kg:  Yazid Chouchane (ALG) beat Ahmad Al Boussairy (KUW) Unanimous decision

Featherweight: Faris Khaleel Asha (JOR) beat Yousef Al Housani (UAE) TKO in round 2 through foot injury

Welterweight: Omar Hussein (JOR) beat Yassin Najid (MAR); Split decision

Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Sallah Eddine Dekhissi (MAR); Round-1 TKO

Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali Musalim (UAE) beat Medhat Hussein (EGY); Triangle choke submission

Welterweight: Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) beat Sofiane Oudina (ALG); Triangle choke Round-1

Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Saleem Al Bakri (JOR); Unanimous decision

Bantamweight: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Nawras Abzakh (JOR); TKO round-2

Catchweight 63kg: Rany Saadeh (PAL) beat Abdel Ali Hariri (MAR); Unanimous decision