Colonel Dr Fayeza Al Ameri says the compassion women can bring to leadership roles – and her ability to multitask – are her unique powers.
A physician with the UAE military, she is a prime example of the leading role women are playing in the continued development of the Emirates. She was speaking to The National ahead of Emirati Women's Day which takes place on Thursday.
“When you are a woman, you are not only the head of medical training, you are not only a physician, you are a mother, a daughter, a sister and you cannot forget this even at work. But having these roles does not make a woman less than a man, it makes her more of a leader,” Col Dr Al Ameri told The National.
“When I introduce myself, I first introduce myself as a woman. I’ve been a leader for such a long time – since 2013. We do things differently from men even if we are doing the same job. We approach things differently, we multitask. We lead with compassion, understanding, and that gives us our own power.”
The 44-year-old mother of two young boys signed up for the military when she was a teenager in high school in 1998. She completed her medical residency in 2011 and has held leadership positions setting up clinics and recruiting Emiratis across specialised positions and the nursing field.
'More empathy' than men
Col Al Ameri said women leaders were more empathetic as they better understood employees. “She understands what it means for a mother on the first day back at school, to have a child going through adolescence, emotions are valuable in her world. A man is focused and thinks in one direction and deletes everything when at work. We do not have that privilege of only focusing on one thing.”
Col Al Ameri proudly describes herself as “made in the UAE” as she completed her high school, college and medical degree in the country. “I’m made in UAE and this makes me so proud because the quality of care I give to my patients is never less than any graduate from a foreign school,” she said.
“I chose medicine because I love to relieve people’s pain and suffering. I chose the military because I have passion and love for my country. Being in the military gives me both roles – a physician and a woman serving her country in the army. We have a lot of support from our leadership for women to come to the military.”
The only woman in her family in the UAE defence force, she has a strong connection to the services – her father served in the navy and her two brothers are in the military.
Col Al Ameri has been deployed on missions overseas and within the country where her team has provided healthcare services to soldiers and those in need. Responsible for recruiting doctors, nurses, paramedics and medical technicians, she is elated to lead an initiative to attract more Emiratis as physicians in specialised roles such as cardiology and as nursing staff.
“We encourage UAE locals to go for specialities that they never thought of,” she said. “This is valuable to the country and we do this from our heart.”
Her advice to young girls is to understand their unique strengths. “I tell women not to look for equality with men,” Col Al Ameri said. “We are strong in a way that is different to men. Our power is to create life.
“Whenever you find a woman, you will always find life around her, even in the military. A woman is the most precious thing that a community needs to care about. Her wellness reflects the community's wellness.”
Leading the way
Emirati women are also playing leading roles in other sectors, not least when it comes to fighting climate change. Women will play a vital role in the UAE's climate policy over the next 50 years, Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri, secretary general of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), has told The National.
Dr Al Dhaheri added that the presence of women in the debate around building a more sustainable future is now the norm. “The green transition will not just include women – it will continue to be defined by them,” she said.
One of the reasons for this, she said, is a universal and deep-rooted respect for nature that is cultivated at a young age. “Growing up during [the UAE's] rapid development, I saw both opportunities and vulnerabilities,” Al Dhaheri said. Today, in her role at EAD, she has become one of the UAE’s most prominent voices in conservation.
In 2009, Dr Al Dhaheri became the first Emirati woman to earn a PhD in wildlife conservation and protection. Few women in the world had pursued that field, and in the Arab world she was almost entirely alone. Yet, as she reflects on her journey, she frames the challenge less as a barrier and more as a responsibility.
“The greatest challenge was not the absence of precedent, but the responsibility of setting one,” she said. “I embraced that responsibility by bridging science with nature conservation, while ensuring that economic development could continue. Most importantly, I wanted to keep doors open for others.”
Balancing science and motherhood
Alongside her demanding public career, Dr Al Dhaheri is also a mother of five. She describes balance not as perfection but as integration. “Motherhood has given me patience, perspective and purpose, qualities vital for leadership,” she said.
“The skills of listening, adaptability and resilience serve both roles. I strive to show my children that it is possible to serve the community, nurture one’s family and contribute meaningfully at the same time.”
Her advice to young Emirati women is to view their lives as “a masterpiece in the making”, in which career, family and personal ambitions are not competing forces but complementary ones.
Women shaping the green transition
There are many Emirati women leading the fight against climate charge. Notable names include Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan, founder of The Climate Tribe, Dr Amna Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, director general of Emirates Nature WWF, and Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Dr Al Dahak said Emirati women are living in their golden era and are the key to a sustainable and prosperous future for the UAE.
“My message to every ambitious Emirati woman is: you are the beating heart of this nation, and your success stories in every field are a source of inspiration for us all,” she said. “Your country is proud of you, and your leadership believes in your limitless capabilities.”
