Emirati women will join Adnoc Technical Academy's training programme for the first time, working at operational sites across the UAE's energy industry.
The first cohort will begin a 24-month diploma programme next month, combining academic study with practical training at Adnoc's operational sites.
Each intake will include up to 50 women, with about 250 female technicians expected to graduate between 2028 and 2030.
They will be trained in electrical maintenance, instrument and control maintenance, mechanical maintenance, and oil and gas processing.
The historic intake was announced ahead of Emirati Women’s Day - which is marked on Friday and will this year be extended for a month.
Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, said the progress of Emirati women reflected a country in which the role played by females had steadily expanded its development.
Sheikha Fatima said: “Women are at the heart of society. They nurture families, educate generations, strengthen the national economy, and serve as ministers, ambassadors, business leaders, doctors and engineers. They shape the future of our nation.”
Her remarks were delivered on her behalf by Maitha Al Shamsi, Minister of State, at Adnoc’s Emirati Women’s Day event at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre, held under the theme 'Together, We Rise Stronger and Better'.
For Hour Al Blooshi, 18, one of the women preparing to join the programme, the growing number of opportunities available to Emirati women means there are few careers they cannot pursue.
“Now, in 2026, I am seeing Emirati women everywhere,” she said. “I don’t see a career that they are not trying to enter.”
Ahmed Al Menhali, director general of academic services at Adnoc Technical Academy, told The National that the programme would prepare women for critical roles as technicians and operators alongside their male colleagues.
“For the first time, the ATA programme is for females, where they will be contributing to the energy sector in the critical positions of operator and technician,” he said.
The number of women working across Adnoc operations has expanded over the years.
Emirati women account for 14.4 per cent of Adnoc’s workforce, 25.5 per cent of leadership positions and 42.4 per cent of technical roles. About 900 Emirati women work at operational sites. The number is higher globally, with women accounting for 40 per cent of the workforce.
Changing attitudes
Adnoc Technical Academy surveyed women and their parents in 2022 to assess interest in the programme and repeated the exercise this year.
Mr Al Menhali said acceptance of women entering male-dominated roles traditionally had increased. “We noticed that the acceptance level from the community is increasing,” he said.
The academy also drew on the experiences of women already working in other positions to understand what would be needed to create an environment in which women felt safe and comfortable and could contribute fully.
“We believe that females have the right talent to complete the picture within the workforce, the critical workforce in the country,” Mr Al Menhali said.
Support from home
For the young women preparing to enter those roles, support from their families has been an important part of the decision.
Maryam Al Awani, 20, said her mother encouraged her to take the opportunity. “She told me that I should start and that it’s a really good opportunity,” she said.
Alia Al Dhaheri, 21, said the academy’s support for Emirati women attracted her to the programme. “They really care about Emirati women, and they support them in all the different ways that they can,” she said.
Mariam Al Kaabi, 19, said the chance to contribute to the UAE through the energy industry was a major attraction. “It’s such an honour to be a part of this company and serve this company and our country,” she said.
Wider goal
The programme supports Adnoc’s ambition to achieve 25 per cent female representation in technical positions by 2030.
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Adnoc managing director and group chief executive, said creating opportunities for women was part of a national vision established by UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and advanced by the UAE leadership and Sheikha Fatima.
“Guided by this legacy, we are committed to creating opportunities for Emirati women to excel professionally and harness advanced technology and artificial intelligence to shape the future of energy,” he said.
Last year, nearly 150 engineers graduated from Adnoc's AI Accelerators Programme, with Emirati women accounting for more than 40 per cent of the cohort.
For Ms Al Blooshi, the new technical programme represents another step towards opening more career options to Emirati women. “Inshallah, we will see them everywhere,” she said.
