For Emirati Women’s Day 2024, the Emirates Group and Dubai Airport (DXB) are honoring women from the UAE who have made significant contributions in the aviation industry.
According to Emirates, approximately 38% of the group’s workforce are women and the organization welcomed a record number of Emirati women to its workforce during the last financial year.
Over the past 20 years, the group has provided mentorship and training programs for Emirati female professionals to boost their professional growth and career mobility with access to leadership programs from Rolls-Royce, Airbus, GE Aviation, and many more. In the last 12 months, more than 70 Emirati women have completed one or more of these programs.
In 2023, Emirates also sponsored three Emirati female employees to pursue their postgraduate education abroad at three of the top 100 ranked universities worldwide.
Meanwhile, Dubai Airports, operator of DXB, is honoring three Emirati women who played crucial roles in supporting the airport’s sustainability goals.
Sara Al Abdulla, Senior Manager of Commercial Sustainability
Dubai Airports’ waste management diverts a remarkable 60% of all of DXB Airport’s waste away from landfill, and Al Abdulla spearheaded the initiative by rallying the entire airport community around a shared purpose.
“Sustainability is not just a goal; it is a journey we embark on together. By building a community that shares knowledge and works collaboratively, we are creating a future that benefits everyone,” Al Abdulla said in a statement.
Maryam Alawadhi, Energy and Sustainability Engineer at Dubai Airports
One of Alawadhi’s key projects was a lighting and building retrofit, which managed to offset 47,000 tons of the airport’s carbon emission – equivalent to planting more than a million trees annually.
“Every project I contribute to, no matter how small or big, is a step towards a more sustainable world. The energy savings we achieve are more than just numbers; they represent a tangible difference in our community’s future,” Alawadhi said.
Najla Alghammai, Director of Category Management
Alghammai has been at the forefront of integrating environmentally sustainable practices into procurement processes at Dubai Airports. Alghammai’s leadership in developing the Dubai Airports’ Green Procurement Policy has resulted in a 49% increase in eco-friendly purchases compared to 2022.
Additionally, her support for implementing a Dubai Airports paperless policy has drastically reduced printing, from thousands of pages in 2018 to zero in 2024.
“Sustainability in procurement is not just about choosing the right products; it is about setting a precedent for responsible, ethical decision-making that ripples throughout the entire industry,” Alghammai said.
The UAE celebrates Emirati Women’s Day every August 28. The General Women’s Union of the United Arab Emirates was founded on this day and the day is observed to recognize Emirati women’s efforts and to honor their devotion and accomplishments in shaping the UAE.
It was first celebrated in 2015, three years before women were allowed to legally drive in the UAE, including the city of Dubai.