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As we celebrate the fifth annual Emirati Women’s Day, this year the theme looks to the future.
In May, the Mother of the Nation, Sheikha Fatima, announced that this year’s theme for the day celebrating UAE women would be “Preparing for the next 50 years: women are the support of the nation”.

This mantra is in line with the nationwide goals of the UAE, after it was announced at the end of 2019 that 2020 would be a year that marks a year of preparation. This is to ready the nation for the UAE’s Golden Jubilee next year.
Ahead of the special day, here’s 10 inspirational Emirati women who are looking to the future.
HE Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi

Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi is an Emirati businesswoman who is the Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development for the United Arab Emirates. She has held the position since October 2017. Previously she was the Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs from February 2016 to October 2017. Moreover, Al Kaabi was previously appointed as a member of the Federal National Council (FNC) from Abu Dhabi.
Zahra Lari

Former EW cover star, Zahra Lari is one of the most discussed female athletes of today. Not only was she the world’s first figure skater to compete in a hijab, but she is also the UAE’s first figure skater to participate in the winter qualifications last year. She led the UAE to become the first Arab state to join the International Skating Union and she has also inspired around 100 Emirati women to lace up their skates and hit the ice.
Dr Lamees Hamdan

Dr Lamees Hamdan trained as a doctor at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She’s now the owner and founder of powerhouse beauty brand SHIFFA, which she created due to being unable to find the natural products she was looking for in the luxury market. “As a consumer, I wanted something I couldn’t find – I wanted a high-end organic skincare line that delivered results – so I assumed that perhaps other people wanted the same,” she previously told EW.
Salama Mohamed

Emirati influencer Salama Mohamed is an inspirational figure who is using her struggle to find self-love and acceptance to help others. She considers herself truly blessed, leaving a reminder of it for her 500,000 followers on Instagram with a message on her profile, “Blessed with vitiligo.” Vitiligo is a skin condition Salama was diagnosed with since she was five. “It was a struggle growing up, when you feel you are different and don’t fit in it is easier to think there is something wrong with you,” she previously told Emirates Woman. Throughout her formative years, her condition left her wondering why she didn’t look like the other girls at school, whether she was pretty or not, whether someone would love her. However, Salama grew to become more comfortable and more accepting in her own skin. “It sort of became my trademark, a part of me that was unique and beautiful, it is what made me different and I wanted to celebrate that,” she says.
Hamda Al Fahim

Emirati designer Hamda Al Fahim is always one to watch continually creating ethereal and bespoke pieces. To mark Emirati Women’s Day this year, the couturier collaborated with luxury handbag designer Tyler Ellis.
The duo created a ‘Limited Edition’ capsule collection that perfectly captures Ellis’ classic silhouettes and Al Fahim’s knack for hand embroidery. The capsule focuses on the finest material, from fluffy organza to elegant lace, and combines it with handcrafted sequin giving the evening-ready bags a chic twist.
“I have some experience in making handbags when I was very young, but I never got a chance to pursue it as my career,” Al Fahim said of the collection. “I am very excited to work so closely with a global name and creative designer like Tyler Ellis. Her creations go perfectly well with my collections and it is such a pleasure discussing new ideas and design concepts with her.”
HE Dr Maryam Mohamed Fatma Matar

Her Excellency Dr Maryam Mohamed Fatma Matar is a pioneer in the medical space in the UAE. In 2004, she founded the UAE Genetic Diseases Association which has been conducting pioneering research in the field for the last 16 years.
HE Dr Sara Al Madani

Sara Al Madani has multiple ventures on the go. When she was just 15, the entrepreneur launched her eponymous fashion house, which was formerly known as Rouge Couture. Not only that, but she also owns a tech company, a creative consultancy and a restaurant. Following her success as a young entrepreneur and businesswoman, Sara was selected to inspire women in the UAE to be more active and self-confident in order to achieve business success.
Sheikha Amal Al Maktoum

Founder and creative director of high-end fashion brand Azzalia, Sheikha Amal Al Maktoum named the label after her two daughters – Azza and Alia. The luxury brand specialises in couture abayas, gowns and evening-wear and ready-to-wear line, which are a blend of modern elegance and classic luxury.
HE Reem Al Hashimy

Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimi was hugely instrumental in Dubai’s winning bid to host Expo 202o. As well as being Director-General for the Dubai Expo 2020, she is also the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation. She became a cabinet minister in 2008. She is also chair of Dubai Cares, a children’s education charity established by Sheikh Mohammed in 2007.
Muna Easa Al Gurg
Hailing from Dubai, Muna Easa Al Gurg is a prominent businesswoman and philanthropist from the region. As managing director of retail for Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group LLC, she is continually flying the flag for women in prominent roles in business in the UAE and beyond. She also takes part in a number of other endeavours including with Young Arab Leaders UAE where she has been chairwoman since 2008.
Follow her on Twitter: @MunaAlGurg
We celebrate all the incredible Emirati women on Emirati Women’s Day.
– For more about Dubai’s lifestyle, news and fashion scene follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
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It may have felt like the sweltering summer heat has been never-ending this year, but there’s a tell-tale sign that’s appeared meaning that summer is officially drawing to a close.
The Suhail star – the second brightest star in the sky, which is estimated to be 313 light-years away from Earth – has been spotted.

The star made an appearance on August 24, meaning the sweltering heat is coming to an end.
Since ancient times, the people of the Arabian peninsula have been using the stars to decipher timings, seasons, weather patterns and more, Ibrahim Al Jarwan, a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, told the Khaleej Times.

“They learn through the starts, the start of the seasons of the year, the times of rain, and the period of hot and cold weather,” he explained. “And by counting the stars, farmers and people in the villages knew when to plough their land, and when to sow in preparation for the rain.
“People of the mainland got to know the seasons for grazing and travel, whereas those of the sea were able to know the fishing and travel seasons from the stars.”
Interestingly, the sighting of the star has coincided perfectly with the weather cooling down this week.
According to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCMS), temperatures are expected to drop from the low 40-degrees celsius to the high 30s.
On Thursday, temperatures are set to be around 41 degrees Celsius, with light winds followed by the humidity peaking overnight into Friday morning.
To start the weekend on Friday, temperatures will be cooler around 39 degrees celsius. Similar temperatures can be expected on Saturday along with some winds.
Then, to begin the new work week on Sunday, the cooler temperatures will continue.
While our air-conditioning is firmly staying on, it’s nice to know the Dubai winter is on the horiozn. In the meantime, we’ll be enjoying the many pool day deals that are on offer to be able to cool off in style.
– For more about Dubai’s lifestyle, news and fashion scene follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram.
Feature Image: Rania Fawaz for Emirates Woman More

While life in the UAE has gone back to some resemblance of normal over the past month amidst the pandemic, we are not totally out of the woods.

In a recent media briefing, the UAE government urged the public to act responsibly following a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Per state news agency WAM, official government spokesperson Dr Omar Al Hammadi highlighted how photos had emerged on social media of gatherings taking place in hotels where members of the public did not comply with social distancing measures.
He noted that cases have increased by 10 per cent since the beginning of the month, but the death rates have stayed low at 0.5 per cent of the total cases.
While Dr Al Hammadi noted the UAE was “on the right track” in tackling the pandemic, he highlighted the need for all citizens and residents to vigilantly follow health and safety guidelines in order to keep the pandemic at bay.
To date, there have been 68,020 confirmed cases in the UAE – 59,070 have recovered and there have been 378 deaths.

– For more about Dubai’s lifestyle, news and fashion scene follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram.
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As children begin to head back to school and the university year is set to start for many students, it’s a sign that summer is starting to come to an end.
For anyone that lives in the UAE, this is a welcome sign as the sweltering heat begins to subside, and this rings true in the predicted weather forecast for the upcoming weekend.

Some may have noticed the humidity has declined with temperatures feeling slightly cooler and it appears this is set to continue.
According to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCMS), temperatures are expected to drop from the low 40-degrees celsius to the high 30s.

On Thursday, temperatures are set to be around 41 degrees Celsius, with light winds followed by the humidity peaking overnight into Friday morning.
To start the weekend on Friday, temperatures will be cooler around 39 degrees celsius. Similar temperatures can be expected on Saturday along with some winds.
Then, to begin the new work week on Sunday, the cooler temperatures will continue.
All we can say is, bring on Dubai winter… (However, for the time being, we’ll be enjoying the many pool day deals that are on offer to be able to cool off in style.)
– For more about Dubai’s lifestyle, news and fashion scene follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram.
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Over the past few weeks, Saudi Arabia has made many history-making appointments with women taking on roles they never have before in the Kingdom.
Another historical appointment has been made with the announcement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry that Ahlam Bint Abdulrahman Yanksar would take on the role of director-general of the ministry’s department of cultural affairs.

This makes her the first female figure to hold such a senior post in the Kingdom, per Gulf News.
Having obtained a master’s degree in international business administration from the University of London, Ahlam has had a successful career working in both the Ministry’s undersecretary for political and economic affairs. She has also worked in the Saudi embassy in London, where she studied, in the economic and cultural section.

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s General Presidency for the Affairs appointed 10 women into senior roles at the Two Holy Mosques.
These latest appointments are just a few of the many things have changed for women in the last few years in the Kingdom since Mohammed bin Salman was appointed Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in 2017.
Under his Vision 2030 initiative, an ambitious post-oil economic plan, there has been a major focus on women’s rights in the Kingdom.
Just three months after he stepped into the role in 2017, the Crown Prince revealed in a royal decree, women would be able to secure driving licenses from June 2018.
Then, in March 2018, it was announced by the Ministry of Justice that women who are divorced in the country would be able to instantly retain custody of their children.
Under his plans, women are now also able to attend sports events in stadiums in three cities, female students in the Kingdom are now allowed to carry their phones while on campus and as of August 2019, women aged over 21 are now allowed to travel independently.
– For more about Dubai’s lifestyle, news and fashion scene follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram.
Feature Image: Saudi Foreign Ministry More

While it’s been a standstill year for many in terms of staying in one place and working from home, there couldn’t have been more changes that have gone on in our everyday lives.
This particularly rings true when it comes to the rules and regulations surrounding COVID-19.

However, the Dubai government is making it easy for UAE citizens and residents to keep up-to-date on changes taking place with a new service that’s been launched by The Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO).
Members of the public are now able to ask questions they have directly to government officials via social media under the new initiative entitled #AskDXBOfficial.

As part of the new #AskDXBOfficial initiative launched by @DXBMediaOffice, you can use the hashtag #AskDXBOfficial to address your questions to Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge & Human Development Authority (@KHDA). pic.twitter.com/BPFH2zmCt7
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) August 24, 2020

“The initiative is part of GDMO’s objective of creating platforms that allow the community to clarify issues and concerns with government officials,” a statement from Dubai Media Office says.
In the first instalment of the initiative, questions surrounding immigration, travel procedures and COVID-19 protocols were answered by Major General Mohammed Al Marri, the Director-General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).
He took the opportunity to further clarify the current rules in place for UAE residents returning to Dubai. He said that “all residents holding a valid resident visa are allowed to return to Dubai. Once they receive a return permit from GDRFA-Dubai and obtain a negative PCR test result, they can return to Dubai through any UAE airport.”
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Travel restrictions on entering the emirate of Abu Dhabi have been in place since June.
In the latest update from the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee, it has been announced that to enter the UAE capital a negative COVID-19 test completed via a PCR nasal-swab test is required.

Previously UAE citizens and residents were permitted with a negative rapid DPI laser test, but this is no longer the case.
Per the Abu Dhabi Media Office official Twitter page, “Entry will be allowed within 48 hrs of receiving a negative PCR test result, or with a negative DPI laser test result accompanied by a negative PCR test result received within 6 days. The Committee states that the same type of test cannot be taken twice in a row within six days.”

The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee, in cooperation with @DoHSocial, approves two tests to enter the emirate effective 27 August 2020, enhancing precautionary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/TclavviPUi
— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) August 25, 2020

However, there are exemptions for this. It was confirmed that those who volunteered to take part in the COVID-19 vaccine trials would be “exempt from these entry measures and are authorised to use emergency vehicle lanes for a smooth journey”.

Volunteers in the COVID-19 vaccine trials are exempt from these entry measures and are authorised to use emergency vehicle lanes for a smooth journey. Meanwhile, violating these procedures will result in penalties and fines as outlined by the Attorney General.
— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) August 25, 2020

As of late, COVID-19 cases in the UAE have been on the rise and the question of overnight curfews making a comeback in some areas has been raised.
Last week, a spokesperson for the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) Saif Al Dhahri said: “The UAE might re-enforce the national sterilization program, which had included a night-time curfew. This would be possible in certain areas where we observe high infection cases.”
According to health officials across the country, the number of coronavirus cases have been on a steady decline since July 9, but the recent surge has been a concern.
On August 18 Dr Omar Al Hammadi, the UAE government spokesperson, said the average number of cases had increased by 136.
“The UAE government has done a commendable job with more than six million tests, which is more than 50 per cent of the total population,” Dr Adel Al Sisi, the Chief Medical Officer, Consultant of ICU and Chair of Intensive Care at Prime Hospital, told Gulf News. “The higher the tests, the more are the possibilities of detecting asymptomatic cases in the community. That is why we see a surge. However, there is cause for alarm when we see a rise in number of cases.”
To date, the total number of cases in the UAE stands at 67,621 – with 58,754 recoveries and 377 deaths.
– For more about Dubai’s lifestyle, news and fashion scene follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
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It’s official: this year’s Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been confirmed after months of speculation.

However, it will be a very different experience than many fans are used to.
While the closing date has been set for the annual motorsport race on December 13, the atmosphere will be very different as this year it will take place without spectators.
The event will take place in a “bio-sphere”, which will create a safe-zone for all F1 staff, drivers and teams, sans the hoards of fans the F1 normally sees.
Speaking on the confirmation of the event, Chase Carey, CEO of the Formula One Group said: “We are delighted that we will be upholding our traditional end of season race with our valued and special partners at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.”
“While this season has been challenging for everyone, we can think of no better place to bring the 2020 season to an end and look forward to completing our seventeen-race calendar,” he added.
– For more about Dubai’s lifestyle, news and fashion scene follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram.
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