All of Vogue Arabia’s Best Moments Celebrating Emirati Women

As August 28 marks Emirati Women’s Day, Vogue Arabia reflects on all the moments where their talent, achievements, and contributions to the country’s cultural landscape took center stage.

Emirati artists at Art Dubai 2023

As Art Dubai returned for its 16th edition in 2023, Vogue Arabia spotlighted the four Emirati artists–Moza Almatrooshi, Aisha Juma, Asma Belhamar, and Nujoom AlGhanem—who brought a diverse range of disciplines, from food to architecture to the event. Based in Sharjah, Almatrooshi used her passion for food research to bring together a wide variety of disciplines and media, while Dubai-born Juma presented a number of digital portraits at the fair. As for Dubai-based artist AlGhanem, the multi-award-winning film director brought past work to life through NFTs and visual art, and Belhamar presented a collection of drawings and ceramic sculptures merging architectural and organic elements.

HH Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

As the UAE marked its 50th National Day in 2021, Vogue Arabia’s September issue, which was also its 50th one, featured HH Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, and daughter of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The royal’s first-ever cover shoot saw her standing against the backdrop of dawn in Dubai, as a powerful symbol of hope, purpose, and the beating heart of the UAE’s creative ecosystem. “Ensuring the happiness of the people of Dubai through culture and creativity and paving the way for people to create and share their own success stories is a passion I work towards – not a role or a job I do. My greatest wish is to share Dubai’s heritage, culture, and story with the world in the same way residents and visitors share theirs with us,” Her Highness said.

Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak

In the same year as the UAE’s 50th National Day, Vogue Arabia’s December issue featured an exclusive letter penned by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation; the “Mother of the Nation.” The moving tribute read, “We are proud that the UAE is built on love, peace, humanity, coexistence, and tolerance. These qualities have shaped our society and have been the basis of our union since the rule of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his brothers, our wise leaders, who have laid the foundation for our society with the prevalence of unity, will, hope, optimism, development, and investment in opportunity.”

Guardians of heritage, General Women’s Union

Since an issue marking the UAE’s Golden Jubilee would be incomplete without those upholding the country’s traditions and heritage, Vogue Arabia met with cultural wardens, supported by the General Women’s Union (GWU) in Abu Dhabi. “Government and private agencies play a major role in the success of the guardians of heritage project, which aims to preserve identity, revive heritage across generations, and provide job opportunities for several creative female citizens in this field,” said Lulwa Al-Humaidi, director of the Handicrafts Center at the GWU which hosts workshops that shed light on local traditional industries, such as Talli crafting, Sadu, sewing, and henna engraving.

Her Excellency Ambassador Hend Al Otaiba

In 2021, Her Excellency Hend Al Otaiba was appointed as the UAE’s ambassador to France, becoming the first female to hold the position. In an exclusive interview in Vogue Arabia’s December issue, she spoke about the matters close to her heart. “Women empowerment has always been a key issue for me,” shared Her Excellency. “Our region is often misunderstood and that’s why one of the main issues I want to take on here is to highlight the way we are seen as oppressed women, suppressed, and without a say or a role to play in society.”

Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi

Another inspiring Emirati featured in Vogue Arabia’s December 2021 issue is Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, the first woman from the Middle East and the second one to lead the International Publisher’s Association since its founding in 1896. “The fact that I am only the second woman to be appointed to this post, and an Arab woman at that, speaks volumes about how the organization is changing – it reflects a more diverse industry and one that is more inclusive,” she said.

Balqees Fathi

To mark the launch of her inclusive brand Bex Beauty, Balqees was photographed by Vogue Arabia in a dynamic shoot showcasing her products in action. The April 2021 story saw the Emirati singer open up about the reason behind her new venture. “I was getting a lot of questions from other Arab women about how to find a foundation that matches, and I thought, why do I recommend other brands when I could have my own, with the products that Arab women actually need?” she explained.

HH Sheikha Latifa Al Maktoum

In February 2021, Vogue Arabia marked the historic reunification of the GCC countries with a special cover featuring royals from the six nations. Representing the UAE was HH Sheikha Latifa Al Maktoum, an equestrian who became the first woman to represent her country in the Olympics. The niece of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, the royal spoke about her love for horses and the sport. “I love competing at a high level, but I really love the process of building horses. I enjoy getting horses that are young and inexperienced and building them up to the top level. That, for me, is so rewarding because it takes so much patience, so many years, and you have so many highs and lows. That is what I enjoy most about the sport.”

Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi

Vogue Arabia celebrated its third anniversary with Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi starring on one of its three covers of the March 2020 issue. As the founder of the prestigious Sharjah Biennale, the royal reflected on her work in shaping the artistic legacy of the emirate, and her many different roles in the cultural space, including creative director of her late brother’s brand Qasimi. “I’ve always been active mentally, and want to do and learn things. I feel a lot of reward in what I do. I’m exhausted, but it’s worth it,” said the Sheikha. Looking back on her time growing up she said, “Our childhood revolved around studying. My mom pushed us. We had tutors after school and on the weekend. We just studied, studied, studied. And I like that. This gave us structure to understand that we have a job that comes with tasks and obligations. And having a job is important, as independence is everything.”

Falconer Ayesha Al Mansoori

For our third anniversary issue, Vogue Arabia met with Emirati falconer Ayesha Al Mansoori, who made a name for herself and paved the way for many other women in the male-dominated sport which she learned from her father at the age of four. “I learned a lot from him,” she said. “He taught me the principles of falconry, dealing with camels, leadership, patience, and value my companion in hunting trips.” The feature also highlighted her daughter Osha Al Mansoori, the youngest falconer in the UAE, and other women trained by Al Mansoori at the Abu Dhabi Falconer’s Club, who are helping preserve this traditional Emirati sport.

Zahra Lari

In 2019, Vogue Arabia recognized Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari’s impressive number of firsts after she became the first Emirati to compete in figure skating, the first Middle Eastern woman to land a triple jump (at the EduSport Trophy in Bucharest), the first (and only) UAE athlete to hoist the nation’s flag at the Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, in the same year. As the first woman to perform in a hijab on the ice, Lahri said, “I’m extremely proud of the barriers I’ve overcome. They weren’t small obstacles, either. I always forget what I’ve achieved and only remember when someone asks, which is a good thing, otherwise I think I would be overwhelmed.”

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