In celebration of Emirati Women’s Day, GRAZIA highlights all the inspiring UAE sheiks and their mark on this progressive country we call home.

Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Sheikha Mahra is a princess, a philanthropist, a businesswoman, and an online influencer.   She always ensures that her efforts reach needy people and spends many afternoons with determined children.  Her work shows how important it is to keep supporting these projects and how the UAE wants everyone to be happy.

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi.

She was the first Arab woman to be President of the International Publishers Association (IPA) and Chairperson of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq). As Chairperson and President of the American University of Sharjah, she is transforming the way knowledge is created and consumed in the country.

Sheikha Madiya Bint Hasher Bin Manaa Al Maktoum.

Whether it’s the determination she shows while riding a horse across the UAE desert or her dedication when she rides her bike up and down Europe’s mountains, Sheikha Madiya inspires women in the region and across the globe. She has won many titles and achievements in cycling and horse riding, and she inspires women in the UAE to go beyond the status quo.

Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Sheikha Fatima is an essential figure in the cultural world. She launched the Fatima Bint Hazza Foundation to encourage people to be wise, be creative and be interested in culture in the UAE. As the head of the foundation, she ensures that every new idea for children’s books and education in the region is a big success. She is also working to encourage inclusive sports culture, one that empowers women and promotes a healthy lifestyle at the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy.

Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi.

Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi is also a true visionary in art. She has changed the cultural scene through her roles as chair of the Sharjah Biennial and president of the Sharjah Art Foundation. She is also an artist in her own right, having studied at the Royal College of Art and the University of London.

Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

She is dedicated to promoting cultural initiatives encouraging the growth of Dubai’s creative and cultural industry, such as the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and Dubai Design Week. She is also the Chairperson of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. She has many other responsibilities, including Vice Chairman of the Emirates Literature Foundation, Chairperson of the Al Quoz Creative Zone Development Committee, and Member of the Dubai Council.

Sheikha Latifah Al Maktoum.

She is the daughter of Sheikh Ahmed bin Juma Al Maktoum and Sheikha Hessa bint Rashid Al Maktoum, who is the sister of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Sheikha Latifah is an inspiration for female athletes. In 2008, when she was just 22 years old, she represented the United Arab Emirates at the Olympics in Beijing. This was a special moment in the country’s history.

Sheikha Sana Al Maktoum.

In addition to being a philanthropist, she is a successful businesswoman who started her jewelry line, Sana Al Maktoum Fine Jewellery, in 2020. She is a certified gemologist and founded her jewelry company at the age of just 21. According to the Sheikha’s Jewellery website, she did this to continue her grandmother’s legacy of entrepreneurship, inner strength, and female empowerment.

Sheikha Mozah Al Maktoum.

Sheikhs in the UAE show that anything is possible. HH Sheikha Mozah Al Maktoum is only 26 years old and has already broken down barriers in the UAE’s aviation business by becoming the first royal female pilot in Dubai and the first female first lieutenant pilot in the Dubai Police force. She was also the first female pilot of the AW609 tiltrotor, a revolutionary aircraft. She also set up the Women in Aviation Association (Shehana) in 2019 to support women and raise awareness of opportunities in the sector.

Sheikha Meytha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Sheikha Meytha was the first of her kind in the world of sport. She is a keen athlete, and in 2008, she qualified for the Olympics in Beijing by competing in the female 67kg taekwondo division. She was the first woman to present the UAE flag at the games.

Sheikha Shamma Bint Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahya.

She is the founder and CEO of the Alliances for Global Sustainability and believes in climate change. She is building a system based on the idea of a circular economy, which is a way of doing business that is better for the environment. This continues the tradition of her late great-grandfather, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was also very environmentally aware.