Emirati Stories
Is there an Emirati way of working or leading a team? How different are Emirati work ethics from other ones in the world? Based on his experience as a senior executive of oil and gas company Total,, Sultan Al Hajji shares his insights and observations.
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Sultan Al Hajj is the son of a self-taught oil and gas worker - who was also one of the last Emiratis to strike against British leadership – and the grandson of a “medicine man” providing psychological relief to fellow villagers.
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Emirati architect Alamira Reem Bani Hashim came back from 12 years in California with a PHD in Urban Planning, becoming the 1st female Emirati with that distinction. In this episode she explains why she left her country at 17 to study abroad on her own. Describing herself as an overachiever and perfectionist, Reem experienced depression, an imposter syndrome, but also found herself and her own identity. Her husband Arsalan explains how they met and what matters for them as a couple in the Emirati context.
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Alamira Reem Bani Hashim explains how evolving political priorities and social realities in the UAE have shaped Abu Dhabi's development over decades, before and after the discovery of oil. Reem is an Emirati researcher and PhD holder in Urban Development who recently published "Planning Abu Dhabi", a book on Abu Dhabi’s urban history over the last century. This episode is part 1 of our interview.
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Sara Al Shorouqi, 41, is a senior Emirati female executives in one of the UAE's biggest investment groups. Her father (a teacher) and mother (an artist), played a crucial role in building self-confidence and managing a career while raising 4 children as a single mother.
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Rashed Hassan is a young film actor in Abu Dhabi. His passion for movies and storytelling as a child later took a new turn when the national service gave him the opportunity to meet experienced actor Mohammed Ahmed, and audition for a role in a Humaid Al Suwaidi feature film.
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Thabet is a 36-year old businessman who two years ago decided to build a space observatory on the family farm in the middle of the desert.
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As a child, Talal Salem Al Sabiri, now a 40-year old poet from the emirate of Sharjah, used to go to the sea with his father for diving and fishing trips. Those moments still inspire him today. His beginnings as a poet started with music, playing oud with his brothers, and later playing with words and rhythms.
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Hanady Al Hashmi, 31, discovered a passion for mountains and mountaineering five years ago, after starting to hike through... the desert. Since then she has climbed 4 of the world’s Seven Summits - the highest peaks of each continent, switching between Abu Dhabi's heat and sandstorms, and icy weather on the world's most impressive glaciers. Last year Hanady became the first Emirati woman to make it to the top of Denali, North America’s highest mountain.
info_outlineSuhaila al Dhaheri, is a law student at Paris Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. At 21 she already has experience in running elections and holding a mandate to represent the interests of her peers. Suhaila was elected President of her university’s Student Council and at a federal level she has also been a member of the Emirates Youth Council for one year.
In a country that little more than a decade ago has launched the first elections of its history for its consultative legislative body, progressively increasing the number of eligible voters, her experience contributes to the general journey towards more public participation.
Suhaila lives in Abu Dhabi, pursuing her desire “to make a change”, but is keen to maintain a strong connection to her roots in Al Ain. Born at a time when her country had already gone through significant transformations, she embraces the future with optimism.