For Amna Al Zaabi, Emirati Women’s Day is a chance to consider the role Emirati women play in the UAE and the responsibility that comes with the opportunities available to them.
Al Zaabi, Contribution Management Division Director in the Social Investment Fund sector at the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an, said the occasion provides a point to recognise progress while looking at what comes next.
“Emirati Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate how far Emirati women have come, while recognising the vital role we continue to play in the UAE’s progress,” she said, adding that this year, the celebration extends across a month, which Al Zaabi said reflects the value placed on women’s contributions to the country’s growth and development.
Emirati Women’s Day
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Emirati Women’s Day is an annual occasion celebrating the achievements and contributions of Emirati women to the nation’s development and progress. The day serves as a platform to recognise advancements made and to look towards future opportunities and responsibilities for women across various sectors of society. It highlights the integral role women play in the UAE’s ongoing growth and prosperity.
“For me, leadership has never been defined only by a title or position, it is about the impact you create, the people you support and the difference you are able to make through your work,” she said.
Her career has included work across sectors and a range of leadership responsibilities. Those experiences, she said, shaped her view that performance and people development must exist together.
“Each experience has strengthened my belief that delivering results and developing people should never be treated as competing priorities,” she said. “Strong leadership requires both.”
Al Zaabi said the month-long programme also provides a chance to recognise the contribution each Emirati woman makes to progress across government, business and society. “We have a responsibility to build on that progress for the generations that follow,” she said.
‘Achievement is also connected to a wider purpose’
Al Zaabi said growing up in the UAE shaped her understanding of leadership around responsibility, contribution and giving back.
“As Emirati women, we have grown up in an environment where ambition is encouraged, but achievement is also connected to a wider purpose,” she said.
That perspective, she added, leads women to consider not only what they can achieve but how their work can create value for organisations, communities and the country. It is also connected to her role at Ma’an.
“Our work ultimately centres on creating meaningful social impact. Within the Social Investment Fund sector, this means mobilising contributions and directing them towards social priorities and projects that respond to the needs of the Abu Dhabi community,” she said.
Al Zaabi said her approach to leadership focuses on two priorities.
“My leadership style therefore focuses on two equally important priorities: delivering results and developing people,” she said. “I believe in setting clear expectations and taking accountability for outcomes, while also giving people the trust, exposure and opportunity they need to grow and thrive.”
Learning when to step back
One of the lessons Al Zaabi said she has taken from her career is that leadership is not limited to producing results as an individual. “[It is also] about enabling people around you to grow and succeed as well,” she said. That includes knowing when to give others control.
“Over time, I realised that being a good leader also means knowing when to step back, trust your team and give people the responsibility and space to learn for themselves.” The experience changed how she measures success.
While outcomes and performance remain part of that measure, Al Zaabi said she also looks at team development, people’s capabilities and confidence, ownership, decision-making and structures that can continue beyond one person.
“For me, one of the most defining aspects of leadership has been learning to develop people while continuing to deliver results,” she said.
UAE investment and women in decision-making
Al Zaabi said the progress of Emirati women was built through investment in education, capability, participation and leadership opportunities.
“The progress of Emirati women is not accidental,” she said. “It is the result of a long-term national vision that has invested in education, capability, participation and leadership opportunities for women.”
She said the UAE’s approach goes beyond encouraging women to participate. “Women are not simply encouraged to participate, they are trusted to lead and contribute to decision-making across government, business and other sectors shaping the country’s future,” she said.
Al Zaabi pointed to Emirati women leading organisations, shaping policy, building businesses, contributing to science and technology, and taking roles that influence the UAE’s development.
She also cited the decision to extend this year’s Emirati Women’s Day into a month-long programme as a reflection of how women’s contributions are recognised. But opportunity also comes with responsibility, she said.
“The foundations and opportunities are there, and our role as Emirati women is to continue developing our capabilities, stepping into those opportunities with confidence, and ensuring that our contribution creates value for the generations that follow.”
‘The conversation has evolved from women’s participation to women’s leadership’
Al Zaabi said one change she has witnessed in the workplace is a shift in the discussion around the role of women. “One of the biggest changes I have witnessed is that the conversation has evolved from women’s participation to women’s leadership,” she said.
“Today, seeing Emirati women in senior and influential positions is increasingly a natural part of our workplaces.”
For Al Zaabi, the next stage should go beyond representation. “It is about continuing to build depth,” she said. That means preparing women for leadership responsibilities, giving emerging leaders exposure to decision-making and creating opportunities for them to lead assignments.
She also said workplaces should give women room to pursue careers without imposing one definition of leadership. “We should also continue creating environments where women can pursue ambitious careers without feeling that there is only one definition of what successful leadership should look like,” she said.
“Progress is strongest when opportunity is accompanied by capability, confidence and genuine responsibility.”
‘Empowerment happens through opportunity’
Al Zaabi said supporting the next generation requires more than encouragement. “I believe empowerment happens through opportunity, not only encouragement,” she said.
“It is easy to tell someone that you believe in them. The more meaningful step is to give them responsibility that challenges them, involve them in important conversations, allow them to make decisions and support them while they learn,” she said, adding that this is an approach she applies in her own leadership.
“I want the people I work with to understand not only what needs to be done, but why it matters and how their contribution connects to a larger outcome.”
At Ma’an, she said that outcome can be seen through work connected to social projects based on community priorities and social outcomes. “When team members understand that connection, their work becomes more than completing a task, they can see the role they play in creating impact.”
For Emirati women moving towards leadership roles, she said trust and exposure can shape confidence. “Leadership confidence develops when people are trusted with real responsibility and have the space to discover what they are capable of.”
‘Do not wait until you feel completely ready’
Al Zaabi’s advice to Emirati women seeking leadership roles is not to wait until they believe they have reached a point of readiness. “Do not wait until you feel completely ready. Many of the experiences that develop us most happen before we feel fully prepared for them,” she said.
She urged women to take opportunities and learn while taking on responsibility, and also said career development should not centre on titles.
“Do not build your career around titles alone. Build capability. Build credibility.” Women should understand their strengths while recognising where they need to grow, she added. Her definition of leadership returns to the effect a person has rather than the position they hold.
“Leadership is not about how many people report to you,” she said. “It is about what becomes better because you chose to lead.”
As Emirati Women’s Day is marked this year, Al Zaabi said the occasion should also be used to consider the next stage. “The UAE has created extraordinary opportunities for Emirati women,” she said. “As we mark this year’s Emirati Women’s Day, it is also an opportunity to look ahead and consider what we want the next chapter to be.”
For her, the responsibility is not only to access those opportunities. “Our responsibility is not only to benefit from those opportunities, but to use them well, create meaningful impact and create even greater opportunities for the women who come after us.”
