Emirati Youth Council member hopes to inspire others with her story
A member of the Emirati Youth Council in Fujairah hopes to see more young Emirati women seizing opportunities the way she did.
Tasneim Al Dhanhani is one of seven Emirati women who, alongside seven Emirati men, comprise the Fujairah Youth Council.
The council was formed last year after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, established the Emirates Youth Council, which is chaired by Shamma Al Mazroui, Minister of State for Youth.
Seven local councils in each emirate were established with new members expected to be nominated this year.
The 24-year-old said she was proud to be one of many Emirati women who have had the opportunity to pursue their dreams. She said the support of her mother and the country’s leadership had helped her to succeed in every phase of her life.
“Our generation is very lucky because we have better opportunities to succeed and participate in building the country, making it reach high levels and present it to the world,” Ms Al Dhanhani said.
“It wasn’t popular back in the day for families to send their daughters to study abroad and they were limited by the number of majors they could study in universities, but things have changed over time and women have become more independent and families respect that.”
Ms Al Dhanhani – who has made it her mission to support young Emiratis – said opportunities are available but they must work hard to seize them.
“Work, study and development opportunities are available in the north and around the country, but it takes extra effort to find them.
“We came up with an idea to gather all the opportunities under one platform that can be accessible to everyone, along with providing transport to reach such opportunities in other emirates,” she said.
Surveys conducted by the council showed that many young Emiratis in the Northern Emirates were well educated and women in particular held bachelor’s degrees in rare subjects.
“That proves that the road has been paved for them and they have the opportunity to shine and prove themselves in many occupations and fields,” she said.
Ms Al Dhanhani speaks from experience when she says that perseverance reaps rewards.
“My father died when I was two years old, so I tried to do everything I could to make my mother happy and that triggered me to excel in my studies and life, and still do,” she said.
She graduated from secondary school with a 99.8 score and was ranked second in the science stream among UAE graduates in 2010. The accolade led to her being honoured by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
She earned her BSc in electrical engineering with honours from United Arab Emirates University in 2015. Ms Al Dhahani is also a UAE Youth Ambassador
Things have changed over time and women have become more independent and families respect that
in China, a programme sponsored by the Crown Prince Court – Abu Dhabi, and has done voluntary work in Morocco, Singapore, the UK, Italy and the US.
“I volunteered in many initiatives and attended summits, conferences and exhibitions and that experience helped in building my personality and gave me a push to move forward,” she said.
Ms Al Al Dhanhani is now working on earning an MSc in electrical engineering at the Petroleum Institute and works as an instrumentation engineer at the National Petroleum Construction Company.
Her goal is to open the first youth centre in Fujairah where Emiratis can connect and develop their skills.
“I hope that all the youth gets inspired by the ideas of the council and be part of the initiatives available for them.”