A new generation of Emirati women are changing the definition of being active, confident, and connected throughout the UAE.
Whether it is conquering mountain peaks or racing on cycling tracks, whether it is the new sport of parkour or the Paralympics, they are showing that there are no limits to fitness, both in terms of culture and society and in terms of physical disability.
The pioneers of an emerging trend: women taking to both traditional and non-traditional sports not as a mode of expression, but as a means of empowerment and wellbeing, and this year’s Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) that which coincides with the UAE Year of the Community, is raising their voices more than ever before.
They are also living up to the inspiring words of the Founder of the Nation, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who said that “Nothing makes me happier than to see women assume their rightful role in society and fulfil their potential. Nothing should stop the progress of women.”
When Nayla Al Baloushi became the first Emirati woman to reach the top of Mount Everest in May 2022, she was not simply climbing the highest mountain on Earth; she was also redefining possibility.
Ms Al Baloushi is optimistic that her Everest victory will enable women in the country and region to reach new heights in more than one way.
She added that “They have to hold on to their dreams, they have to have faith,” she said in an interview with The National. “You have to be sure that it’s your dream and you will achieve it.”
However, her victory encouraged other adventurers like Fatima Sajwani, who became the first to climb the Margherita Peak in Africa and the Mont Blanc in France.
They are accompanied by one of the first female mountaineers in the UAE, Danah Al Ali, who has climbed mountains such as Kilimanjaro and Elbrus. Their experiences embody the spirit of Dubai Fitness Challenge: the desire to be stronger, braver, and self-improve with the help of physical challenge.
Within the expanding fields in the city of Dubai to engage in sports and other wellbeing and fitness activities, Amal Murad has blazed a trail as the first female coach of parkour in the UAE, a sport that involves running, climbing, and jumping to move freely and efficiently through any terrain.
Being commonly referred to as “the art of movement,” parkour promotes physical strength, coordination, and confidence as it makes use of most of the spaces in our lives, as those that can be explored.
In an interview, Ms Murad was asked what advice she would give to young Emirati women: “If you love doing something, do it to grow as a person, and not to prove a point. If you find obstacles in your path, take the time to understand each obstacle, take your time trying to make it work.”
Therefore, in her message, she reflects the core of DFC, which is that movement of any kind can be empowering and transformative.
Professional race cyclist Safiya Al Sayegh is also breaking her own barriers on the open roads of Dubai. The young Emirati cyclist secured a spot in Paris 2024 by becoming the first woman in the UAE to qualify in a cycling event in the Summer Olympics.
She has become an inspiration due to her accomplishments in her career which are marked by hard work and perseverance and serves as a symbol of the increasing visibility and encouragement of female athletes throughout the Emirates one that DFC is actively fostering via its inclusive and city-wide programs and activities such as Dubai Ride presented by DP World, Dubai Run presented by Mai Dubai, Dubai Stand Up Paddle presented by RTA and Dubai Yoga.
Meanwhile, Sara Al Senaani, the UAE’s first female Summer Paralympic medallist, remains a true woman of determination.
She has become the first woman in her country to win bronze in Rio 2016 in the F33 shot-put competition, and her power and persistence still serve as a role model to future athletes with disabilities.
Her hard work is reminiscent of the community-driven DFC spirit of inclusivity, perseverance, and the view that all individuals, with or without ability, deserve to experience the happiness and empowerment that exercise can bring to their lives.
Although these stories are linked by the shared element of community. It could be climbing mountains, jumping over urban landscapes, riding provided in Dubai streets, or standing on the Paralympic podiums, but Emirati women are finding out that the actual change is not the sport itself but the shared experience.
As Dubai establishes itself as a key center of wellness and active life, projects such as DFC make sure that Emirati women are at the center of this positive, changing narrative.
They are not just participants, but pioneers, role models, and community builders, whether they are on the top of Everest or the cycling tracks of Al Qudra.
