Emirati women are flying high in aviation industry

AL AIN / WAM

Emirati women have their eyes on the sky as career-driven leaders in sectors vital to the UAE’s future and prosperity.
Samira Saeed Al Zaidi and Iman Mohammed Al Mulla are two such women. As team members of Strata — an Al Ain-based plane parts manufacturer — they spoke to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) highlighting their roles to inspire Emirati women seeking careers in the nation’s growing aviation industry.
Al Mulla, an electrical engineer with a Master of Science in Engineering Systems and Management from Khalifa University, joined Strata in 2017, and within a short period was able to advance her skillsets in aircraft manufacturing.
She said that since joining Strata, she had the opportunity to work on various aero-structure projects for the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers.
“I started working as part of the Airbus A350 Flap Support Fairings team, which contributes to producing smooth outlines and reducing drag on an aircraft,” Al Mulla recalled, adding that experienced engineers trained her.
Al Mulla’s experience advanced further when she joined the team working on the
assembly of the Boeing B777 Empennage Ribs — structural members that help improve an aircraft’s stability during flights.
“We also developed and improved the manufacturing of the Airbus A330 wings using carbon fibre to reduce the weight of the aircraft’s body by over 15 percent,” she enthused. This accomplishment, Al Mulla explained, led to Strata being awarded the
EN 9100 aerospace accreditation, which recognises an organisation as a model for quality assurance in design, development, manufacturing, installation and assistance.
The Emirati engineer now works on manufacturing Switzerland aircraft’s Pilatus PC-24 Belly Fairings. Produced by Strata,
the belly fairing — composed of 25 sub-assemblies — is designed to reduce drag on the jet.
Al Mulla expresses her pride in being among the Emirati workforce at the company, which comprise 53 percent of the total number of Strata employees. “We all work with a team spirit and want to prove to the world what Emirati women are capable of,” she said, noting that 86 percent of the Emirati workforce at Strata are women.
“I entered the aerospace manufacturing industry to challenge myself and prove my capabilities as an active Emirati keen on keeping pace with the UAE’s ambitions,” she added to WAM. The young engineer will soon embark on an eight-month training programme with Boeing Aircraft Industries in the United States.
“Emirati women are capable of excelling in all sectors,” Al Mulla emphasises.
Samira Al Zaidi’s career trajectory took on a similar path to her colleague’s. She completed 1,700 hours of field training and attained Strata’s Aerostructures Training Programme at the UAE University. Four years later, Al Zaidi adds, she now works as an Aircraft Body Manufacturing Technician focusing on the Airbus A380 family Flap Track Fairings. Al Zaidi said, “Nothing is impossible for Emirati women; we are capable of excelling across all advanced fields and sectors.”
“It’s not an easy path,” she continued, “but with determination and passion, Emirati girls and women can excel in what is often deemed as unconventional work environments.”
“I encourage every girl who has ambitions and dreams to work in the aerospace industry,” Al Zaid noted, adding that the UAE leadership fully supports women’s empowerment across all fields.
Strata’s CEO Ismail Ali Abdulla told WAM that the company is committed to enhancing opportunities for UAE nationals in the aerospace industry.
One of Strata’s highlights, Abdulla said, has always been the development of Emirati female technicians through its company policies, in line with attaining Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 goals and objectives.